Swindon & Wiltshire News
£70 million IAAPS research lab to decarbonise transport opened near Bath
A new state-of-the-art engineering and innovation centre helping to decarbonise the region’s transport sector has been officially opened by the West of England’s directly elected mayor Dan Norris and chief secretary to the Treasury John Glen MP.
They opened the 13,500 sqm IAAPS building part-funded by a £10 million cash injection from Mayor Norris’ West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Located in the Bristol and Bath Science Park, which is in Emersons Green, IAPPS offers world-class expertise and the latest tech to clean up the region’s automotive and many other hard-to-electrify sectors, with things on site like specialist labs for cutting-edge research on delivering electric cars.
With transport accounting for around 44 per cent of the West’s CO2 emissions, the mayor said the research centre will help make high-polluting vehicles a thing of the past, vital to helping take the steps towards reaching net zero.
The Mayoral Combined Authority has also provided over £4 million for the site’s trailblazing hydrogen work including over £2.5 million for their Hydrogen Sustainable Transport Economy Accelerator project, including cash for kit to produce enough green hydrogen to cut their annual emissions by 84 per cent.
IAAPS was officially opened by the mayor and chief secretary who cut the ceremonial ribbon alongside professor Ian White, vice-chancellor and president of the University of Bath, professor Chris Brace, executive director of IAAPS, and others.
Dan Norris said: “Despite what some might say, getting to net zero still very much matters in the West of England, and this country. But if we are going to keep reducing our emissions at pace, we are going to need the transport sector especially to shift gear, and do more research in clean, powerful fuels like hydrogen.
“That’s why I’m proud to open this world-leading research and innovation centre, part funded by a £10 million cash injection from my Mayoral Combined Authority, which will really put rocket boosters under our plans for the West to become a zero-emission and innovation leader.
“IAAPS is a state-of-the-art facility and that’s hugely important because our region is one of the most vital areas in the world for sectors like aerospace, automotive and future technologies. It will help train up the next generation of researchers and innovators vital to help these sectors clean up and gear up for a bright, net zero future, which is absolutely vital.
“We have obviously made an important investment here – now we need to deliver, and I am very excited by this prospect, and am right behind Professor Brace and his team. It just goes to show how much of a key player our West of England region is becoming in the fight against the climate and ecological emergencies we all face.”
Chris Brace said: “IAAPS represents a strategic investment of over £70 million by the University of Bath and our funders, a testament to the profound importance of research and innovation as we move towards net zero transportation.
“But IAAPS isn’t just a facility, it is also a commitment to push technological boundaries, to develop cleaner, more efficient and safer vehicles, as well as nurture the next generation of engineers, researchers and innovators who will lead us into the future.”
And John Glen said: ““I am very proud to be at Bath University today to open this state-of-the-art research facility which will use British innovation to fuel the travel of the future.
“Research and development investment like this is vital to our future growth, which is why this Government is investing record amounts in R&D, up a third in two years.”
Once fully scaled, it is projected that IAAPS will stimulate £67m in additional R&D investment within five years of opening and drive an additional turnover of £800 million within the UK automotive sector alone, as well as contribute £221m in additional Gross Value Added for the UK economy.
Furthermore, IAAPS will support around 1,900 new jobs across the supply chain within the UK, and directly employ approximately 190 people.
Latest: MP calls West research centre ‘a true model of British innovation’
