£19m Government funding to make Midlands the latest Low Carbon Economic Area for Automotive Engineering
Mon 22 February 2010
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The new Midlands Low Carbon Economic Area will put £19m of Government funding into the research and development of low carbon vehicles. The Government money will be added to £29m funding from Advantage West Midlands, the European Regional Development Fund and industry to be invested in the Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project.
The activities of the Midlands LCEA will be led by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and the East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA).
Speaking at the announcement, Lord Mandelson said: “I want to see the Midlands help the UK to lead the global automotive industry in the transition from conventional to low carbon vehicle technologies. The LCEA will send a clear signal to the global market about the Midlands’ strengths in advanced automotive engineering.
“The move towards a low carbon economy presents huge opportunities. This new funding will help secure the Midlands’ 10,000 existing car industry jobs, by helping transform them into the green car jobs of the future.”
Mick Laverty, Chief Executive of Advantage West Midlands, said: “This is great news and reflects the real strengths of the West and East Midlands regions in automotive manufacturing. Becoming a Low Carbon Economic Area will reinforce our growing reputation as globally competitive regions, which continue to develop cutting-edge green technologies and high technology industries upon which the future prosperity of all UK regions will depend.
The Government's announcement of the creation of a Low Carbon Economic Area in the Midlands was strongly influenced by the plans to create a Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project (LCVTP) in the region which aims to shape the future of passenger transport. The LCVTP has also received £9.5million funding from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and £9.5 million from the European Regional Development FundProgramme (ERDF) and a further £10 million contribution from the industry partners involved.
The Low Carbon Vehicle Technology Project comprises 15 separate technical R&D workstreams, each of which is led by a partner who will work closely with selected SMEs to develop solutions spanning: Battery Cells & Packs, Drive Motors, Power Electronics, High Voltage Electrical Distribution, Auxiliary Power Units, Vehicle Supervisory Control, Lightweight Structures, Vehicle Dynamics & Traction Control, High Efficiency Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) and System Cooling, Reduction of Parasitic Losses, Waste Energy & Energy Storage, Aerodynamic Performance, Human Machine Interface (HMI) Engineering, Large Saloon Vehicle and Optimised Electric Vehicle Package.
Professor Neville Jackson, chief innovation and technology officer of Ricardo plc (Lead partner on the Waste Energy & Energy Storage workstream) and chair of the UK Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, said: "Ricardo is extremely pleased to be an active participant in the LCVTP both as a member of the project and lead partner in a number of work streams. The programme is heavily focused on vehicle electrification technologies where we have a real opportunity to capitalise on some key UK innovations and capabilities. We look forward to working with our partners to help catalyse the development of low carbon technology and innovation."
The project is expected to create between 3,000 and 11,500 jobs in the UK by 2020, the majority of those being in the West Midlands and will also safeguard jobs in the supply chain as businesses switch to low carbon opportunities.
The North East of England was announced as the UK's first Low Carbon Economic Area last year, focusing on ultra low carbon vehicles. South Wales was recently also announced as an LCEA with a specialism in hydrogen energy while the South West LCEA aims to be a world centre for wave and tidal energy. The North West and Yorkshire LCEA is intended to be the focal point for the develoment of a UK civil nuclear supply chain while Greater Manchester will concentrate on the built environment. (See associated LowCVP news link on South Wales.)
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