Motor industry celebrates green innovations
Annual low carbon vehicle event marks major achievements and sees launch of new multi-million pound funding support for future innovations.
Innovate UK chief executive Dr Ruth McKernan, Business Minister Anna Soubry and Jaguar Land Rover director of research and technology Dr Wolfgang Epple at the unveiling of the chassis of a Concept_e vehicle
LCV 2015 has brought together leading UK innovators in the field of low carbon vehicles for the unveiling of new concept vehicles and announcements on current and future multi-million pound funding awards.
LCV 2015 was organised by Cenex, supported by industry and government bodies including Innovate UK, and held at the Millbrook technology centre, near Bedford, this week.
The event has attracted more than 2,400 delegates, featured more than 180 exhibitors, a conference programme with more than 50 high-profile speakers, and the opportunity to drive some of the latest low carbon vehicles.
Chief executive of Innovate UK Dr Ruth McKernan helped to unveil Jaguar Land Rover’s latest Concept_e vehicle, developed under an Innovate UK-funded collaborative project to develop new low carbon vehicle technologies.
...and she got the chance to get behind the wheel
Low carbon funding delivers huge returns for UK
Dr McKernan said:
The world-leading results of this collaborative R&D project not only justify our investment in the project, but promise significant economic benefits for the UK automotive industry and its supply chains.
Our £230m investment in the sector over the past 8 years has helped the industry complete a remarkable turnaround, with the UK now seen as the pre-eminent global hub for automotive innovation.
Innovate UK Head of Transport Roland Meister with the Ginetta-Juno
Read Innovate UK’s Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform Impact Review launched yesterday.
Major new funding announcements
LCV15 delegates heard a raft of announcements about the winners of recent funding competitions and about new funding opportunities available for companies working in the field.
Business Minister Anna Soubry announced that a consortium led by the Warwick Manufacturing Group had won a £10 million award to set up a pilot line for manufacture of electric-vehicle batteries. The competition was run by Innovate UK and co-funded by OLEV.
She also announced a new £20 million ‘Seeding tomorrow’s vehicle technologies today’ competition run by Innovate UK and co-funded by OLEV.
Meanwhile, the Niche Vehicle Network, an association of 400 niche vehicle manufacturers and specialist technology companies run by Cenex and supported by Innovate UK, OLEV and BIS, announced the six winners of its latest R&D funding programme.