WMG

WMG is the lead centre for two of HVM Catapult’s 12 strategic objectives of Vehicle Electrification and Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV), and is active in deploying Digital Manufacturing technologies to improve supply chain competitiveness.

The Centre is helping industry innovate in a number of key areas, including vehicle electrification, intelligent vehicles, and materials and manufacturing. All this is underpinned by expertise in automation, digital manufacturing technologies and supply chain and operations, enabling more efficient and low-cost manufacturing processes in connected supply chains.

Their vision is to develop and enhance the UK’s automotive manufacturing capabilities to enable the development of cleaner, safer and smarter vehicles. This vision is closely aligned to the national ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, in which the Government outlines plans to make road transport emission-free by 2050.

But it’s not all about automotive. For the past four decades, we have been successfully transferring knowledge into other sectors, such as aerospace, rail, health and motorsport, demonstrating how well industry and academia work together.

The department delivers this vision by collaborating with UK-based manufacturing companies and their supply chains, helping them innovate to overcome existing challenges and develop new technologies. Between 2012 and 2017, WMG’s dedicated SME Group supported 789 businesses, creating or saving 240 jobs, and adding £55m in value to the West Midlands economy. WMG also collaborates with industry more widely; in 2017 WMG was involved in 14 successful Innovate UK bids, with a total value of £76.2m, demonstrating the scale of R&D effort that Catapult Centres can catalyse.