Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) and the UK government will jointly invest £92m (US$147.57m) to set up a National Automotive Innovation Campus (NAIC) at the University of Warwick.
The NAIC will be part-funded through the government’s UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF). This fund is administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The council supports university capital research projects.
With regard to the NAIC, JLR and TMETC will work closely with Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the university. The companies envisage a ten-time return on investment by way of increased value from exploitation of research outputs in new and improved products, processes and services.
“This new initiative aligns with the recently announced WMG Academy which will be providing vocationally focused education for 14–19 year-olds seeking a career in engineering and technology sectors,” the university stated.
According to an official release from the university, NAIC will work to create and develop technologies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It will also develop a stronger supplier base in the country. In addition, NAIC is expected to address a shortage of skilled research and development (R&D) staff in the automotive supply chain.
“The automotive industry in the UK has seen a recent resurgence, but for the UK to remain internationally competitive we must create urgently a critical mass in research excellence. Our vision is to create the NAIC where we link people, research and world-leading infrastructure to create and develop novel technologies,” said WMG Chairman and Founder Professor Lord Bhattacharyya.
WMG has a track record of collaborative research in low carbon mobility, leading to innovations by manufacturers. It has delivered 770 business interventions in five years in the automotive sector. Both JLR and TMETC have research teams based at WMG.
