Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Prince Charles launches Tata JLR's mega innovation centre

PRINCE CHARLES on Tuesday (18) launched the Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) innovation centre at the University of Warwick in central England.

The £150-million National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), dedicated to advanced automotive research, design and development, will house up to 1,000 academics, researchers, engineers and designers from across the UK and India to work on cars and vehicles of the future.


The centre is largest automotive research and development facility of its kind in the continent.

The collaboration between Tata Motors, JLR and the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) is aimed at creating sustainable future mobility projects, including electrified and autonomous vehicles.

“This centre in the heart of the United Kingdom brings together from industry and academia some of the brightest minds to tackle some of our society’s toughest problems,” said Prince Charles, who marked the 50th anniversary of his legendary speech on environment.

“In all the years what has always struck me is the need for a cooperative, joint up approach between all those who are pursuing the same goal by whatever means,” he added at the launch attended by Tata Group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata.

“This centre is now pulling together many of the most talented people tackling society’s greatest mobility challenges and is helping to shape the future of the automotive industry.”

The 33,000sq.m centre is designed as an innovative, collaborative workspace and includes cutting-edge workshops, labs, virtual engineering suites and advanced powertrain facilities.

“At Jaguar and Land Rover, we believe in creating a better tomorrow for mobility. A future of zero emissions, zero congestion and zero accidents,” said JLR CEO Ralf Speth.

“We call it ‘Destination Zero’ and the National Automotive Innovation Centre will make sure we get there,” he said.

Speth explained that at the NAIC, academics, manufacturers and suppliers will work towards developing a smart, safe transport infrastructure that integrates autonomous vehicles and public transport, design zero-emission vehicles powered by smart-chargers and renewable energy, and discover material and digital manufacturing innovations that will eliminate waste.

As part of the NAIC’s integrated approach, engineers from Tata Motors’ Pune design team will come to the UK on a temporary basis and colleagues from Britain will also work in India.

Guenter Butschek, CEO and MD of Tata Motors, said: “The National Automotive Innovation Centre brings together our UK-based engineering and design experts to one setting, providing greater synergy on ground-breaking design and technologies with a focus on connected, electric, shared and safe, that will help shape future mobility solutions in India.

“Its virtual engineering suite, powertrain facilities, laboratories and cutting-edge design workshop provide an inspiring, productive and collaborative environment for the future.”

The concept for the NAIC was initiated by the late Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, who founded the Warwick Manufacturing Group, and the building it is housed in is named after him.

“The late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya''s vision was for future generations of designers, researchers and engineers to be inspired to innovate through collaborative research projects with manufacturers, suppliers and academia at the National Automotive Innovation Centre,” said Professor David Mullins, interim head of the WMG.

The WMG said that students and apprentices work alongside experts and leaders in their fields at the new centre, which will also transform university curricula over time to supports emerging technologies and mobility solutions.

“Its location underscores Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands' leading roles in UK and international automotive innovation and research,” said Professor Stuart Croft, the vice-chancellor of the University of Warwick.

The launch event also marked the unveiling of JLR’s new concept vehicle created at the NAIC, Project Vector, as part of the company’s Destination Zero vision of an autonomous, electric, connected future for urban mobility.

The UK’s largest automotive manufacturer JLR said that Project Vector showcases an advanced, flexible, multi-use electric vehicle that is “autonomy-ready”.

“It has been developed at the National Automotive Innovation Centre to gain the advantages of working with agility and close collaboration with academic and external partners,” added JLR.

(PTI)

More For You

Man sentenced for racist death threat emails to Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak (Photo: Getty Images)

Man sentenced for racist death threat emails to Rishi Sunak

A 21-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 weeks' imprisonment and a two-year restraining order for sending racist death threats to Rishi Sunak in June last year, when he was the prime minister.

Liam Shaw from Birkenhead in Merseyside, pleaded guilty to sending two threatening and offensive emails to the public parliamentary email address of Sunak, MP for Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Royal Navy names first Hindu chaplain
First Hindu chaplin Bhanu Attri (C) on the parade ground with fellow passing out cadets (Photo: Royal Navy)

Royal Navy names first Hindu chaplain

AN ASIAN officer has spoken of his “profound honour” after he was appointed as the first-ever Hindu chaplain in the Royal Navy.

Bhanu Attri, originally from Himachal Pradesh in north India, took over his new role last week and will offer spiritual support to fellow naval officers, based on the tenets of Hinduism.

Keep ReadingShow less
Sikh men

The victims, believed to be in their 60s and 70s, were taken to hospital after the incident and later discharged. (Photo for representation: iStock)

Three arrested over alleged racial attack on elderly Sikh men

THREE men have been arrested following a shocking attack on two elderly Sikh men outside Wolverhampton Railway Station, which is now being investigated as a racially-aggravated hate crime.

British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed on Monday (18) that the assault took place on Friday (15). The victims, believed to be in their 60s and 70s, were taken to hospital after the incident and later discharged.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian Rich List UK economy

Chris Blackhurst

Getty Images

Asian Rich List shows value of migrant entrepreneurs to UK economy, says expert

BRITAIN needs more talented migrants who can create jobs and wealth in this country, a media expert has said, citing evidence from the latest edition of Eastern Eye’s Asian Rich List 2025.

Writing in the Independent on Saturday (16), Chris Blackhurst argued that “against the present backdrop of protests against immigration, the Asian Rich List illustrates that the UK has so much to be thankful for.” He added, “It is hard to imagine where the economy, wider society, would be without the loyalty, tenacity and public spirit of those on the list and the ones ascending fast. We urgently need more like them, not less.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Shiv Katha at Siddhashram in memory of Air India plane crash victims

Shiv Katha at Siddhashram in memory of Air India plane crash victims

Mahesh Liloriya

London. A five-day Shiv Katha has begun at the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre to honour the victims of the tragic Air India crash, with prayers offered for their eternal peace. The programme, running from 18 to 22 August, is being led by HH Shri Rajrajeshwar Guruji with recitations by PP Shri Jogi Dada, and attended by devotees and dignitaries from India and abroad.

Opening the Katha, Shri Jogi Dada called it both a spiritual gathering and a heartfelt tribute to the passengers of the Ahmedabad–London flight. “Mahadev’s darshan equals a pilgrimage. It is inspiring to see the younger generation engaging in bhakti, which is vital for preserving our heritage."

Keep ReadingShow less