"The subject of this proposal is the development of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites with mechanical properties in the high-performance range, electrical and thermal conductivities superior to those of carbon fibre composites. The FRPs will be produced using a bottom-up process, based on macroscopic fibres made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), a new form of high-performance fibre with mechanical properties in the high performance range (1-6 GPa strength, 50-250 GPa stiffness), high electrical (1x106 S/m) and thermal conductivity (150 W/mK), yarn-like structure, high surface area (200-400m2/g) and which can be produced from natural gas in a one-stage process. The CNT fibres will be used to make FRPs manufactured using established techniques such as resin transfer moulding (RTM) and pultrusion. The structure of the nanocomposites will be tailored at different scales, from the nano to the macro, to maximise multifunctionality. Tailoring will be achieved by controlling the following parameters: type of nanotubes synthesised (aspect ratio, number of layers), fibre architecture (porosity, surface area, CNT orientation), and fibre-matrix interaction (sizing, functionalisation)."