Conventional fibre-reinforced polymer composite materials are well known for their high strength, stiffness, low weight and high corrosion resistance but brake catastrophically with little warning because of their inherent brittleness. Thus, this research aims to develop, manufacture and characterise a new generation of hierarchical fibre-reinforced polymer composite structures that exhibit high mechanical performances with a significant emphasis on ductile behaviour. Two hierarchical composite structures will be experimentally studied that promote ductility via progressive composite failure and energy absorption mechanisms over an extended strain to failure maintaining high composite stiffness and strength.