Domin secures DRIVE35 funding for Project Activate active suspension development

Domin, the Bristol-based engineering firm, has secured funding through the UK Government's DRIVE35 programme for Project Activate, a next-generation active suspension initiative. The £4 billion DRIVE35 programme, delivered via the Department for Business and Trade, the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, and Innovate UK, will support Domin in combining metal additive manufacturing, advanced software, and novel control strategies to create a lightweight, energy-efficient system for zero-emission vehicles. Simon Jones (CTO) and Marcus Pont (CEO) underscored the project's focus on reducing system mass and energy demand while improving ride comfort and handling. The technology will be validated on a demonstration vehicle using digital twin modelling and hardware-in-the-loop testing.

This project fits a recurring pattern in automotive AM: leveraging government grants to de-risk early-stage R&D for functional components where mass savings directly translate to extended EV range. Domin is a small but technically credible player using its metal AM expertise to target a specific high-value subsystem-active suspension-where incumbent hydraulic and semi-active systems are heavy and energy-intensive. While not a large production-scale commitment, the UK government's backing signals policy-level confidence in AM-enabled motion control as a supply chain capability. The project also aligns with the broader trend of AM infiltrating drivetrain and chassis applications beyond simple brackets and ducts, though commercial adoption for such safety-critical systems remains years away.

For Domin, the practical next step is demonstrating that its integrated architecture-combining electronics, software, and additively manufactured hardware-can achieve the promised mass and energy reductions in a real vehicle. The hardware-in-the-loop and digital twin approach should accelerate iteration, but scaling from prototype to production will require additional private investment and automotive qualification cycles. This is a measured R&D win, not a market inflection; the AM industry should watch whether Domin's technology translates into a validated supply chain for future OEM programs.