At the Durham Institute of Research, Development and Invention (DIRDI), we offer comprehensive scientific services that connect cutting-edge academic research with real-world challenges.
We are proud winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade, in both 2019 and 2022.
Our Products Division designs and manufactures dual-use ultrasonic and acoustic technologies deployed across more than 20 industrial sectors.
Coupled to our manufacturing facilities and research laboratories is our Services Division, which provides bespoke research, product design and engineering solutions across all Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), spanning:
Coltraco Limited have an independent research institute called the Durham Institute of Research, Development & Invention (DIRDI). With a network of over 650 Fellows covering an extraordinary breadth of disciplines across the UK’s top universities, spanning physics, engineering, mathematics, AI, quantum technologies, fluid dynamics, sensor development, and more.
We deliver scientific insight, interdisciplinary collaboration, and end-to-end research services to Government and industry. Our unique position as both a scientific institute and an advanced engineering firm allows us to integrate academic depth with operational practicality.
We can rapidly map research challenges to the right individuals or teams. Whether you need a single expert in post-quantum cryptography or an interdisciplinary team in AI, EM sensing, and aerospace.
DIRDI works with stakeholders throughout project formation and delivery to ensure our research programmes remain defined, refined, and aligned with customers’ objectives.
We coordinate multi-institutional teams to keep projects responsive and outcome-driven from inception to completion. In doing so, we help translate strong ideas into credible, timely results that bridge theory and real-world impact.
Our approach enables seamless transition from research (TRL 1–4) to development and commercial deployment (TRL 5–9), providing continuity across the innovation lifecycle.
We provide a structured, scalable, and interdisciplinary service that includes:
Developing optimal solutions for specific problems, ranging from complex environmental and operational challenges to targeted prototype component manufacturing. Working across all TRLs, this can be as a rapid response dual-use capability, or a more bespoke research and development approach.
Helping you connect your innovative ideas with end users, such as applications in defence and national security sectors.
Exploring research themes or concepts that command potential for broader applications in public service.
Matching the most applicable cutting-edge research and technology with advanced geostrategic and commercial insights for UK Defence-UK Security-UK Science-UK Industry. A whole-of-society approach to innovation that can be wielded to generate national preparedness, resilience, and economic growth in a hybrid public service – commercial model. Leveraging the UK’s position as a global leader in scientific research to position the UK at the cutting edge of defence innovation in NATO.This allows us to accelerate technologies from the design of the lab, through prototype testing, to mass production, and into the hands of the front-line or end users.
Helping to establish a robust, transparent, and adaptive framework for their testing and evaluation, for UK strategic advantage.Our Test & Evaluation services are designed to mitigate the potential impact of unvalidated AI systems being introduced across UK Defence, UK Security and UK Industry, in real-world, critical and sensitive environments. Testing AI safety, combined with the ability to check for capable systems, as a strategic technology.
For the protection of seabed to space, critical national infrastructure including power networks, PNT, atomic fusion, subsea cables, and more. Drawing upon academic experts specialising in cutting edge research areas such as the Electromagnetic Spectrum, Quantum Technologies, and Photonics in order to support UK resilience and technological global leadership.Offering a profound geostrategic understanding of resilience and security challenges both internally and through a network of Visiting Fellows with deep expertise and experience in CNI engineering and maintenance.
Spanning sensor development, prototyping, and manufacture, and is focused on advancing novel and potentially transformative sensing approaches in the UK across a broad set of modalities, including acoustics, ultrasonics, non-acoustic detection, electromagnetics, mechanical, and quantum measurement all with AI-enablement where applicable.
Energy networks, advanced manufacturing, environmental monitoring, defence, and security systems all depend on calibrated sensing for safe and effective operation. As new materials and scientific advances emerge, the opportunity to sense through new modalities and extract new forms of information continues to expand. Our sensor development capability is intended to address this gap between what is required, what is assumed, and what is measurable, and to identify where outdated technology can be enhanced or replaced.
Effective sensing depends on the integration of three elements: a scientific understanding of the stimulus being measured, specialised materials and engineering expertise to realise a functioning sensor, and intelligent processing and interpretation of the resulting data, including the application of AI where appropriate.
We are open to low-volume, high-value sensing requirements, with the ability to scale up production as required.
Coming to 40+ years of experience in 2027!
