Midlands Investment success stories: Transport technologies and future mobility 

Our business and innovation base means that the Midlands is still the best place in the world to invest in transport technologies. The Midlands has been spearheading innovation and advanced manufacturing across the automotive, aerospace and rail sectors for over a century. This foundation is continuing to shape the future of transport, with Midlands universities and companies at the forefront of research and development into transport technology and future mobility. The sector represents nearly 300,000 jobs across the region, attracting an enviable talent pool and well of expertise. In Warwickshire, companies worldwide continue to flock to the automotive cluster, looking to benefit from a location that is globally renowned for its talent as they develop the newest cutting-edge technologies, from electric cars to autonomous vehicles. 

A closer look: Warwickshire, a global epicentre of R&D talent

Polestar announces further West Midlands expansion

Swedish electric car manufacturer Polestar, which opened an R&D centre at the MIRA Technology Park in 2019, announced further investment plans in July 2024. The company has already increased from 50 to 500 employees, and now seeks to expand its range as the market grows. 

Mr Pete Allen, head of research and development, said that the Midlands was an ideal base to attract the workforce needed, continuing, “We need talent from motor sport, from F1, from high-performance sports cars and we need talent from the premium automotive sector and here in the Midlands we find all of that.”

Ola to open £100m ‘Futurefoundry’ facility in Coventry

In 2022 India’s leading EV manufacturer, originally a taxi app company, announced a major investment into establishing a global centre for advanced engineering and vehicle design. Based in Coventry, the Ola Futurefoundry will work in tandem with teams in India, with plans to recruit over 200 designers and automotive engineers. For this reason Coventry, with its deep talent pool and cluster of expertise, was the obvious choice. 

“Ola Futurefoundry will enable us to tap into the fantastic automotive design and engineering talent in the UK to create the next generation of electric vehicles.” – Bhavish Aggarwal, founder & CEO 

“We want to create a world class design and R&D team with global sensibilities…We are setting up in Coventry, a global epicentre of automotive and technology talent.” – Wayne Burgess, vice president of vehicle design, Ola Electric 

Tata Technologies

In 2023, Indian Global Product Engineering and digital transformation solution provider, Tata Technologies, announced plans to expand its European HQ in Warwickshire, creating 350 new jobs. Through strategic collaboration with the Universities of Wolverhampton and Warwick, Tata is establishing Centres of Excellence for Cybersecurity, Functional Safety for Automotive, and Automotive Open System Architecture. Its state-of-the-art European Innovation and Development Centre hosts around 650 employees and serves the European, US and Asia-Pacific markets, making it their biggest centre out of India. 

“Teams at EIDC are part of some of the biggest innovations that we are delivering…and we want to leverage the talent at West Midlands to engineer the next generation of Electric Vehicles and Aircrafts.” – Warren Harris, MD and CEO of Tata Technologies
 

Croatian automobile company launches UK R&D office

Rimac Automobili, a Croatian automotive technology company, is at the forefront of EV innovation, bringing together the world’s most advanced hypercars with a renowned team developing high performance autonomous, electrification and software solutions. Recently, they decided to expand their operations abroad, choosing the Warwick Enterprise Park as the natural home for their new R&D office, employing 30 people.  

“We have decided to take the opportunity to gather a small team in the UK, where the automotive industry has a long history and great expertise. We are of the strong opinion that British engineers are world-class in the field of electrification and future of mobility.” – Mate Rimac, Founder and CEO of Rimac Group
 

JLR major investment into Electric Vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover, owned by the Tata Group, opened a 332,000 sq ft, £250m ‘Future Energy Lab’ in Whitley in October 2023, creating 350 new jobs, as a milestone in their five-year, £15bn plan to invest in electrification. The lab will expand capacity for testing and developing EV technology, with the battery-electric Range Rover, due to launch this winter, being the first model to benefit from the new site. 2024 saw further expansion, with another £22m invested in the site and the recruitment of 250 additional roles across JLR’s Gaydon and Whitley facilities announced in March. 

For more information on opportunities in the Midlands’ transport and future mobility sector, visit the Midlands Investment Portfolio, read our Automotive, Net Zero Transport Tech, Space, Aerospace, and Rail Cluster Snapshots, or check out the R&D Investment Prospectus.