Composite materials have gained special importance, due to their high strength-to-weight ratio, being particularly advantageous in applications where reducing mass is a critical factor (Johnson et al., 2013; Liu et al., 2018; McCarville et al., 2017). Nowadays, thermoset carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are among the most widely used materials in highly demanding applications (Verma and Verma, 2024). However, these materials still have some limitations such as relatively low impact resistance and high thermal expansion mismatch between carbon fibres and polymeric matrix. Thus, it is important to enhance these properties to mitigate potential failures (Chen et al., 2021). Since sustainability is also a concern related to these materials, the use of recycled carbon fibres can be an eco-friendly alternative to virgin ones. Therefore, this work explores two main drawbacks in composite materials: i) the development of tailored CFRP containing matrices with improved toughness and thermal expansion, and ii) the replacement of conventional carbon fibres by recycled counterparts. To improve the CFRP properties, several particles were selected for matrix modification and their dispersion methodology was defined and optimized. Afterwards, tailored in-house pre-impregnated materials with virgin or recycled carbon fibres were produced for further CFRP manufacturing and characterisation, with a special focus on thermal and mechanical performance. Promising results indicate that optimized particle incorporation into the matrix enables enhanced toughness and higher proximity between fibre and matrix thermal expansion. Additionally, this study demonstrates how advanced composites can be engineered to meet the dual challenges of high performance and sustainability.