Construction starts on automotive R&D hub in Leamington Spa

The 50,000ft² centre will become the UK hub for Liberty’s R&D and engineering expertise. When fully operational, it will house more than 100 highly-skilled technical professionals, including 40 new engineering posts that will be created by the investment.

The flagship centre will support Liberty’s plans to grow its market share in the automotive and other sectors by providing solutions ranging from design and prototyping all the way to volume manufacturing. It will build upon existing expertise in the design and production of various automotive components and systems, while also growing Liberty’s capabilities for alternatively fuelled and autonomous vehicles, ensuring the site remains an important part of the UK automotive supply chain for future generations.

The investment underlines Liberty’s strong commitment to the future of the UK’s automotive sector.

The company, which employs 5,000 in its UK industrial operations, is already a Tier 1 supplier to several major automotive manufacturers domestically and overseas. The centre will also house Liberty’s Vehicle Technologies, 920Engineering (920E) and Shiftec businesses, known internationally for their advanced lightweight braking and control systems.

Located off Tachbrook Road, Leamington Spa, the new centre is expected to open in early 2020, a milestone year for automotive manufacturing at the site. Automotive Products Co, a forerunner of the modern business 920E, was founded nearby in 1920 and moved to the current Leamington Spa site in 1927. In its heyday in the early 1980s the operation employed around 9,000 people.

For almost 90 years, the plant has been at the heart of the UK’s automotive industry, manufacturing braking and clutch components for vehicle and motor racing brands including MG, Riley, Daimler, Ford and Jaguar. Products developed here have been on the track of every F1 race since the early 1960s and continue to deliver performance products for motorsport, niche and premium automotive. The business was acquired by Liberty in 2015.

The new Global Technology Centre is being built adjacent to the original plant as part of the third phase of the showpiece Spa Park being developed by Stoford Developments and Blackrock. Benniman Construction Group are the lead contractors for the development.

Liberty House Group www.libertyhousegroup.com