Company Profile

Who We Are

North Product Design Ltd is a product design and development consultancy based in Preston, Lancashire. We take complex hardware briefs from concept through to manufacture, working with defence primes, technology companies and manufacturers who need a partner that can move fast, iterate daily and deliver physical products that perform in demanding, regulated environments. A significant proportion of our clients arrive with proven software, IP or component specifications and need someone to turn that into a manufacturable, field-deployable product. That is where we operate. 

We are embedded in the Lancashire defence corridor – with a dedicated studio at BAE Systems’ Warton facility – and we have built our security posture, accreditations and supply chain deliberately to work at this level. 

What We Do

We specialise in taking hardware from brief to manufacture, fast – without compromising on precision, compliance or quality. Our capabilities span the full development lifecycle:

• End-to-end product development: from strategy, industrial design and CAD through to prototyping, manufacture and commercialisation. We don’t hand off. We stay involved until the product is in the market and working.

• Rapid prototyping and iteration: we operate a substantial in-house prototyping capability including a fleet of 25 3D printers and Onshape CAD, enabling daily iteration cycles. On the BAE Typhoon programme, we compressed an 18-month development timeline into three months using this approach.

• Hardware development for software and technology companies: a significant proportion of our clients arrive with sophisticated software, IP or component specifications and need a partner to integrate that into a manufacturable, field-deployable physical product. We bridge that gap.

• Design for regulated and defence environments: ruggedised and weatherproof enclosures, security-conscious development processes, supply chain due diligence and compliance-aware delivery. We understand what working at this level requires and have structured our business accordingly.

• PCB design and electronics integration: combining commercial off-the-shelf components with bespoke electronics to meet performance and cost requirements.

• Small-batch manufacture and supply chain management: proven local supply network with end-to-end production and logistics management, including international export.

We work across Defence & Aerospace, Manufacturing & Industrials, Energy & Sustainability, Health & Wellbeing and Sports Innovation

Proven in Defence & Security

BAE Systems | Typhoon Fighter Jet Programme

BAE Systems required rapid modernisation of simulator avionics equipment for the Typhoon programme. Facing internal resource constraints and pace as a priority, they deliberately restricted their search to local businesses  and selected npd.

We designed and manufactured high-integrity 7″ panels: precision-engineered interface systems providing critical flight data to pilots during development and testing. Working iteratively with daily prototyping cycles and weekly face-to-face sessions, we delivered in three months what would typically take eighteen. Thirteen BAE engineering teams were enabled to advance software development as a result. The hardware platform is designed to support the programme through to 2030, and the Typhoon itself supports 6,000 jobs in Lancashire and 20,000 across the UK.

BAE Systems has since embedded npd further: we now hold a dedicated design studio at their Warton facility. 

CypherBlk | TimeShield

npd worked with CypherBlk on the development of TimeShield, a product operating at the intersection of physical hardware and data security. The project required a partner who understood both the design demands of a consumer-facing device and the integrity requirements of a product built for security-conscious users – a combination that sits squarely in our operating space.

Terminus Technologies | Smart Surveillance Camera

Terminus Technologies had the software and the component specification. They needed a partner to bring it together into something deployable. npd designed the ruggedised outdoor housing for a multi-sensor smart city camera system – integrating thermal, visible light and AI-enabled imaging into a weatherproof enclosure capable of operating in the field. The camera can detect vehicle anomalies and threat behaviour at 200 metres. The multi-sensor integration is patented.

Ocuwell | Portable Eye Care Device

npd developed the full product design for Ocuwell’s portable eye care diagnostic device – integrating optical components and electronics into a precision enclosure designed to perform to medical-grade standards in both clinical and field environments.

Why Work With Us

Defence and security programmes need suppliers who understand the environment, not just the engineering brief. We have built our capability deliberately for this space: structured governance, security accreditations, supply chain rigour and the technical depth to deliver complex hardware at pace.

We are selective about the projects we take on — because when we commit, we stay committed. From the first conversation through to manufacture and beyond.

We are based in Preston, with a dedicated studio at BAE Systems’ Warton Enterprise Zone and presence in Manchester and London.

JOSCAR registered | Cyber Essentials certified | ISO 9001 & ISO 27001 in progress | NPSA Secure Innovation Exemplar | NW Regional Defence & Security Cluster member | ADS member | MAKE UK Defence member