Chancellor pledges £16.6m R&D funding during visit to JLR engine plant
ALMOST 200 highly skilled engineering and manufacturing jobs could be created in the Midlands following a £16.6m funding injection by the government new research and development.
Chancellor George Osborne announced the new funding during a visit to Jaguar Land Rover’s Engine Manufacturing Centre outside Wolverhampton. The firm announced last week that the i54 factory is set to double in size following a £0.5bn investment.
The Chancellor confirmed that a research consortium, led by JLR, would receive the £16.6m grant in order to develop a more efficient transmission system for potential use in future models of their cars. The grant will be matched by private funding, bringing the total project funding to over £33m.
The Treasury said the funding would create an initial 60 R&D roles – half of which will be at JLR, and if successful could lead to the creation of a further 130 manufacturing and engineering jobs, most of which will be at JLR. The new funding will also safeguard a further 150 roles at The Proving Factory.
Mr Osborne said the funding was part of the government’s drive to see the Midlands become the nation’s Engine for Growth.
“In the Spending Review I set out how we’re making significant investments in the Midlands, across transport, energy and culture. This grant is a further example of how this Government is backing businesses in the Midlands to grow and create jobs and support working people at every stage of their lives,” he said.
Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We are delighted that the Chancellor has announced £16.6m APC (Advanced Propulsion Centre) funding to support the consortium’s investment in this collaborative research project.
“This innovative research will investigate the feasibility of potential future transmission technologies. This innovative transmission could offer reduced weight, improved fuel economy and improved driveability on and off-road.”
He said collaborative research of this nature was hugely beneficial for all partners including academia, the supply chain and the wider automotive industry.
“The collaborative research programmes we lead bring together some of the best engineering minds in the UK and allow us to multiply the effect of our investment and nurture UK-based technology investment. This approach is helping to develop the skills and technologies that will make the UK even more competitive,” he added.
The APC is a 10-year £1bn partnership between government and the automotive industry to bring innovators and producers of low carbon propulsion systems together. Its aim is to help transform Britain into a world leader for low carbon development and production.
Funding for the APC was protected in the recent Spending Review in recognition of the important role it will play in the future development of a critical industry.
Ian Constance, APC CEO, said the new funding announcement was a further demonstration of the continued commitment by government and industry to support the critical role of innovation in the UK automotive industry.
