Council seeks to address UK automotive challenges
An Automotive Council is to be set up by the government in a bid to address the long term strategic challenges facing the UK car industry.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who will jointly chair the Council with ex-Ford boss, Richard parry Jones, believes that the automotive sector will drive UK economic growth and that this can be achieved in areas such as innovation and high skilled job creation.
The Council has been established partly in response to recommendations made in a report from the New Automotive innovation and Growth Team (NAIGT) which set out its 20 year vision for the automotive sector.
Mandelson hopes that the Council will play a strategic role in building the strengths of the UK's car industry as well as developing new capabilities to compete in a competitive global market. He noted: "The Automotive Council will be an opportunity for government and industry to work together on thelong term strategic development of the sector. The car industry needs to capitalise on the economic opportunities and job creation offered by the shift to low carbon."
Parry-Jones added: "The UK must raise its game to compete for international investment in automotive R&D and manufacturing. To do that the UK's car manufacturers need an ever more strategic, collaborative relationship with the government and to be working with the supply chain and other stakeholders to achieve long term goals. I want the Council to make that happen."
The first meeting is scheduled for December 2009.