New £9.5m automotive skills centre set for Enterprise Zone

MIRA Technology Park, the automotive Technology Park and Enterprise Zone, has announced the construction of the £9.5m MIRA Technology Institute – a collaboration between HORIBA MIRA and some of the Midlands’ top education institutions.

The partnership, which alongside HORIBA MIRA, comprises lead partner North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, Coventry University, Loughborough University, and University of Leicester, will see the construction of a 24,500 sq ft bespoke global skills centre at MIRA Technology Park.

The organisations say the MIRA Technology Institute (MTI) is being created to help to satisfy the ever increasing demand for specialist skills in the automotive sector. In particular, MTI – which is set to open in September 2018, will help to create specialist skills in some of the new disruptive technology areas such as electrification and driverless car technologies, ensuring a sustainable supply of future technical specialists and engineers.

The development of the MTI follows research by the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) to identify future skills needs. It is being funded with £9.5m from the Leicester and Leicestershire LEP Growth Deal Fund, and is backed by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

George Gillespie OBE, chief executive at HORIBA MIRA, said: “The MIRA Technology Institute is a unique solution that has been created to address a very real problem the UK automotive sector is facing. Importantly, it is well aligned with the government’s new Industrial Strategy. It will be a huge asset to MIRA Technology Park but we hope its benefits will be felt throughout the UK auto sector and beyond.”

Marion Plant OBE, chief executive at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, said: “I am delighted the vision the College had for an advanced institute of technology is coming to fruition with the commencement of the building phase. As the lead partner, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College has been instrumental in the project design and delivery and we are thrilled with the rapid progress now being made. Our thanks to the LLEP and the Department for BEIS in supporting this vital project for our region. Importantly, this project will help us to meet the demand for engineers regionally, nationally and globally by building a core skill set that will help to create future growth, employment and wealth. It is a leading model that could easily be extended to other sectors.”

Nick Pulley, chair of the LLEP, said: “The LLEP’s Local Growth Fund has been extremely successful for the Leicester and Leicestershire area. We are all very excited about the new MIRA Technology Institute which will open for students next September. This is a great investment and will see an outstanding 2,500 training places each year.”

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close