Jaguar Land Rover to receive £16.6M grant

The Chancellor George Osborne has announced that nearly 200 highly skilled engineering and manufacturing jobs could be created in the Midlands due to £16.6M research and development funding.

Whilst visiting Jaguar Land Rover’s engine manufacturing facility in Wolverhampton, Mr Osborne confirmed that a grant of £16.6M would be made available to a research consortium led by Jaguar Land Rover. The funding will go towards the development of a more efficient transmission system that could be used in future models of their vehicles.

An initial 60 jobs will be created in research and development and could potentially lead to a further 130 manufacturing and engineering jobs being created if successful. The funding will also safeguard the positions of a 150 roles.

The Chancellor commented: “I’m determined to build on the success of Britain’s Engine for Growth in the Midlands, and today’s announcement is a crucial step in our plan.

“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.”

The government grant is being awarded through the Advanced Propulsion Centre and will be matched by funding from the automotive industry, bringing the total project fund to over £33M.

The APC is a 10-year £1 billion partnership between government and the automotive industry to bring together innovators and producers of low carbon propulsion systems with the aim to transform Britain into a world leader for low carbon development and production.

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “We are delighted that the Chancellor has announced £16.6M APC 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.

“Collaborative research like this is hugely beneficial for all partners including academia, the supply chain and the 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.”

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