Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has backed up to £50m for innovation in the West Midlands automotive supply chain, devolving support from the Drive35 programme to help manufacturers adapt to new technologies.
Speaking at the West Midlands Growth Summit in Coventry on 8 October, Reynolds set out support for manufacturers preparing for the industry’s next phase.
Devolved from Drive35
The allocation will be devolved from the government’s existing Drive35 programme. It is not a separate £50m addition to that national funding pot.
The support is intended to help businesses invest in automation, retooling and technologies critical to electric vehicle production.
Battery taskforce and skills pilot
Reynolds also highlighted a government-backed battery manufacturing taskforce, an extension of the Business Energy Advice Service and a Talent Transition Pilot aimed at retaining skills in the region.
The measures form part of his argument for an industrial economy built around investment and skilled employment, with the West Midlands’ manufacturing base central to that approach.
