Johnathan Dudley, Head of Manufacturing at national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm, Crowe, has welcomed the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) decision to make a repayable grant of £18 million to fast charge the new £126 million battery park in Coventry.

WMCA has backed the new UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) in Coventry and the 193,750 square feet facility is due for completion in March 2020. It is expected to create around 100 jobs when fully operational.

Dudley, who is also Managing Partner for the Midlands and South West region, said: “This grant will help ensure that UKBIC has the latest technology to attract top tier automotive manufacturers and R&D companies.

“Not only will this help spearhead the UK battery development industry, the knock-on effect will be to create additional jobs in the supply chain with further employment and training opportunities in the future.”

Dudley reiterated his recent call for manufacturers to team up to build competitive advantage.

“Now, more than ever, we need to exploit our technology advances and expertise.

“We need to be producing electrical vehicles that are powered by the optimum technology available and UKBIC plays a key part.”

Jaguar Land Rover has announced it is to build a range of fully electric cars less than 20 miles away at its iconic Castle Bromwich plant and that is it working with BMW on the battery and motor technology.

Dudley said: “With collaborations like this, and we need many more of them throughout the automotive sector, we can gain competitive advantage in the continuously evolving global electric vehicle market.

“But we need to ensure we are better, faster and producing lighter vehicles than anyone else, as these are the key elements that will drive success.

“The key areas to explore at present are weight reduction, aerodynamics and chassis design.”

Crowe runs Manufacturing Business Network events at its Midlands office at Black Country House, Rounds Green Road, Oldbury, and organises site visits to leading automotive manufacturers and centres of excellence.

The next Manufacturing Business Network event is at Black Country House on Wednesday 6 November when Ninder Johal will lead a discussion on the launch of 5G services and the implications for business.

Johal was recently appointed a non-executive director of West Midlands 5G Ltd, a new organisation set up to deliver the UK’s first region-wide 5G testbed.

The next generation of mobile technology recently arrived in the UK following the launch of 5G services from leading Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). WM5G’s mission is to accelerate the deployment of 5G networks and test, prove and scale new 5G services across the West Midlands. The company is part of the DCMS 5G Test Beds and Trials Programme.

The Manufacturing Business Network event on 6 November is free and to register to attend, please contact nathan.sanghera@crowe.co.uk or call 0121 543 1900.

Ends (471 words)

Contacts:

Miriam Sherwood, Senior Marketing Manager (Regions), Crowe. Tel: 0121 543 1900

Notes to Editors:

About us
Crowe is a national audit, tax, advisory and risk firm offering global reach and local expertise. We are an independent member of Crowe Global, the eighth largest accounting network in the world. With exceptional knowledge of the business environment, our professionals share one commitment, to deliver excellence.

We are trusted by thousands of clients for our specialist advice, our ability to make smart decisions and our readiness to provide lasting value. Our broad technical expertise and deep market knowledge means we are well placed to offer insight and pragmatic advice to all the organisations and individuals with whom we work. Close working relationships are at the heart of our effective service delivery.

For more information, visit: www.crowe.co.uk

• Follow Crowe UK on LinkedIn
• Follow Crowe UK on Twitter @CroweUK

Crowe industry recognition

• • 11^th largest firm in the UK by fee income (International Accounting Bulletin UK Survey, December 2018).
  • Top charity auditor (Charity Financials Audit Spotlight report and Charity Financials Audit Survey, 2009 – 2019)

• Leading advisors to the UK mid-market, ranked 9^th AIM and Main Market auditor (Corporate Adviser Rankings Guide, 2019)

• 9^th largest audit firm in the UK (FRC Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession, July 2018)

• Employment Tax Specialist of the Year (Global Payroll Awards 2019)