Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • Hardide Coatings appoints Rob Holmes as VP Aerospace

Aerospace Defence

Hardide Coatings appoints Rob Holmes as VP Aerospace

Advanced surface coating technology company, Bicester based Hardide Coatings, has appointed Rob Holmes as VP Aerospace as the company targets strategic growth in the aerospace and defence sectors.

Above: Rob Holmes, VP Aerospace, Hardide Coatings Ltd.
Courtesy Hardide Coatings

Rob joins from Nasmyth Group where he spent 10 years in senior business development positions in the global aerospace industry. Most recently he was Aerospace Development Executive responsible for the long-term development of global aerospace markets, specialising in the UK, EU and Asia Pacific. Rob has 25 years of engineering industry experience, of which 17 years is in aerospace. His career has encompassed engineering, project management and senior sales and commercial roles.

Advertisement
ODU RT

Rob will be responsible for developing business opportunities in the aerospace and defence sectors for Hardide Coatings’ range of nanostructured tungsten carbide/tungsten metal matrix composite coatings. Aerospace and defence customers currently include Airbus, BAE Systems, Leonardo Helicopters, Lockheed Martin and Triumph Group.

Rob said: “I am pleased to be joining a company with such a strong reputation for technical excellence. The Hardide coating technology allows the aerospace primes to be fully compliant with global and ethical environmental factors while also optimising the performance of parts and reducing operational costs. There are many opportunities in the vast aerospace and associated industries’ supply chain for the coating technology and I am looking forward to supporting its commercial development.”

Philip Kirkham, CEO of Hardide plc commented: “The aerospace and defence sectors are strategic growth areas for the company and Rob’s extensive international experience, knowledge and contacts in our target areas will be a real asset to the company.”

Hardide Coatings is a Hardide plc company. It develops, manufactures and applies advanced technology tungsten/tungsten carbide metal matrix coatings to a wide range of high wear/high value engineering components. Its patented technology is unique in combining, in one material, a mix of toughness and resistance to abrasion, erosion and corrosion; together with the ability to coat accurately interior surfaces and complex geometries. 

The material is proven to offer dramatic improvements in component life, particularly when applied to components that operate in very aggressive environments. This results in cost savings through reduced downtime and increased operational efficiency.  Customers include leading companies operating in oil and gas exploration and the production, valve and pump manufacturing, precision engineering and aerospace industries.

Advertisement
ODU RT

 

 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
NATS invests in carbon removals with CUR8

Aerospace

NATS invests in carbon removals with CUR8

9 June 2026

NATS has committed £500k to carbon removals through carbon removals intelligence provider CUR8, contributing to an initiative led by the UK Sustainable Aviation coalition, to stimulate the carbon removals market as part of a £2 million Advance Market Signal.

HutanBio partners with Wakud on scalable SAF feedstocks

Aerospace

HutanBio partners with Wakud on scalable SAF feedstocks

9 June 2026

Cambridge biotechnology company HutanBio, which is developing algae-derived oils for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), has signed its first commercial offtake Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oman's Wakud International, as the aviation industry searches for new feedstock sources capable of supporting future SAF demand.

Tekever and Sapient Perception to explore airborne ISR sensing integration

Aerospace Security Space

Tekever and Sapient Perception to explore airborne ISR sensing integration

9 June 2026

Tekever and Sapient Perception have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the integration and evaluation of Sapient Perception’s 10K camera system on Tekever uncrewed aerial systems.

Barrow school to launch technical education pathway

Aerospace Defence

Barrow school to launch technical education pathway

8 June 2026

Walney School in Barrow-in-Furness is going to be introducing an innovative employer-led technical education pathway in September, which aims to equip young people with the skills for high-quality careers and to help local employers tackle skills shortages.

Advertisement
ODU RT
FAC and Defence Connect link up

Aerospace

FAC and Defence Connect link up

5 June 2026

Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC) and Defence Connect have announced a partnership which brings together industry leaders, policymakers, researchers and innovators in Westminster to explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities in defence.

MGI Engineering expands into Italy with Vigilar Group

Aerospace Defence Security

MGI Engineering expands into Italy with Vigilar Group

5 June 2026

Oxfordshire based MGI Engineering has entered into a strategic partnership with Vigilar Group, marking MGI’s expansion into Italy and a significant new phase of growth across Europe.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
FIA2026 animated banner