MIRA Technology Park, the 1.75 million sq ft Enterprise Zone in the Midlands, has announced the arrival of Aston Martin to its technology park site. The luxury British sports car manufacturer has taken space in a new bespoke facility at MIRA Technology Park.
The 15,800 sq ft building will accommodate a key part of Aston Martin’s prototype and vehicle development operations and represents a significant investment by Aston Martin to support the brand’s current and future model programmes.
Dr George Gillespie OBE, CEO at MIRA Ltd, said: “As an iconic British automotive brand, Aston Martin is a very welcome addition to MIRA Technology Park. By selecting MIRA Technology Park as a new location for their prototype and vehicle development teams, Aston Martin is able to take advantage of an entirely bespoke and secure facility whilst also taking advantage of MIRA’s extensive research and testing facilities right on their doorstep.
“The automotive technology cluster we are building at MIRA Technology Park is really gaining traction with many of the major global automotive players, such as Aston Martin, taking up residency at the site. As well as giving those companies proximity to key development resources, it is also bringing them closer to many of their key suppliers and development partners creating significant efficiencies in their development activities.”
Ian Minards, Product Development Director at Aston Martin, said: “The cutting edge facilities at MIRA, together with its reputation for quality and excellent security, makes it an ideal place for us to carry out some of our prototype development work.
“This excellent facility gives our engineering teams exactly what they need to ensure the next generation of Aston Martin sports cars continue to be truly class-leading.”
Aston Martin joins other companies who have already located at MIRA Technology Park, which was awarded Enterprise Zone status in 2011, including Haldex, Bosch, Norgren and Lockheed Martin.
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles said: “MIRA really is blazing a trail when it comes to enterprise zones and to have a Great British icon like Aston Martin locate there is another resounding success. The progress that has been made since I last visited the site just over a year ago has been impressive and that the next generation of Aston Martins will be developed there is fantastic.
“It really does show that enterprise zones are great place to do business and a vital part of our long-term economic plan.”
Since 2010, MIRA Technology Park has created/safeguarded a total of 338 technology related jobs as a result of the development, in addition it is has also generated over 100 construction jobs. The aim is to create up to 2,000 jobs in the Technology Park by 2020 and eventually house businesses from across the automotive, aerospace, rail, defence and associated digital technology sectors.
