Local Government policy makers, business leaders, academics, media figures and other regional partners are coming together for a special event to celebrate the University of Warwick’s many partnerships in Coventry and Warwickshire, and the West Midlands and its impact on the region.

Those gathering for the University of Warwick’s Chancellor’s Dinner on the evening of Tuesday 20th November, will be presented with some of University of Warwick’s very latest economic impact figures. Those figures will include its almost one billion pound impact on the West Midlands.

Local Government policy makers, business leaders, academics, media figures and other regional partners are coming together for a special event to celebrate the University of Warwick’s many partnerships in Coventry and Warwickshire, and the West Midlands and its impact on the region. Those gathering for the University of Warwick’s Chancellor’s Dinner on the evening of Tuesday 20th November, will be presented with some of University of Warwick’s very latest economic impact figures. Those figures will include its almost one billion pound impact on the West Midlands.

University of Warwick Chancellor Baroness Catherine Ashton will speak at the event and will be followed by: Dr Ralf Speth CEO of Jaguar Land Rover and an Honorary Professor of WMG; Professor Stuart Croft Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Warwick; Andy Street CBE Mayor of the West Midlands. However the very first speaker ahead of all those significant names will be young engineer Omeah Hancox who has just finished her time as a pupil at the WMG Academy For Young Engineers in Coventry, and has now joined Jaguar Land Rover.

Continuing the event’s celebration of the University’s contribution to and close connection with both the City of Coventry and The County of Warwickshire the University has asked Adam Bennett, who is Chef Director at The Cross Kenilworth and who lives in Coventry, to create the menu for the evening working alongside the University of Warwick’s Warwick Conferences team.

The guests at the dinner will be presented with some of the following new pieces of research from the University’s very latest economic impact survey. Those facts include the following (NB where “West Midlands” is used the description includes both the West Midlands and Warwickshire counties):

• The University’s overall economic impact in the West Midlands is now almost £1 billion a year
• As well as employing over 6,640 staff it sustains a further 9,245 additional jobs in the West Midlands
• Warwick’s 5,000 international students contribute £250 million per annum to the region
• In the year of study (2017) Warwick Science Park supported 354 businesses, and Warwick Business School and WMG supported hundreds more
• 29% of Warwick’s UK undergraduate intake are from the West Midlands
• 86% of The University of Warwick’s 6,640 staff live in the West Midlands 42% in Coventry and 21% in Warwick District
• More than 1000 Warwick students volunteer 12,618 volunteer hours in community focused projects in Coventry, Leamington, Kenilworth and Warwick
• 84% of Warwick’s Newly Qualified Teachers secured employment teaching in Midlands schools – 152 teachers in total. 103 of these were in local secondary schools and 49 in local primary schools (51 teachers in total in Coventry and Warwickshire – the rest in other parts of West Midlands).
• In the year of study (2017) 22,831 school-age children participated in Warwick Arts Centre’s creative learning activities

Warwick’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart Croft, said:

“The University of Warwick was first established because a great many community leaders, policy makers and business in Coventry and Warwickshire came together to campaign for its establishment and donate the funding and land to establish it. They believed that Warwick would be a major contributor to the economy, culture and life of the City and County and we are delighted to be able to share how Warwick has delivered on that vision and to do so in the company of some today’s Coventry and Warwickshire community leaders, policy makers and businesses.”

The very location of the dinner in the newly constructed £150 million on the University’s main campus has been chosen to further mark the significant economic benefits that the University of Warwick brings to Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. The formal opening of the NAIC is yet to come, but those attending the dinner will be able to see for themselves the scale and significance of the project.

NAIC is a beacon for automotive research. It brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia, to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions. It will inspire future designers, engineers and researchers to innovate through collaborative research projects with manufacturers, suppliers and academia, bringing new approaches to smarter, lighter, greener transport and delivering the skills required to keep the UK globally competitive.

The Centre is a partnership between WMG at the University of Warwick, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre, with funding from these partners and £15m from the UK Government’s Higher Education Funding Council England.

The National Automotive Innovation Centre is the largest research centre of its kind in Europe, with 33,000m² space dedicated to automotive innovation. It will be home to 1,000 staff working across design, engineering and research, as well as future engineers on degree programmes.

** Stop Press additional information since this press release was first issued  **

In recognition of the enormous contribution of Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya to the University, the city, the region, and to Jaguar Land Rover, it was announced at the Dinner that the Building hosting the National Automotive Innovation Centre will be named the "Lord Bhattacharyya Building". The £150m partnership between WMG, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre and Government will be a beacon for automotive research - bringing together the brightest minds from industry and academia to develop future automotive technology.

Coventry City Council has also announced that that it will ask the University to rename the section of University Road, from the Scarman roundabout to the Lord Bhattacharyya Building to "Lord Bhattacharyya Way".

There will be a formal opening of the new building in the New Year.

For further information please contact:

Peter Dunn, Director of Press and Media Relations
University of Warwick
Tel office: 024 76523708 UK +44 (0)24 76523708 International
Mobile/Cell: 07767 655860 UK +44 (0)7767 655860 International
Email p.j.dunn@warwick.ac.uk

PR PJD 20^h November 2018