Centralised design centre for both JLR marques
WORK has started on a £200 million Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) design and engineering centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire.
The new campus will see both Jaguar and Land Rover marques designed there.
The company said it was the first major construction project at one its non-manufacturing sites in over a decade.
JLR’s property programmes developer Chris Elliott said: “The new design and engineering centre is a testament both to Jaguar Land Rov- er’s British heritage of innovation and its compelling vision for future vehicle technology.
“The new space will centralise our design, product engineering and purchasing functions in an original and modern environment, as well as creating additional capacity for the future.”
JLR worked with leading architectural practice Bennetts Associates to design the scheme and engaged Laing O’Rourke to build it.
In recent years JLR has invested heavily in its UK vehicle manufacturing facilities at Castle Bromwich, Halewood and Solihull to support the introduction of all-new vehicles such as the Jaguar XE, XF and F-PACE, Range Rover Evoque Convertible and Land Rover Discovery Sport.
It has also made significant progress in building its international manufacturing presence over the last year, with a new manufacturing facility under construction in Slovakia and the opening of its plant in Brazil.
Over the past five years JLR has employed more than 20,000 people, taking its workforce to more than 40,000.
The company has invested more than £11 billion in new product creation and capital expenditure.