All the latest news-in-brief from around the county...
£1bn Technology and R&D commercial property pipeline
As the Coventry & Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership of private and public stakeholders prepare to represent the region next month at MIPIM 2020, a pipeline of £1bn in commercial property development for R&D and Technology has been revealed in the area.
https://www.businessinnovationmag.co.uk/1-billion-rd-transport-tech-developments-in-coventry-and-warwickshire-pipeline/
Herbert Gray College transformed
The go-ahead has been granted for a major extra care development in a Warwickshire town centre which will create 50 full-time jobs.
Abode Caldecott Square Developments has secured permission for the project at Herbery Gray College in Little Church Street from Rugby Borough Council. Two five-storey blocks will be constructed with 78 flats as well as a three-storey 52-bed care home and an ancillary wellbeing centre including café, restaurant and leisure/spa facilities
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/job-creating-extra-care-plans-set-for-go-ahead
Work set to begin on Warwickshire Garden Village
Long Marston Garden Village is one of the first generation of new garden villages being created across the country and work is set to start in the next few weeks after land for the first phase of the site was sold to developer Cala Homes.
Garden villages are designed to be distinct communities with their own facilities, rather than extensions to existing urban areas, and will not only deliver homes, but also bring new jobs and boost local economies.
https://www.businessinnovationmag.co.uk/midland-garden-village-scheme-could-be-national-model-says-stratford-upon-avon-mp/
Rail company Porterbrook to make major investment at Long Marston
The rail leasing group Porterbrook, who lease rolling stock on the UK rail network, has taken a 15 year lease on the QRTC, the Quinton Rail Technology Centre, a major UK main-line linked rail test, development and storage facility near Stratford-upon-Avon.
https://www.porterbrook.co.uk/news/porterbrook-to-expand-into-long-marston
Government makes major automotive announcement – consultation on phasing out of ICE.
The UK Government has announced plans to phase out the sale in the UK of ICE (internal combustion engine) and hybrid powered vehicles by 2035, and a public consultation on the matter. From the final date, only electric or hydrogen powered vehicles would be allowed to be sold as new vehicles in the UK.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-51366123
£500m Investment into Aston Martin Lagonda
Aston Martin Lagonda, the Gaydon based maker of luxury sports cars, has secured further investment of £500m from Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/billionaire-stroll-takes-major-stake-aston-martin
Jaguar Land Rover CEO to step down in September
Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s largest manufacturing company, has launched a £1.1bn round of cost cuts as Britain’s largest carmaker announced that Ralf Speth, its chief executive for a decade, would step down in September.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/confirmed-jaguar-land-rover-boss-ralf-speth-step-down
LEVC and volvo mull over merger
The parent company of Warwickshire-headquartered Geely London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC), famous for its electric London black taxis is in discussions with Volvo over a possible merger.
The LEVC TXe City already contains an amount of Volvo technology. A separate company, Volvo Truck and Bus UK, is already headquartered in Warwick. The two companies share the Volvo logo.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/automotive-giant-eyes-volvo-merger
ConVex to set up at University of Warwick
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is leading a new £8 million consortium to open up vast amounts of travel data for vehicle makers, inventors, coders and entrepreneurs to develop new transport products and technology.
The public-private consortium includes Jaguar Land Rover, Bosch, Warwick Manufacturing Group and three innovation partners: Valerann, Synaptiv, and Immense. The facility is to be headquartered in the West Midlands at the Warwick Manufacturing Group campus at the University of Warwick. There will be a partner office at Bosch’s Connectory facility in London.
https://zenzic.io/news/convex-national-data-sharing-project-announced/
Slightly Mad Codemasters
Codemasters, the Indian owned games developer and developer of the F1 franchise, agreed to acquire racing simulation specialists, Slightly Mad Studios for $30m.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2019-11-28-codemasters-buys-slightly-mad-studios-for-usd30m