The Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, visited WMG, at the University of Warwick, on Friday 20^th January 2017, taking up an invitation to see for himself the work underway to complete the new £150 million National Automotive Innovation Centre on the University Campus. He also saw the work expanding WMG’s Energy Innovation Centre which provides a one-stop-shop for the development of new battery chemistries to create advanced batteries for the automotive sector.

The National Automotive Innovation Centre is a unique automotive research centre, and the largest facility of its kind in Europe. It will provide high technology automotive manufacturing research that will be of significant benefit in the delivery of the key manufacturing component of the UK’s Industrial Strategy.

WMG is pleased to announce the conclusion of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between WMG, at the University of Warwick signed by its Chairman Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, and the Upper Austrian Research GmbH (UAR), signed by CEO Wilfried Enzenhofer and its shareholder representative, Deputy State Governor of Upper Austria, Thomas Stelzer.

The MoU will see both parties work side-by-side to collaborate on key research projects relating to intelligent vehicles, lightweight materials, metrology, and energy storage.

Today the Minister for the Constitution, Chris Skidmore, presented WMG, at the University of Warwick, with a Royal Warrant signed by Her Majesty the Queen, officially conferring her Majesty’s recognition with the title of the Regius Professor of Manufacturing (Engineering).

The title of Regius Professorship is a rare and prestigious award given by Her Majesty the Queen to recognise exceptionally high quality research at an institution. The University of Warwick was one of 12 universities honoured to mark Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday. Previous to this, only 14 had been granted since the reign of Queen Victoria. It is believed that the first Regius Professorship was conferred to Aberdeen University in 1497 by King James IV.

WMG was delighted to welcome Brian Calley, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Michigan, today.

The Lieutenant Governor, who is leading a delegation of state and business leaders on a trade mission to the UK and Ireland, was keen to learn more about how WMG works side-by-side with industry to deliver innovative new products and processes. After meeting with Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, the delegation were given a tour of WMG’s world-class research and development facilities, including the International Manufacturing Centre and the Energy Innovation Centre.

On 22^nd September 2016, His Excellency Jovan Donev, the Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia and Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, Chairman of WMG at the University of Warwick signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Macedonia and WMG at the University of Warwick, provides an initial framework through which research, education and impact activities will be designed to promote collaboration in the fields of education and research between WMG and organisations in Macedonia. Discussions were instigated by Michael English of the British Business Group Macedonia.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya was delighted to welcome Mr Lars Jacob Hiim, and Ms. Dilek Ayhan, State Secretaries (Deputy Ministers) for Trade and Industry from the Norwegian government, to WMG yesterday (Monday 12^th September).

Also joining the Deputy Ministers was a special industry delegation focused on trade and innovation for Norway.

Mr Hiim said: “We would like to thank WMG for interesting presentations and an interesting tour. The Norwegian government are working on a White Paper on the industry's future conditions at the moment. We are also experiencing a considerable demand from various industry sectors for easy access to testable facilities. We are therefore interested in learning more from our neighboring countries, and, so far, our study trip to the UK has been very useful.”

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya was pleased to welcome Margot James MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility, BEIS, to WMG on the 1 September.

Ms James was keen to hear about the breadth of our research and development, including the WMG centre High Value Manufacturing Catapult, and the impact that this has on the economy. She was also given an overview of our substantial SME programme, working to accelerate productivity and growth in SMEs by applying research-led tools and techniques, building sustainable and collaborative relationships.

Business Minister Margot James said:

“It was great to visit WMG yesterday which is expanding and making a real difference to local manufacturers through its innovative research. I was also honoured to meet Lord Bhattacharyya whose pioneering spirit can be felt throughout WMG.”

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya commented:

“I was delighted to welcome Margot James, MP to WMG and highlight to her our world leading research showing how this impacts companies and organisations, as well as society and the economy.”

The University of Warwick was today pleased to welcome the Prime Minister, Theresa May MP, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond MP, to the University to visit WMG, a world leading research centre focused on providing innovative solutions to industry, and to learn of the University and WMG’s plans and activities for research and innovation.

During their visit the Prime Minister and Chancellor met with the University of Warwick’s Provost, Christine Ennew, and the Chairman of WMG, Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, to discuss Warwick’s and WMG’s role in science, innovation and skills development and toured WMG’s International Manufacturing Centre (IMC).

As part of their IMC tour the Prime Minister and Chancellor were shown one of the world’s most adaptable and advanced driving simulators, the 3xD Simulator. The 3xD Simulator is the only of its kind designed specifically to test real-world robustness and usability of smart, connected and autonomous vehicle technology and it will be the centre piece of the Virtual Reality Centre in the National Automotive Innovation Centre.

WMG, University of Warwick, was pleased to welcome 22 Chinese delegates from Beijing Academy of Science and Technology (BJAST), for a special three-week executive training programme in July/August.

The theme for the 2016 programme was ‘Innovation Strategy and Team Work,’ with two separate elements to the course in both Beijing and here at WMG. The WMG element also involved industrial visits to Morgan Motor Company.

WMG was delighted to host a visit from Mark Wareing, Minister-Counsellor and Director for Advanced Manufacturing and Transport at UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), yesterday (Tuesday 26 July).

Mr Wareing met with Steve Raynor and Steve Fisher from WMG’s dedicated China Programmes Team, and colleagues from our Professional and Executive Programmes team to learn more about our world class education programmes. They were also joined by Professor Sujit Banerji and Dr Nick Mallinson to discuss UK and China initiatives.