The main goals of task 8.2.5, are the development of several UHTCs materials and the study of their fundamental properties. The investigation is mainly concerned with light absorption and emission at room and high temperatures and their correlation to material parameters such as compositions, porosity and surface finishing with the thermo-mechanical properties, like mechanical strength at room and high temperature, thermal conductivity, oxidation and thermal shock resistance. In the first year of the project the research activity was devoted to production and preliminary optical analysis of various carbides of zirconium, hafnium and tantalum. Therefore, in this progress report, we describe the production of carbides of Zr, Hf and Ta from with microstructural characterization and optical properties.