Institution responds to the launch of the automotive sector industrial strategy

The Institution's Philippa Oldham says it is fantastic to see Government and industry working together and recognising the need for a long-term holistic view of the UK automotive sector.

Philippa Oldham, Head of Transport and Manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said today in response to the launch of the automotive sector industrial strategy:

“It is fantastic to see Government and industry working together and recognising the need for a long-term holistic view of the UK automotive sector. It is also very welcome that they have identified the need to not only invest in original equipment manufacturers, but for investment to be made to support the entire supply chain including SMEs.

“The UK automotive sector has been outperforming the rest of the UK economy, and in order to enable it to continue to thrive we need to secure the right skills.  It is hugely encouraging that this strategy now sets out plans to secure 30,000 more jobs in UK car manufacturing in coming decades.

“It is vital that the entire sector work together to share best practice and lessons learnt.  By learning from each other it will ensure that UK plc benefits as a whole, so it is great to see that the strategy plans to work with both the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and the Transport Systems catapult. 

“The UK must take advantage of these Catapult centres to capture and commercialise the best of UK innovation. This will enable us to develop smart infrastructure, and help encourage the public to make intelligent transport choices which will help us travel more safely, efficiently and in a way that is less damaging to the environment.”