A global engineering consultancy has parked up in Coventry with a view to driving business forward.
Leading edge engineering firm Altran, with more than 18,000 consultants worldwide and over 20 years experience in the automotive sector, has opened a new office at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre in Binley.
The firm, which has a presence in 25 countries, combines its knowledge across engineering, technology, IT, training and systems and safety assurance to provide innovative results.
The move comes off the back of five years of continued growth from its Cambridge office and Coventry was chosen because of its location and reputation within the automotive sector.
David Fidalgo will head up Altran’s Binley office, which currently houses five staff but will be looking to take on more based on its success.
He said: “Our new office is at the core of our strategy to increase the volume of work we deliver for clients in key areas.
“These include hybrid vehicle development, systems engineering and Connected Car – an innovative technology platform created by Altran that allows mobile applications to be integrated seamlessly into the vehicle environment.
“We have experienced great success in the UK in the past five years and believe this move will allow us to continue and accelerate this.
“The proximity to key clients as well as the flexibility offered are two of the main factors that attracted us to Binley.
“We have started here with five staff but envisage that this could rise to as many as 30 so the fact that the Binley Innovation Centre has the capabilities to allow us to take up extra space if needed, suited our requirements.”
Penny Robb, the centre manager at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre in Binley, believes such flexibility is a must for many business.
“The ability to expand is something that most companies must consider when searching for new premises,” she said.
“The fact that our Business Innovation Centre can offer this, based on more immediate needs rather than on a pre-determined timescale is a huge positive for many tenants.
“We also have vast experience working alongside firms that move to the area in order to be closer to the automotive industry.
“We are delighted to welcome Altran and they have exciting plans for the near future that could create jobs in the area so we look forward to working with them and aiding a smooth transition and continued growth.”