West Midlands RDA and Jaguar Land Rover announce £80m for low carbon vehicle R&D projects
Fri 21 November 2008
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An £80m programme agreed between Advantage West Midlands - one of the Regional Development Agencies - and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will create a low carbon vehicle development and proving centre to link high tech research with manufacturing. An initial £50m from JLR will be supplemented by £30m from AWM.
According to Advantage West Midlands, the programme will place particular emphasis on developing new drive trains and lightweight structures and will link up with similar programmes elsewhere in the UK. It also intends to build on similar programmes such as the Premium Automotive R&D programme based at Warwick University and the £12.5 million Centre of Excellence in Lightweight Vehicle Technologies announced earlier this summer.
AWM and JLR say they expect other automotive businesses from across the West Midlands and the UK to join the project.
David Smith, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, said: "It is important for government to recognise the importance of investment now for the future and I am delighted this initiative by Advantage West Midlands will bring support to the international competitiveness of our automotive industry by focusing particularly on the high skill level we have in this region with vital future technologies."
Mick Laverty, Chief Executive of Advantage West Midlands, said: “The new programme brings with it huge opportunities for the West Midlands which is why we are committing ourselves to this investment to support our industry led projects and our region’s needs.”
Iain Gray, Chief Exectutive of the Technology Strategy Board, said: “this is an important step in the development of the national Low Carbon Vehicles programme and we look forward to the programmes this enhanced capability will enable in both the region and the country”
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