The Prince of Wales today officially opened one of Europe’s largest automotive research and development facilities, the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), at the University of Warwick, in Coventry. One of Europe’s largest automotive research and development centres is tackling society’s greatest mobility challenges to shape the future of the automotive industry from the heart of the UK. Advanced researchers, engineers and designers based at the Centre are tackling society’s largest mobility challenges and collectively shaping the future of the global automotive industry from the heart of the United Kingdom.
Bringing together the brightest minds from industry and academia, the NAIC is a beacon for future mobility and sustainability research and development. It will create future vehicles and personal mobility solutions as well as deliver the skills required to keep the UK globally competitive. The NAIC is at the centre of the Midlands ecosystem, which is a magnet for economic growth and delivering a Destination Zero future.
The 33,000m² centre is designed as an innovative, collaborative workspace for hundreds of academics, designers, researchers and engineers. It includes cutting-edge workshops, laboratories, virtual engineering suites and advanced powertrain facilities. The concept for the NAIC was brought to life by the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, founder of WMG, and the building it is located in is named in his honour.
NAIC’s construction has been recognised with the highest BREEAM Excellent rating and the building includes a rooftop photovoltaic array and regenerative electrical heating. Underneath one of the world’s largest glulam timber roofs, offices are flooded with natural light, and are arranged around a daylight filled atrium. The £150m Centre is a partnership project by Jaguar Land Rover, WMG, Tata Motors and the University of Warwick with £15m funding from the UK Government’s Research Partnership Investment Fund, through Research England.
During today’s visit, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors and WMG showcased sustainable future mobility projects, including their most recent electrified and autonomous vehicles.. Jaguar Land Rover demonstrated its latest advanced research vehicle as the next stage of its Destination Zero mission: an ambition to make societies safer and healthier, and the environment cleaner. Delivered through relentless innovation, the company’s focus is on achieving a future of zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion – across its facilities, and through its products and services.
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