UK Motor manufacturing has been hit by low labour costs in other countries. This means that a significant part of UK automotive engineering is now concentrating on the premium vehicle sector. In order to continually succeed in such a competitive market manufacturing needs to draw on the best talents and have access to the best in research and development technology.

The most successful industries are the ones that have the closest relationships with the Universities. After all, Universities have continuous fresh brains going through the system and if we could capture them for something that Industry needs its brilliant.

The University of Warwick's nternational Automotive Research Centre, based at the Warwick Manufacturing Group, is a £70 million project designed to help manufacturing companies in the UK's premium automotive sector improve product development through Engineering Management and skills training and research and development. The new Centre started its programme with 20 research projects covering a range of areas, such as advanced body joining techniques, ultra high strength, wireless tracking devices, voice recognition, new tools to the supply industry, hybrid vehicle technologies, but also training and skills development for supply industry.

"Working together we can take the best of all of the Worlds and synthesise what can really be very helpful for the productivity of the West Midlands and in particular the Automobile Industry but also generate a role model, if you will, a prototype that we can do many other things with whether it be in medicine or agriculture whatever".

To play the video, click here - requires Windows Media Player