It has been a red-hot summer for the automotive sector, with a number of big announcements, including the £1 billion investment from Nissan, Envision AESC UK and Sunderland City Council to supercharge the region as a net zero leader
Britishvolt kept the temperature boiling with planning approval for its £2.6 billion giga plant in Blyth, which will be one of the largest ever industrial investments in the UK. The heat continued as Turntide Technologies acquired NEAA members AVID Technology Group, Hyperdrive Innovation and BorgWarner Gateshead.
Meanwhile, Peak Resources announced plans to deliver a £112 million processing plant in the Tees Valley to produce the rare earth products critical for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.
So, the North East automotive supply chain has much to celebrate, not least the much-anticipated return of the North East Automotive Expo to the Beacon of Light in September, organised by automotive cluster, the North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA).
Key sponsors include Sunderland City Council, Invest South Tyneside, NA College and Advanced Electric Machines. Technology and innovation are the key themes that will flow across the Expo this year with a strong focus on Electrification, Industrial Digitisation and 5G Connected Automotive Logistics (CAL).
With over 120 exhibitors, Britishvolt as keynote speaker, a host of other forum and workshop speakers including Rachel Chambers, chief operating office, DER-IC – North East and NEAA’s EV North chair, Ryan Maughan, plus a showcase zone for demonstrations and displays, it is a long-awaited event which will reconnect suppliers and technology providers face-to-face with the exemplar automotive community, to facilitate business and knowledge exchange.
Meet the Buyer is also returning, sponsored by ThinkPrime and is supported by several buyers including Nissan, Komatsu UK, Gestamp, Cummins, Nifco UK, Unipres (UK), ElringKlinger GB, Britishvolt, Marelli and Kasai UK. Paul Butler, CEO, North East Automotive Alliance, said: “I think its safe to say we are all looking forward to seeing member organisations in person and under one roof, for the first time in over 18 months. “We are at 90% capacity and have secured fantastic support, so the signs are there that people are ready to get back to networking and we have outlined the safety measures in place to all attendees.
“We would like to thank all of the event sponsors and speakers as we look forward to a day which will supercharge the sector.”
