A £30m funding grant has been announced to help drive electrification supply chains in key UK manufacturing sectors and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Innovate UK has vowed to invest in a single project to create a network of regional centres throughout the country for the development and scale up of power electronics, machines and drives (PEMD) technologies.
The Driving the Electric Revolution grant is from the government-backed and industry-led Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), and is aimed at developing electrification supplies across seven major areas of the economy, including: automotive, aerospace, energy, industrial, marine, off highway and rail.
Innovate UK will reportedly invest in the capital equipment needed to establish the centres that will then be used by industry and researchers to support the industrialisation of PEMD technologies, and to build on existing expertise and capabilities.
“The purpose of these centres of excellence are to help industry and academia come together to collaborate in development of a flourishing UK supply chain in the core technologies of PEMD,” said Matt Boyle, interim challenge director, Driving the Electric Revolution.
“This is an excellent opportunity for a consortium of businesses and academia to spearhead this important initiative and build on the UK’s strengths in this area.”
Funding to support operational expenses in developing the centres will be available from Innovate UK until the end of March 2024.
Manufacturers applying are expected to front any remaining operational investment necessary over the centres’ lifetimes, which is expected to be at least 10 years. Total eligible costs are estimated to be around £50m.
Successful applicants will be non-state aided research organisations and/or a predominantly commercial enterprise exempt from consideration for state aid by the European Commission.
Funding a single project will create between two and four regional centres around the UK, all of which must focus on all sectors of the industry sectors identified by the Driving the Electric Revolution challenge.
The centres must also help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop and scale new PEMD technologies, and a strategy for achieving this must be provided.
Registration closes on Wednesday 27 November 2019 at 12pm.
For more information, visit Driving the Electric Revolution
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