diff --git a/pyneuroml/utils/components.py b/pyneuroml/utils/components.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..299ada2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pyneuroml/utils/components.py
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""
+Utilities for creation and inclusion of new Components in models.
+
+File: pyneuroml/utils/components.py
+
+Copyright 2024 NeuroML contributors
+"""
+
+import logging
+from typing import Optional
+
+from lems.model.component import Component
+from lems.model.model import Model
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+logger.setLevel(logging.INFO)
+
+
+def add_new_component(
+    component_id: str,
+    component_type: str,
+    component_filename: Optional[str] = None,
+    **kwargs,
+) -> Component:
+    """Add a new component to a NeuroMLDocument.
+
+    This will create a new component with the provided id, type, and keyword
+    arguments and export it to a separate XML file and add that file as an
+    includes to the provided NeuroMLDocument object.
+
+    This is the suggested way of including new Components of new ComponentTypes
+    because it keeps them separate from the main model that is composed of
+    Components from the NeuroML schema---which can be validated. New
+    ComponentTypes and their Components can be used to extend NeuroML, but
+    since they are not yet included in the NeuroML standard, they cannot be
+    validated against the schema.
+
+    .. versionadded:: 1.3.13
+
+    :param nmldoc: NeuroMLDocument object to include component in
+    :type nmldoc: NeuroMLDocument
+    :param component_id: id of new Component
+    :type component_id: str
+    :param component_type: name of ComponentType that this Component is an
+        instance of. This must be a valid ComponentType that has been included
+        in the model. This function will not check this.
+    :type component_type: str
+    :param component_filename: optional file name to store the XML export of
+        the component in
+    :type component_filename: str
+    :param **kwargs: parameters to pass to the Component
+    :returns: the Component Object, and the name of the XML file it was serialised in
+    :rtype: tuple(Component, str)
+    """
+    newmodel = Model()
+    newcomp = Component(id_=component_id, type_=component_type, **kwargs)
+    newmodel.add_component(newcomp)
+
+    if component_filename is None:
+        component_filename = f"component_{component_id}.xml"
+
+    logger.info(
+        f"Saving component with id '{component_id}' and type '{component_type}' to {component_filename}"
+    )
+    newmodel.export_to_file(component_filename)
+
+    logger.info(
+        "Component file included in NeuroML document. Note that new components will not validate against the NeuroML schema."
+    )
+    logger.info(
+        f"Please also remember to include {component_filename} in the LEMS simulation file"
+    )
+
+    return newcomp, component_filename
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_utils.py b/tests/utils/test_utils.py
index a53e6476..ecb255d5 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_utils.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 import logging
 import math
+import os
 import pathlib as pl
 
 import neuroml
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
     rotate_cell,
     translate_cell_to_coords,
 )
+from pyneuroml.utils.components import add_new_component
 
 from .. import BaseTestCase
 
@@ -282,3 +284,12 @@ def test_translate_cell_to_coords(self):
         write_neuroml2_file(
             newdoc, "tests/utils/test_translation.net.nml", validate=True
         )
+
+    def test_adding_new_components(self):
+        """Test add_new_component method."""
+        new_comp, new_comp_file = add_new_component(
+            "newcomp", "sometype", param1="5v", param2="something"
+        )
+        self.assertIsNotNone(new_comp)
+        self.assertIsFile(new_comp_file)
+        os.unlink(new_comp_file)