News in Brief
A round-up of news-in-brief around the county...
WMG establishes new Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence
WMG, at the University of Warwick, is investing in data-driven innovations with a new Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence. The Centre will enable industry and business to leverage large volumes of digital information to gain competitive insights through Artificial Intelligence methods.
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/wmgnews/?newsItem=8a17841a621f3a69016268225d222d7b
Jaguar to supply 20,000 cars to Google’s self-driving spin out Waymo
Jaguar Land Rover is to supply up to 20,000 of its new electric I-Pace cars to Waymo, a subsidiary of Google owner Alphabet, to be converted into self-driving vehicles for its ride-hailing service.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/mar/27/waymo-self-driving-taxis-jaguar-land-rover
Warwickshire app consultants sign deal with buying group
RNF, which is headquartered in Leamington-Spa, has signed the deal with Confex, to supply a white label mobile ordering app that the Moreton-in-Marsh company will make available to its 244 members.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/app-consultants-sign-deal-with-buying-group?utm_source=westmidlands_newsletter&utm_campaign=westmidlands_news_tracker&utm_medium=business_article
Seven-figure investment made by demolition firm
A Warwickshire-based demolition company has spent £1.5m on new plant and machinery.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/seven-figure-investment-made-by-demolition-firm?utm_source=westmidlands_newsletter&utm_campaign=westmidlands_news_tracker&utm_medium=business_article
Nuneaton shopping centre sold to mystery ‘local’ buyer for £4.2m
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/nuneaton-shopping-centre-sold-mystery-14512031
£2bn joint venture to build 500 homes
Rugby-headquartered construction company Morgan Sindall has entered a £2bn joint venture with Hertfordshire County Council to provide more than 500 homes.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/2bn-joint-venture-announced-to-build-500-homes?utm_source=westmidlands_newsletter&utm_campaign=westmidlands_news_tracker&utm_medium=property_article
New DAB radio station launched in Coventry & Warwickshire
A new Leamington-based digital radio station called Fresh Coventry & Warwickshire has launched on DAB across the county and Coventry providing entertainment for up to 900,000 people.
https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/news/fresh-station-now-on-dab-radios-in-towns-including-leamington-and-rugby-1-8457390
New HQ rises from the ashes
A Warwickshire businessman is celebrating following the completion of a new headquarters for his company after its previous base burnt down in November 2014.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/new-hq-rises-from-the-ashes
Aston Martin welcomes F1 plans
Warwickshire-headquartered luxury car maker Aston Martin has welcomed plans by the owners of F1 to revamp the sport.
Last month the manufacturer started its first season as the title sponsor of former world championship-winning team Red Bull Racing and has been considering entering the sport in 2021 as an engine maker for a number of months.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/aston-martin-welcomes-f1-plans
Australia meeting leads to Stratford expansion
A technology company has opened a new UK office in Stratford following a chance meeting in Australia.
Emily Halderthay was appointed UK and Ireland chief executive of Schoolzine after meeting Phil Reardon, the company's founder while living in Australia.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/australia-meeting-leads-to-stratford-expansion
€1m Germany metro contract won
A Warwickshire-headquartered manufacturer has won a contract worth more than €1m to supply networked video recording for a fleet of new metro trains for a major German city.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/1m-germany-metro-contract-won
Mercia in funding deal for VR developer
Warwickshire-headquartered specialist investor Mercia Fund Managers has provided funding to a Brighton-based developer of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality products for the market research sector.
https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/midlands/mercia-in-funding-deal-for-vr-developer
Leamington Spa businesses vote to continue the BID
Leamington Spa’s Business Improvement District (BID) has been approved for a third term by businesses in the area.
The vote by BID Leamington’ businesses, who are set to benefit from more than £1.9m of investment over the next five years, comes after month-long postal ballot of businesses eligible to vote. A total of 79% of the vote share was in favour of the BID continuing.
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2016204-leamington-spa-businesses-vote-continue-bid
100 jobs to be created as tech firm hits highways for success
Warwick-based telent Technology Services is to create 100 jobs after securing a major contract with Highways England.
Telent will take over the current National Roads Telecommunications Services (NRTS) network and provide an end-to-end managed service.
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2015852-100-jobs-created-tech-firm-hits-highways-success
Automotive growth drives strong H1 for engineering group
Engineering consultancy Ricardo has announced strong interims, benefiting from increased demand across its automotive and rail divisions.
The group, which has a large testing centre operation in Leamington Spa, is a global engineering, technical, environmental and strategic consultancy business, which also manufactures and assembles niche, high-quality and high-performance products.
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2015070-automotive-growth-drives-strong-h1-engineering-group
Aldi submits plans to extend head office
Aldi has completed the second stage of its head office expansion in Atherstone, Warwickshire.
It has also submitted plans for a £57m project to further extend the site on a 120,000 sq ft development on land adjacent to the Atherstone site. This will increase the number of employees working across its UK-based buying team, IT, marketing and logistics, according to the business.
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2016354-aldi-submits-plans-extend-head-office
Plans for £130m Meggitt building get green light
Manse Opus has secured planning consent for one of the largest Midlands industrial lettings in over a decade.
Planning consent has been granted to the joint venture between Opus Land and Manse to build a 440,000sqft building for Meggitt. This will be the first unit to be built in the 2,000,000sqft industrial park known as Prospero, Ansty located in Coventry / Rugby.
http://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2016369-plans-130m-meggitt-building-get-green-light