By Sam Sheehan / Thursday, July 23, 2020
Lotus’ turn to the Midlands continues with the announcement of a new generation center on the Wellesbourne campus of the University of Warwick. The facility will feature 130 engineers as the company formalizes a new partnership with WMG (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group) that was established in 1980 to help companies succeed in demanding business situations with cutting-edge responses – an ideal solution for paints Lotus Engineering has undertaken for decades.
The truly extensive site will come with offices, workshops and laboratories, and will focus on offering new technologies for the future. Lotus would like to point out that his team will be overshadowed by the engineering team remaining in Hethel, the appeal of a study and progression centre in Warwickshire is easy to perceive given the region’s lack of experience. The manufacturer highlights the possibility of “many new jobs” as the investment begins to pay off.
Having access to a young skill group also has its benefits and highlights how much a Geely-funded Lotus is now changing. WMG is well established as a breeding ground for the type of user sought through the brand: the University of Warwick already has an automotive study center, a complex tissue study center, a production center and a foreign nanocomposite production institute.
Matt Windle, chief engineering officer at Lotus, noted that “the new space, services and task opportunities at Wellesbourne will be the most sought after as we temporarily build our portfolio of external projects.” He stated that “the Lotus team and specialized skills have grown significantly over the past two years, as a new boost has been given to the company with new shareholders and management,” obviously referring to the all-electric Evija, which is only the first step in large part in a zero-emissions future.
Margot James, executive chair at WMG, commented: “This is wonderful not only for WMG, the University of Warwick and the region, but also for the UK automotive sector. The UK needs to retain R&D capability in our manufacturing sector, and at WMG we are working with partners on many R&D programmes which are focussed on innovation and future growth towards net zero. We look forward to collaborating with Lotus on projects which seek to create a greener, more connected future”.
James’ comments underscore how ambitious Lotus’ most recent progression is. Beyond its long-term diversity of core models (focused on a new Elise scheduled for 2021), the manufacturer takes seriously the possibility of turning its influence into innovation and engineering into higher revenues, and a new facility in Midlands is in a position to do so. . It’s also comforting to point out an extra gear in Lotus’ futuristic strategy: without officially launching new models, the logo has positioned itself to thrive over the next decade. And I didn’t want six concepts in one day to do it.
© 2020 Pistonheads Holdco Limited, All Rights Reserved
Pistonheads Holdco Limited, c/o Legalinx Limited, Tallis House, 2 Tallis Street, Temple, London, EC4Y 0AB, United Kingdom