Engineering news
Prime minister David Cameron has opened Williams’ new advanced engineering facility in Grove, Oxfordshire.
Cameron used the occasion for the chance to praise Britain's engineering sector, claiming its success was fundamental to a thriving economy.
The 3,800m sq. building, located on the same site as the Williams Formula One team, is the result of £8m of investment over the last two years.
It features a groundfloor workshop with Formula One-inspired build bays that can be used for one-off projects or low-volume production. The facility will accommodate up to 250 design engineers and also features a number of confidential rooms where projects can be worked on in complete secrecy.
The Williams Advanced Engineering business transfers technology and rapid prototyping skills honed in Formula One to deliver new products to the automotive, motorsport, transport and energy sectors.
The company collaborated with Jaguar on the C-X75 hybrid supercar. It is also working with Nissan on its high performance NISMO products, and is the sole supplier of the batteries that will power the cars competing in Formula E, the world’s first fully electric racing series.
The company is also expanding its operations into the energy sector and is currently working on a project to install Formula One-derived flywheel energy storage technology on energy grids in the Scottish highlands in a project backed by the government’s Department for Energy and Climate Change.
Speaking at the launch of the new facility, David Cameron said: “Formula One is a world beating, hi-tech industry and I am very proud that Britain and British engineers and designers play such a key role within it.
"Williams opening its Advanced Engineering facility in Oxfordshire is great news for the local area and a vote of confidence in our long-term economic plan to back business, create jobs and secure a better future for Britain.”
Mike O’Driscoll, group chief executive of Williams, added: “The new building gives provides capacity for 250 designers, engineers and technicians."