Midlands Enterprise Awards 2020

8 | Midlands Enterprise Awards 2020 Words by Jon Beasley, Director of Technology & Projects, The Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Last year, when the UK government brought into law a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, it could not have foreseen the impact of a global pandemic on our economy or our environment. Even before COVID-19, the rate of change in the transport industry was considerable. Now, after months in lockdown, with a slow economic recovery ahead and reports that global CO2 emissions will shrink by at least 2.5 billion tonnes or 5% this year 1 , the UK government has set its sights on a green transport revolution and green recovery. As director of an organisation dedicated to working with industry to reduce CO2 emissions, I am expecting that the decrease in global air pollution we have experienced this year, alongside societal pressure, reinforced by previously announced government regulatory commitments and continued innovation support funding, will help to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero emissions. Established in 2013, The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) was set a goal to make the UK a centre of excellence for the research, development and production of low or zero emission carbon propulsion technology with the target of creating or safeguarding 30,000 jobs and reducing CO2 emissions by 50 million tonnes in its initial 10- year programme. Over the last six years, the APC, working with the Automotive Council, has successfully identified where investment is most needed and mapped this with the UK’s current capabilities and technology trends, enabling us to fund 113 low-carbon projects and build the foundations for an effective green recovery and a coherent industry-wide approach. Through these projects we have worked alongside government, industry and academia to exceed our original targets with over 40,000 jobs created or safeguarded and projected savings of 225 million tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of removing the lifetime emissions of 8.8 million cars. The journey has started, but it is far from complete. The APC is working with partners to further Green Recovery and the Future of the Automotive Industry accelerate new low and zero emission products to market, and increase engagement with supply chains, so that UK Industry can gain value and retain international competitiveness as new supply chains are established. Going forwards the APC will continue to consult and collaborate extensively with our partners to build stable and scalable solutions for a low or zero emissions automotive future that addresses early stage R&D through to new capital deployment right across the electrified supply chain. Getting production processes right is very important for the automotive industry and its supply chain, in order to retain the high levels of quality and reliability that today’s consumers demand. Our research 2 shows that the UK alone has a potential £24 billion boost to the economy from the future of manufacture and supply chain for electric vehicles. Our role is to facilitate an environment that can build complementary skills that develop Sep20320 and anchor high-impact technologies and manufacturing processes, as well as to secure matched funding for technologies that would otherwise be too early or too risky. All of the Core Competition projects supported by the APC include at least one SME, and we support the Niche Vehicle Network Production Readiness Competitions, but it is through our Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) that we are tailoring support to those companies in the very early stage of their organisation and product journey. Through TDAP we support SMEs and entrepreneurs to access resources, expertise as well as work with our partners to gain insight to their potential routes to market. We not only facilitate financial support, but also provide mentoring to help them overcome the challenge of engaging in OEM or Tier 1 development programmes. Enso Tyres is a good success story. Founded in 2016 in London by a team of disruptors, it specialises in sustainable tyres for electric vehicles and is challenging traditional tyre manufacturing methods. Through TDAP, we have helped Enso access experienced contacts in the automotive industry providing them with feedback on how to position themselves in this emerging market sector so they are industry-ready for their product launch later this year. Through funding projects like this and our research we are continually building a picture of the sector’s future, with industry consensus roadmaps that predict the trajectory of vehicle platforms and prioritisation of supporting technology development, allowing organisations to plan ahead. As we end this tumultuous year for the UK, the automotive industry sits on the precipice of total transformation; achieving the 2050 targets will not be without its challenges, but with the continued investment and collaboration between government, industry and academia alike, I believe that the UK will continue to be a world leader in the fight against climate change and the drive for a green transport revolution. 1 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/12/global-carbon-emissions-could-fall-by-record-25bn-tonnes-in-2020 2 https://www.apcuk.co.uk/opportunities-for-you/strategic-uk-opportunities-in-passenger-car-electrification/