MIRA Technology Park, one of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership’s (LLEP) two Enterprise Zones, has announced a new partnership that will see an engineering centre of excellence located at the site.
The partnership, with REE Automotive (REE), paves the way for the establishment of the state-of-the-art centre, which will help accelerate its REEcorner and electric vehicle (EV) technology.
The new REE engineering centre will accelerate engineering design, validation, verification and testing of REE’s products, as well as product homologation (the process by which vehicles are approved by statutory bodies).
The company plans a $92m investment in the site over the next three years, creating 200 high-skilled jobs in the region.
Situated on the Leicestershire-Warwickshire border, equal distance from the M1 and M42 motorways, and a stone’s throw from the growing town of Hinckley, MIRA Technology Park is ideally located for this investment.
As Europe’s largest automotive technology park, the site enables businesses engaged in research and development within the transport sector to establish a technical presence in the UK. Its designation as an Enterprise Zone confers extra benefits including simplified planning regulations and business rates relief. One of the key aspects of the partnership which attracted REE is access to MIRA’s world-class testing and proving grounds.
Facilities include over 100km of proving ground test track and 38 major laboratories, including impact simulation; noise and vibration; vehicle and component environmental facilities; and a full-scale aerodynamic wind tunnel and Advanced Emissions Test Centre.
MIRA Technology Park is also home to MIRA Technology Institute, a further and higher education facility dedicated to equipping people with the latest skills needed to advance the automotive industry. The product of a £9.5m LLEP Local Growth Fund investment, it is already producing a steady stream of highly skilled automotive engineers. The opportunity to tap into this established talent pipeline is available to all the businesses located at MIRA Technology Park and beyond.
Kevin Harris, Chair of the LLEP Board of Directors, said:
“MIRA Technology Park is leading the charge in the automotive sector to move towards green energy and zero-emissions technology. This partnership is the latest in a series of developments that has seen the Enterprise Zone become a hub of global advancement in EV technology, and I’m delighted that this Leicestershire site has been chosen for another major investment in our low carbon future.”
Tim Nathan, MD at MIRA Technology Park, said:
“We are incredibly pleased to be welcoming REE to MIRA Technology Park, where they join a cluster of companies dedicated to delivering innovative automotive products for global markets. Located in the heart of the UK and supported by HORIBA MIRA’s world-class attribute, vehicle engineering and testing services, REE are well-positioned to achieve their ambitious goals.”
