2012 has begun on a very positive note for one particular industry with strong links to Northamptonshire. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 2011 was a step-change year for the automotive industry with unprecedented levels of international investment in the UK, helping support new and continued automotive manufacture in the country.
Last year, over £4 billion was invested in automotive projects in the UK, and many of these will involve brand new vehicle models or innovative new low carbon technologies. At the heart of the continued success of the automotive industry is R&D which is responsible for pushing the industry forward with progressive new technologies and solutions.
It is in this area that Northamptonshire has a particular strength. The county is home to a number of highly specialised individuals and companies who are leading the way with the design, development and production of new components and technologies that are integral to the on-going success of the whole industry. As regular readers of this blog will know, it is this range of specialist skills which has enabled the county to become a centre of excellence in the wider High Performance Technologies sector also.
With low carbon high on the agenda for the industry (over the next 20 years £150bn will be invested in low carbon vehicle technologies), Northamptonshire is set to have an important role to play. Projects like Electric Corby – which will transform the town to a centre of excellence for sustainable travel – and innovative companies such as Delta Motorsport which are developing low carbon vehicle technologies are illustrating that Northamptonshire is a central force in the development of energy efficient living and low carbon vehicles.
