Engineering rigor for better decisions—across testing, simulation, and product development.

James R. Davidson is the managing director of CompositePals and has a decade of experience in composite design and manufacturing, particularly for renewable energy applications. He was formerly a Technical Lead at the University of Sheffield’s AMRC Composites Centre and Faculty of Engineering, focusing on integrating advanced simulation and machine-learning methods to optimise composite manufacturing. His work includes fibre optic sensing for real-time monitoring of wind turbine blade production. He earned his PhD from the University of Edinburgh on composite-joint design and optimisation and later developed PA6 RTM mixing and injection systems. He brings significant expertise in machine prototyping and software development, linking cutting-edge technologies with industrial composite manufacturing.

Danijela Stankovic Davidson is a director of CompositePals and specialist in composites manufacturing with 10 years’ of expertise in sustainable materials, structural testing, and hydrogen technologies. She has led projects on recycled composites and hydrogen infrastructure, and specialises in the design, testing, and optimisation of recycled and thermoplastic composites for aerospace, civil, and energy applications. She has a PhD in Mechanical & Materials Science Engineering from the University of Edinburgh, where she investigated the performance of pin-loaded CFRP structural members at elevated temperatures, and has published widely on advanced composites, fatigue, fire performance, and structural modelling.

Ankur Bajpai is a Lead Engineer in leading edge protection (LEP) and component design, with a career spanning academic research and industrial delivery of polymer composite technologies for the wind sector. He is currently responsible for LEP development across offshore programmes (including Haliade-X/platform applications) and NextGen LEP projects, linking materials selection, process development and component design to deliver robust, manufacturable solutions. His technical background is rooted in epoxy-based thermoset systems, with proven expertise in product and process development, toughening of thermosetting composites using thermoplastic particles and core–shell nanoparticles, and understanding the structure–property relationships that govern mechanical performance and tribology in polymer nanocomposites. He also brings hands-on capability in polymer additive manufacturing and liquid moulding routes including RTM/VARTM, supported by disciplined engineering documentation such as DFMEA and acceptance criteria.

Colin Robert is a Lecturer at the University of Sheffield with 15 years’ experience in composite manufacturing, specifically focussing on sustainable applications (renewable energy, circular economy) for the past 10 years. He led the development of a versatile and sustainable tapeline for manufacturing powder epoxy-based composites as EPSRC Innovation Fellow (£274K). Overall, he raised £688K as PI and £187.5K as Co-I. Recently Colin has been leading Manufacturing and testing work packages in EU MAXblade and EPSRC CoTide, two seven figure programmes aiming to revolutionise tidal blade manufacturing and reduce the LCOE by 30%. He has also been module leader for WAMSS and IDCORE CDTs on sustainable composites the past 3 years.

Fayyaad Amod is a PhD researcher specialising in the development of thermoplastic composites for cryogenic hydrogen storage. His work focuses on the use of additives to enhance cryogenic performance and hydrogen compatibility of advanced polymer systems. He holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Edinburgh and an MSc in Advanced Materials Science from University College London (UCL). During his time at UCL, he also explored the recycling of thermoset composites by adapting a novel vitrification process to recycle commercial epoxy resins. In addition, he has experience in hydrogen laboratory safety and has contributed to the development of hydrogen testing infrastructure. He has developed a custom-built hydrogen permeation apparatus to assess the barrier properties of materials for hydrogen storage applications.

Hanisa Hasrin is a PhD researcher at The University of Sheffield, specialising in the optimisation of thermoplastic composite tapes through dry powder processing, tailored for Automated Fibre Placement and Filament Winding applications. She holds a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Edinburgh, where she developed a strong foundation in composite materials and manufacturing. Since leading composite manufacturing within the Edinburgh University Formula Student team, Hanisa has continued to gain hands-on experience in autoclave moulding and aero structural design. Her academic and project experience also spans automation and control systems, having developed an automated processing line for PA11 tape production.

Muhammad Waqas is a Research Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University, focusing on composite materials, nanofibres, and sustainable manufacturing. He earned his PhD in Engineering from the University of Edinburgh, where he developed interleaved composite structures for damage monitoring and lightning strike protection in aerospace applications. His work covers nanotechnology, design and manufacturing of multifunctional composites for energy harvesting and sensing. He has contributed to the development of electrospinning systems and hybrid bioprinting devices for sensors, energy applications, tissue engineering and composites. His research links advanced materials processing with practical engineering solutions in renewable energy and multifunctional embedded sensors. He has also worked in mechanical fabrication, delivering 16 projects for national and international clients across the food and oil and gas sectors. He is also a certified ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor with experience in developing and auditing quality management systems for engineering environments. He supports process improvement, risk management, and compliance to enhance reliability and client confidence in project delivery.

Tom Noble has a background in mechanical engineering, holding a five-year integrated Master of Engineering (MEng) in Mechanical Engineering with Renewable Energy, alongside a long-standing commitment to sustainable energy and environmental solutions. He is currently a Technical Officer at Community Energy Scotland, where he supports communities in their transition to low-carbon energy. His experience includes carbon auditing at both community and project scale, renewable energy options appraisals, energy systems and markets, and smart energy technologies, including monitoring, sensors, and control devices. He also has expertise in data analysis and visualisation, including mapping. Previously, Tom worked as a Research Associate at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in composite materials. There, he developed expertise in machine prototyping for advanced composite manufacturing, integrating software development, sensors and control systems, and mechanical design. Tom combines his mechanical engineering background with experience in renewable energy, composites, and design to tackle diverse technical challenges