The MTC is a core academic facility of the Faculty of Engineering, while also simultaneously providing material testing services to the local industry.

Besides its academic capacity, the MTC UTB also offers consultancy work and material testing services to the local industry in Brunei Darussalam.

A wide range of modern materials testing equipment and facilities are available at Universiti Teknologi Brunei. These facilities and equipment are suitable for a large range of quality control tests for construction materials such as steel reinforcement bars (re-bars), welded steel fabric, strand wires, bolts and nuts, structural steel, manhole covers, as well as for the characterisation of metals, plastics, ceramics and timbers. Tests can also be carried out for compliance of construction materials to local and international standards. The testing services and facilities available are open to private and public organisations as well as to the individual members of the community at nominal charges.
The Materials Testing Laboratory was established in 1997 and won the Silver Award in the Civil Service Awards 2002. The laboratory was upgraded to a Centre in 2013. The Materials Testing Centre (MTC) was officially opened by the Honourable Minister of Education, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, on the 16th of November 2013.