Acquired by testing, inspection and certification services firm SOCOTEC UK and Ireland in July 2025, the total cost of UKTC’s expansion is £2.5 million, with the development set to double the fire resistance testing capabilities and add around 20 new jobs, bringing the firm’s number of employees to over 60.

The new development consists of a new building, measuring over 7,000 square feet, which will house a new furnace capable of testing horizontal structures that measure 3 metres wide by 4 metres long, and vertical structures up to 5 metres high.

A site visit in November by SOCOTEC CEO Hervé Montjotin, SOCOTEC UK & Ireland CEO Matthew Marriott and SOCOTEC’s managing director of environmental science, Jim Clay, marked a particular milestone in the construction, with steel works beginning.

The new laboratory size will improve UKTC’s efficiency, while moving further functions in-house that are currently subcontracted to European suppliers.

The 10m eaves height, which enables testing of vertical structures up to 5 metres tall using the proprietary furnace add-on, makes the facility the first of its kind to be commercially available in the UK.

The project is being part-funded by Scottish Enterprise, with a grant of £835,000 having been secured in 2024.

UKTC has established itself as a trusted provider of fire resistance testing, reaction to fire testing, and certification services across multiple building materials and systems.

The laboratory’s UKAS-accredited facilities enable a comprehensive assessment of products and materials against British, European, and international standards, supporting manufacturers, specifiers, and building owners in meeting increasingly stringent fire regulations.

UKTC’s East Kilbride site was formerly a Rolls-Royce Aero Testbed facility until 2017, when the historic plant was shut down. Having moved into the site in 2020, UKTC revitalised the area, investing substantial funds to make the facility compliant with regulatory legislation and make it suitable for the specialist equipment required to carry out fire testing.

Andrew Hutchison, operations director at UKTC, said: “The need to expand and invest in a new test hall was simply to meet growing demand we are experiencing from the construction industry for fire testing, from both existing and new customers.

“The planned extension will be completed in 2026, and will house a new full-scale fire resistance test furnace. Ultimately, upgrading our facilities will allow us to continue delivering the highest standards of fire testing for our clients across the UK and Europe.”

Matthew Marriott, CEO of SOCOTEC UK and Ireland, said: “The extension of UKTC’s existing facility is incredibly exciting for us. The team in East Kilbride is vastly knowledgeable and talented, so expanding the facilities to meet the increased demand for fire testing services at the site was the logical next step forward to help the continued growth of UKTC, and provide the best service possible to its customers across the UK and Europe.

“We look forward to continued integration of UKTC into the wider SOCOTEC UK and Ireland operations, as there has already been so much interest in the expanded capabilities we can now provide following the acquisition’s completion in July.”