February 2024 – Mayor of West Midlands Andy Street visited Unipart Manufacturing in Coventry to find out more about green economy job creation.
The mayor toured Hyperbat, Unipart’s electric vehicle battery production facility joint venture and a leading UK provider of high-voltage batteries for specialist applications based at the site in Holbrooks.
The mayor also visited the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, Unipart’s unique collaboration with Coventry University to give the next generation of engineers experience in a live factory environment and provide Unipart with cutting-edge research and development.
The mayor was hosted by Unipart Manufacturing Managing Director Carol Burke, who as a West Midlands Regional Business Council member is championing business in the region.
Carol is also a non-executive director for the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and on the UK Battery Strategy Taskforce, which published a report in December on boosting the domestic supply chain for lithium-ion batteries.
Carol Burke CBE, Unipart Manufacturing Managing Director, said: “I’m honoured to be working with the West Midlands Regional Business Council. We have a fantastic opportunity to leverage the region’s rich heritage in the automotive industry to embrace alternative forms of propulsion. Through our Hyperbat electric vehicle production facility and the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, our own people and the engineers of tomorrow are building their capability in cutting-edge innovation.
“Unipart’s experience is a fantastic example of how businesses in the region can transition to the green economy. As a supply chain solutions and performance improvement technologies partner, and a tier one supplier to original equipment manufacturers, Unipart is supporting our customers’ shift to sustainable technology in the automotive, rail and construction sectors. This competitive edge is at the heart of our manufacturing partner strategy.”
Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands, said: “We have an amazing heritage of car-making and innovation in the West Midlands and by working together we can be a world leader in the new clean electric vehicle and battery industries.
“Unipart is a wonderful example of what our automotive companies can achieve by embracing change and innovation to put themselves at the cutting edge of the EV industry.
“They are a key player in the powerful EV cluster around Coventry which includes the likes of JLR and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre. By making this transition to green technologies, our car industry will be at the heart of the new low-carbon economy that will create the well-paid jobs of the future.”
Unipart Manufacturing employs 300 people at its Holbrooks site, and its joint venture Kautex Unipart Limited at Coventry Business Park which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.