General Motors, one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, has become the latest member of the pioneering Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry.
The Detroit-based company has joined the Coventry-based MTC as a prestigious Tier Two member.
The company was welcomed to the Manufacturing Technology Centre family by the MTC’s chief executive Dr Clive Hickman. He said the MTC was proud to be selected by General Motors as a centre of automotive technology excellence.
General Motors Co and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands.
MTC engineers and technicians will work with General Motors experts on manufacturing process innovation and commercialisation which is required to enable new products and materials.
Clive Hickman said he was delighted that a company of General Motors’ stature had become a member of the MTC.
“It is a great honour that General Motors has chosen to join the Manufacturing Technology Centre and it is a ringing endorsement of our capabilities. We look forward to helping them take their business forward,” he said.
The Manufacturing Technology Centre opened in 2011 and has already achieved most of its 2020 targets. It is a partnership between some of the UK’s major global manufacturers and three forward-thinking universities: Birmingham, Nottingham and Loughborough as well as TWI Ltd, the operating division of The Welding Institute.
The MTC is structured to deliver a unique proposition linking OEMs and manufacturing suppliers to bridge the gap between research and the development of innovative manufacturing systems, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy.
The MTC is one of seven centres across the UK which form the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, established by Government to provide a stimulus for British manufacturing.
Clive Hickman said the centre was established to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions.
“The MTC provides a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale, providing a unique opportunity for manufacturers to develop new and innovative processes and technologies in a low risk environment,” he said.
He added, “Our incredible growth from a standing start is based on work generated by our members who have already shown faith in us to deliver new processes for them, as well the support of our research partners, the commitment of MTC employees and the support of the UK Government. We have developed a strong aerospace, defence, automotive and ICT expertise and we are active in several sectors.”