News-in-brief from around the region...
JLR opens £250m EV test facility
Automotive giant JLR has opened a £250m electric vehicle test facility at its engineering centre in Coventry in a move which is creating 350 jobs. The 323,000 sq ft Future Energy Lab will host more than £40m of technological innovations aimed at enabling the rapid testing of EVs, including electric test rigs, Electric Drive Unit (EDU) manufacturing and electric vehicle systems test cells. The facility, part of JLR's £15bn investment to electrify its luxury brands over the next five years, will increase the company's test and development capacity.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/jlr-opens-250m-ev-test-facility
Millions awarded to University of Warwick to turbocharge UK’s battery production
The University of Warwick has been awarded millions of pounds to boost British production of crucial materials for EV batteries. The £12 million in funding has been awarded by the Faraday Battery Challenge to the High Value Manufacturing Catapult at WMG, University of Warwick, and CPI at NETPark (North East Technology Park), in County Durham. It will be used to create the new Advanced Materials Battery Industrialisation Centre (AMBIC).
https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/mediacentre/news/newsitem?id=8a1785d88bf6b075018c109654f458c1&tag=HVM%20Catapult
AME relaunches after £6m expansion
Coventry University's Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME), in partnership with Unipart, has relaunched following a £6m expansion. It has benefited from a £5m investment. The recent changes have provided about 21,000 sqft of additional space for laser welders, six new labs, a robotic and testing area and new digital twin capabilities. AME's relaunch marks almost a decade of achievement, with more than £110m of R&D and commercial projects completed for the likes of Aston Martin, Ford, Lotus and Hyperbat.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/ame-relaunches-after-6m-expansion
Avison Young appointed to market Rosalind Franklin Laboratory
Avison Young has been appointed to market the Rosalind Franklin Laboratory (RFL), a 236,231 sqft facility in Leamington Spa. The laboratory, which opened in 2021, was purpose-built by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to enable the processing of PCR tests at scale during the Covid-19 pandemic.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/avison-young-appointed-to-market-rosalind-franklin-laboratory
Plans lodged for Science and Engineering Precinct
The University of Warwick has lodged plans for a Science and Engineering Precinct which is designed to "reinvigorate the heart" of its campus. The main campus of the University of Warwick straddles the administrative boundary between Coventry City and Warwick District and extends to approximately 467 acres. University of Warwick has brought forward hybrid proposals which look to "future proof research and teaching facilities".
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/plans-lodged-for-science-and-engineering-precinct
Major milestone for £11.3m battery production project
An £11.3m project, designed to scale up the UK's battery pack manufacturing and supply chain capability, has created more than 50 jobs and secured a commercial agreement. The H1perChain project, which was funded by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), has successfully developed an automated pilot line for module/pack assembly, cell joining and in-line testing. Led by Hyperbat and working with main consortium partners Unipart Manufacturing, WAE, Coventry University and Direc-Tec, the challenge has also come up with a laser welding joining process for cylindrical cell formats, hundreds of skills development opportunities, and the creation of a digital platform to connect the battery value chain.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/major-milestone-for-11.3m-battery-production-project
Customer rewards firm expands into larger offices
Leamington-based customer rewards business Endurance Zone (EZ) recently closed a multimillion-pound funding round and has expanded into larger offices. It works with a variety of organisations in the sports, fitness and health sector. It is based within 1 Mill Street, which features office space, hot desk facilities, a podcast studio and a café bar. https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/customer-rewards-firm-expands-into-larger-offices
Young people get opportunity to meet major video games studios
Games Jobs Live, which connects talent to UK games companies, hosted an event to inspire the younger generation to consider a career in the video games industry. The free online event took place on 7 November and sought to address the diversity and gender imbalance in the industry and encourage more people to consider a career in video games.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/technology-innovation/young-people-from-the-midlands-to-get-opportunity-to-meet-acclaimed-video-games-studios/
DX reopens Nuneaton Tuffnells site
Logistics firm DX has reopened the latest former Tuffnells Parcels Express depot. The Nuneaton site is one of the 15 taken on by DX from the administrator of Tuffnells in late June 2023, with this being the 14th to reopen. The depot will serve as an additional central hub for the group's parcels business, part of the DX Express division.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-east/dx-reopens-latest-tuffnells-site
Indian group moves for Warwick technology specialist
An Indian engineering services firm has strengthened its presence in the UK with the purchase of a Warwick-based technology specialist. ASM Technologies has acquired Semcon Engineering UK Limited, which is based on Tournament Fields in Warwick and is a division of Swedish company Semcon. The acquisition of Semcon's operations in the UK aims to help ASM scale up its expertise in the transportation industry.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/indian-group-moves-for-warwick-technology-specialist
Pashley powers bikes with ‘brains’ - Smart future for heritage bicycle brand
Smart technology is out to improve and grow the increasing number of public bike share schemes being deployed across the UK and in Europe – and it’s all about giving bikes a ‘brain’. Pashley is roling this out in its bike share schemes, being introduced by an increasing number of local authorities to reduce pollution and improve urban environments.
https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/news/pashley-231123/
Mecalac expands electric range with the launch of its new EV Loader
To meet increasing demand for more environmentally-friendly construction projects, Bedworth-based Mecalac has harnessed its spirit of innovation and developed a range of 100% electric machines. The brand launched its very first 11-ton electric excavator, the e12, in 2022. The eS1000 loader is the ultimate expression of Mecalac's commitment to sustainability, with innovation always at the heart of its DNA.
https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/news/mecalac-031123/
UK Government launches advanced manufacturing plan
The UK government has unveiled an advanced manufacturing plan (AMP), including a first battery strategy, aimed at making the country a world-leader in zero emissions technology, securing investment, and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. In the latest plan, more than £2 billion has been earmarked for the automotive industry, including batteries, while £975 million will go to the aerospace sector.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/companies/uk-goes-full-throttle-to-back-british-business-with-advanced-manufacturing-plan/
Deal to bring restaurant chain to Leamington Spa
An international chain of vegan and vegetarian restaurants has secured a site in Leamington Spa. The owners of Herb restaurants have completed the purchase of a vacant restaurant 6 Lunn Poly House. The property was sold off an asking price of £745,000.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/deal-to-bring-restaurant-chain-to-leamington-spa
Final phase completes at multimillion-pound Leamington business park
Stoford has completed the final phase of a multimillion-pound business park in Leamington Spa, which has been developed in collaboration with global asset manager BlackRock. Five new units have been developed as part of the final phase of Spa Park, creating almost 320,000 sq ft of office, R&D, production and distribution accommodation.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/final-phase-completes-at-multimillion-pound-business-park
Region’s property industry celebrated at prestigious awards
The cream of the region's property industry has been recognised this month at Insider's West Midlands Property Awards 2023. Locally, Prologis won industrial developer of the year award for its extension of Hams Hall near Coleshill, adding 900,000sqft of additional space. Corstophene & Wright, which has a large practice in Warwick, was among the short-listed architecture practices.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/regions-property-industry-celebrated-at-prestigious-awards
Energy companies occupy Grade A office space in Coventry
Octopus Energy and Corona Energy have recently announced moves into grade-A office space in Coventry city centre, next to the train station at Friargate. Octopus Energy are moving 150 staff into a 10,000sqft floor of No2 Friargate, developed by Coventry City Council, having vacated the Co-op Energy Building in Leamington Spa. Clothing brand Bravissimo has since relocated its HQ to the site.
https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/11/24/octopus-expands-in-coventry/
Around the corner, Corona Energy has taken space at Bourn, the former tax offices Sherbourne House, which have undergone a £9m refurbishment, with 75 staff in 7,000sqft.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2079628-9m-office-renovation-leads-to-75-new-job-opportunities
Mod Pod among quarterly significant local industrial lease deals
The Mod Pod relocation from Stoneleigh Park to a new site on the edge of Coventry featured among the larger lease deals for industrial property in Q3 in the West Midlands, as recognised by CoStar.
https://product.costar.com/home/news/2143924278
West Midlands defies national commercial property investment downturn
The West Midlands was the only UK region to register above-average investment volumes in the third quarter of 2023, thanks to robust investor appetite for strategically located logistics assets and one of this year’s standout regional office deals. Around £720 million was invested in office, industrial and retail properties in the region between July and September. The figure was up 49% on the previous quarter (£480 million) and 2% higher than both the same quarter a year earlier (£705 million) and the region’s five-year quarterly average (£701 million).
https://product.costar.com/home/news/1348442503