Partner Article

Unprecedented auto investment to be showcased at MIPIM

Coventry and Warwickshire’s position at the forefront of new automotive technology – after a year of major investment to the tune of £2 billion – is set to be showcased to the world.

The impact of major projects such as the National Automotive Innovation Centre, the new LEVC plans and the recently-announced £85 million National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility, will form a key part of Coventry and Warwickshire’s presence at the annual MIPIM conference in March.

MIPIM is the largest global commercial property development and investment event and attracts around 30,000 delegates from around the world.

The Coventry & Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership is made up of companies and organisations who fund the presence at the four-day event in France.

Jonathan Browning, chair of the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, believes MIPIM will provide the perfect platform for highlighting just how crucial the region is to the future of the UK automotive industry.

He said: “I doubt that there is any other area in the UK with this level of investment tied to the development of automotive technology, and we certainly punch our weight from a global perspective.

“A large proportion of this is direct foreign investment – and we have carved a reputation for being able to deliver what companies in this sector are looking for when they weigh up investment opportunities.

“This is a really strong message, particularly as it shows that while JLR is a major factor in this level of investment, it is far from the only company undertaking this level of development work.

“The investments also demonstrate further that Coventry and Warwickshire continues to be a UK hotspot for tech and research and development.”

The National Automotive Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick will be used by Jaguar Land Rover to develop and test new electric, light weight and semi-autonomous vehicles, and will be Europe’s largest automotive research and development facility with an estimated investment of £1bn.

The last 12 months have also seen a number of positive steps forward for the county in terms of jobs and investment, putting Coventry and Warwickshire at the heart of the electric vehicles revolution in the UK.

Among the biggest of these developments will be the National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility, which could create up to 10,000 jobs, which was revealed to be coming to Coventry by Greg Clark, secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy in December.

Other major developments included the opening of new Geely London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) purpose built electric vehicle HQ and manufacturing facility in Ansty, which was the first electric vehicle purpose built factory in the UK and created an estimated 1,000 jobs.

Jonathan Browning said: “The last 12 months was a year of good news for Coventry and Warwickshire in terms of investment but things could be set to get a whole lot better as the electric vehicle industry really takes off over the coming years.

“We have got in at the ground floor with this and hope to continue to push forward and keep on top of the technological advances that are going to change all of our lives.

“MIPIM will be a great opportunity to show people from around the world just what we are capable of with the aim of increasing that level of investment.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .