HRH The Prince of Wales today inaugurated one of Europe’s largest automotive research and development facilities, the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), at the University of Warwick, in Coventry.
The facility 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. During the 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. 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.
The 3.5-lakh square feet 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 partners working together in NAIC are engineering the future and helping supply the next generation of engineers, designers and researchers. Through a range of education programmes, apprenticeships and lifelong learning, all three partners are developing curricula which support the emerging technologies and mobility solutions.
Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors and WMG are developing next-generation future electrified and autonomous vehicles at the NAIC. They exhibited some of their latest projects including Warwick’s Formula Student entry and the Warwick Moto concept which is led by WMG; Tata Motor’s latest affordable Nexon EV and autonomous Tata Hexa alongside Jaguar Land Rover’s latest prototype self-driving Jaguar I-PACE and ADAS Land Rover Discovery.
The building and all its facilities were designed from first principles to embrace sustainability and wellbeing. 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.
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