Silicon Valley-headquartered investor Plug and Play UK has launched its mobility programme in the Midlands, partnering The University of Warwick, The Advanced Propulsion Centre, and Zenzic.
The programme, which will bring together stakeholders to improve sustainability in the mobility sector, will be based out of the National Automotive Innovation Centre at Warwick University.
Plug and Play is also working with previous partner Jaguar Land Rover to build an innovation hub.
Kieran Borrett, head of Plug and Play UK, told UKTN: “With the region housing 430 specialist automotive firms, including market leaders Jaguar Land Rover, the economic benefits to the Midlands are multifaceted.
“It’s great to invest in the Midlands as the UK hub of automotive innovation for Plug and Play UK, and it is another step in our global programme.”
Borrett added: “However, the Midlands is only the springboard to a global innovation hub and is certainly not restricted to the area. We see the automotive industry as an important and deeply ingrained sector to the Midlands and we are excited to continue to expand across the UK.”
The programme will join other Plug and Play mobility programmes across the globe including ones based in Silicon Valley, Detroit, Stuttgart, Modena, Beijing, and Shanghai.
Found in 2006, Plug and Play is an early-stage investor and innovation platform. Previous investments made by the company include PayPal, Dropbox, Lending Club, N26 and Honey.
“This initiative will encourage collaboration and innovation to grow, bringing together UK-based automotive and mobility-related organisations, investors, and the wider ecosystem,” said Ian Constance, CEO, The Advanced Propulsion Centre.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre grants funding to organisations that are creating green transport technology and is in charge of the £1bn Automotive Transformation Fund.
Zenzic already works with Plug and Play on the CAM Scale-Up Programme, which gives companies the opportunity to test out their autonomous tech.
This follows Plug and Play’s UK launch, partnering with Jaguar and BT in April.
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