Government awards £65m research project to WMG
THE Government has announced details of a new £65m research programme for the Warwick Manufacturing Group which will be carried out in partnership with Jaguar Land Rover.
The Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory (APRL) will link people, research and world-leading infrastructure, to create next-generation technologies in the propulsion systems that are central to the future competitiveness of the automotive industry.
Details of the scheme were announced today by Universities and Science Minister David Willetts.
Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, WMG chairman, said: “Industry faces unprecedented challenges as the world moves to a low-carbon technology model, reinforced by escalating energy costs and legislation imposing strict emissions limits.
“It is forecast that by 2040 almost none of Europe’s new cars will be powered solely by a traditional engine. The Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory will lead research to address these arising needs, transforming the research and innovation landscape and positioning the UK as a leading innovator in propulsion systems.”
The University of Warwick and WMG’s industrial partner in the project is Jaguar Land Rover, which is co-funding the £100m National Automotive Innovation Campus, which is based at the university. The total value of the APRL project is over £65m with the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund awarding £14.5m with further co-investment of £51m.
Professor David Greenwood will head up research into Advanced Propulsion Systems at the new NAIC.
The APRL is one of three projects – the others being The Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, and the Cranfield Aerospace Integration Research Centre – announced by the Government as part of the third round of the UKRPIF.
This brings the total number of successful projects across the three funding rounds to 25. Universities have received £350m in public funding, and have secured at least double that amount of investment from businesses or charities, together delivering more than £1.3bn of new funding for research.
Mr Willetts, said: ‘These three new exciting partnerships worth £183m will help underscore our universities’ world-leading research in areas like battling diseases to developing the next generation of advanced aircraft.
“Forging strong business and academic relationships like those through the Research Partnership Investment Fund remains vital to reinforcing the UK’s reputation as a global leader in research and innovation.”
Madeleine Atkins, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council of England, said: “The Research Partnership Investment Fund is a considerable success and I am delighted to announce funding for three projects each of which will make a substantial positive impact on our society.
“Novel drug therapies, more efficient aircraft and the next generation of cars: through these projects, universities are again showing their major contributions to the economy and social prosperity. I look forward to announcing another group of UKRPIF projects in the near future.”
