Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors and the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) have unveiled plans to build an all-new National Automotive Innovation Center (NAIC) on the University of Warwick campus. The 33,000 square-meter complex will provide space for 1,000 engineers, designers and academics to work together, from apprentices to senior managers. It is expected to be completed by Spring 2017.
When it opens, the NAIC will the largest automotive research center of its kind in Europe. Equipped to enable a full range of design, visualization and prototyping activities, the research facilities will include a design and simulation space creating innovative automotive solutions, an Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory to develop personal mobility solutions of the future, and an adaptable and fully immersive drive-in simulator.
The NAIC will enable Jaguar Land Rover to co-locate 600 of its engineers, researchers and technologists to work collaboratively with academics and R&D specialists from across the automotive supply chain.Tata Motors’ own design studio is also expected to relocate to new digs on the campus while the development of the new NAIC facility will complement JLR’s product research and development centers located in nearby Gaydon and Whitley. Both JLR and Tata Motors will use the NAIC to take forward autonomous vehicles research through a £19m ($28m) Autodrive UK project.
Details of the specific research projects that will take place in the new 33,000 sq-m complex haven’t yet been announced, but are expected to be multi-disciplinary challenges such as electrification, smart and connected cars and Human Machine Interface.The NAIC will provide a national focus and critical mass of research capability combining national and international expertise from industry, universities, SMEs and the automotive supply chain. This will enable the companies to deliver new technologies in areas such as carbon reduction, smart and connected vehicles and advanced propulsion systems.
NAIC is a partnership between the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) and UK Government’s Higher Education Funding Council England (HEFCE). JLR, Tata Motors and WMG have made an investment of £150m (roughly $221m) in the capital building and research activities, with £30m ($44m) capital costs funded by the HEFCE.
