Leading UK tile designer and supplier, Johnson Tiles, is supporting the commercialisation of a new patented technology poised to make a big impact in the built environment.

R&D materials technology company, Dekiln, has entered into a strategic partnership with Johnson Tiles to scale-up the alternative tile concept that can cut embodied carbon by 94 per cent compared to conventional ceramics.

By combining plant-derived binders with waste mineral powders, such as recycled gypsum plaster, the finished product looks, feels and has similar properties to existing tiles, but does not need to be fired or glazed at high temperatures – so avoiding energy intensive kilns. Also containing more than 95 per cent recycled content, it is perfectly suited for schemes seeking to tackle waste while driving down embodied carbon and without compromising on aesthetics or performance.

The novel composition caught the attention of Intellectual property (IP) commercialisation specialists, Frontier IP, who have a track record in working with cutting edge spin-outs to advance the development of sustainable materials and helped formalise the collaboration.

Frontier IP Chief Executive Officer Neil Crabb said: “Dekiln’s groundbreaking technology has strong potential. Johnson Tiles interest in forging a strategic partnership provides further validation of that, following on from Dekiln founder, Dr. Aled Roberts’ success in being named as a Green Future Fellow by the Royal Academy of Engineering.”

The prestigious award from The Royal Academy of Engineering came at the end of 2025 and raised £3m of funding to benefit the company as it takes its kiln-free, low-energy, ceramic-like composite material to market.

“Johnson Tiles’ technical expertise, market reach and sustainability focus makes them an ideal partner to support our ambition to scale-up and commercialise our technology,”  says Dr. Aled Roberts, Dekiln’s founder and CEO. “This marks an important milestone for Dekiln as we transition from the laboratory to industrial scale manufacturing.”

It is hoped that aligning in this way will accelerate commercialisation of Dekiln’s proprietary processes and materials in the UK and beyond by leveraging Johnson Tiles’ manufacturing expertise, market access and sector leadership. In a positive move for British Ceramics, the companies are also exploring the possibility of establishing a pilot or demonstration manufacturing plant in ‘The Potteries’ – the affectionate and historic name for the Staffordshire city of Stoke-on-Trent and the industry’s heartland.

“Johnson Tiles are really excited to be forming this partnership with Dekiln and look forward to adding our technical expertise and market knowledge to ensure this unique concept reaches its potential in the marketplace,” says Jason Bridges, Procurement Director at Johnson Tiles.

“Aled’s fresh thinking on solving the recycling of waste, alongside removing the sintering process to create a product with all the performance and aesthetic qualities of traditional tiles, without anywhere near the embodied carbon is a real game-changer and a concept that aligns perfectly with Johnson Tiles’ sustainable thinking.”