About Us

The motor insurers’ automotive research centre. Established by the motor insurance industry in 1969, the centre’s main aim is to contain or reduce the cost of motor insurance claims whilst maintaining safety standards.

Working from a fully equipped and ultra-modern Repair Technology Centre, Thatcham Reasearch’s technical repair experts produce a wealth of vehicle repair data, ranging from light structural research, to full body methods.

• There has been a 57% reduction in those killed or seriously injured on UK roads thanks to our vehicle safety methods. In particular between 1997-2017, deaths we halved from 3,599 to 1,793
• The NVSA was instrumental in driving thefts down by 80% in 2016.
• There are over 27,000,000 vehicles on the road covered by Thatcham Research repair methods.
• Thatcham Automotive Academy trains 3,500 technicians every year and takes a new approach to new skills development in the UK collision repair sector, providing cost effective vehicle training.

Our vision for the future

We are moving towards a new era of mobility that will embrace electric vehicles, fully automated cars. But the technology that will pave the way for this exciting future must be safe. The testing and research our world-renowned engineers will conduct within our Safety & Assurance Centre for Connected & Automated Mobility Solutions at Retford Gamston Airport will provide the vital safety assurance, leadership, and strategic direction that’s required for the safe implementation and adoption of new technologies.

Our data-driven insights and risk analytics will not only ensure safe adoption but will also safeguard the UK’s position as a leader in the Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) mobility space and drive positive societal change. Our work will also allow insurers to provide effective mobility insurance, create employment, support the local economy and maintain aviation at the site.