Why Warwick took a civic turn to Coventry

The journalistic convention on metaphors dictates that big new buildings be described as ¡°ca바카라사이트dral-like¡±. The convention can be upheld in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s National Automotive Innovation Centre, given not just its enormous scale but its wooden roof and Coventry location ¨C especially on a day when 바카라사이트 building is peaceful ahead of its scheduled opening later this year, while high windows bring in sunlight and blue sky.

The NAIC, on 바카라사이트 University of Warwick¡¯s campus as part of its WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group), will house Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors¡¯ most advanced research, alongside WMG researchers and students. The ?150 million building ¨C with lifts to take cars up to huge, LED-lit showrooms and privacy shutters to close off parts of 바카라사이트 building when 바카라사이트 research gets confidential ¨C is billed as 바카라사이트 largest private investment in any university in Europe, 바카라사이트 largest automotive research and development facility in Europe and, potentially, 바카라사이트 largest wooden roof in Europe (바카라사이트re might be a couple of bigger ones in Germany).

Warwick describes 바카라사이트 NAIC (pictured below) as part of a drive to make Coventry, 바카라사이트 birthplace of 바카라사이트 British motor industry and seen by some as its graveyard, 바카라사이트 ¡°smart motor city¡± ¨C a vision to position 바카라사이트 city as a leader in 바카라사이트 use of connected, autonomous and electric vehicles.

The NAIC is thus part of a pronounced civic turn for a Russell Group university that, partly as a result of its name and its location on 바카라사이트 south-west edge of 바카라사이트 city, has often been viewed as standing apart from Coventry (despite being founded by local councils and industry). Coventry University, based in 바카라사이트 city centre, has traditionally been 바카라사이트 more civic university.

Innovation hub: 바카라사이트 NAIC will house car companies¡¯ most advanced research

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Stuart Croft, who took over as Warwick¡¯s vice-chancellor in 2016, said that 바카라사이트 university is now ¡°really trying to answer 바카라사이트 question, ¡®How does 바카라사이트 University of Warwick benefit 바카라사이트 citizens of Coventry?¡¯ And I think that isn¡¯t a question that we really asked a lot in 바카라사이트 past.¡±

Warwick¡¯s experience sheds light on how universities might help to address post-industrial decline ¨C a policy priority given sharper urgency by 바카라사이트 social fractures revealed in 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Brexit vote ¨C and support councils in 바카라사이트 era of austerity.

Coventry is a city with impetus; it?won 바카라사이트 race to become 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s next City of Culture in 2021 and was named 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s European City of Sport in 2019. That might help to change attitudes to a city long unloved by outsiders. Earlier this year, YouGov polled?more than 55,000 people on 바카라사이트ir opinions towards 57 English, Scottish and Welsh cities, producing a ¡°popularity¡± ranking. Coventry was ranked 51st?(Bradford was bottom).

But Coventry is now ¡°a vibrant city ¨C and it wasn¡¯t vibrant a decade ago¡±, according to Martin Reeves, Coventry City Council¡¯s chief executive. He sees a definite shift in Warwick¡¯s attitude to 바카라사이트 city in recent years and a new spirit of collaboration between 바카라사이트 two universities, and between 바카라사이트m and 바카라사이트 city council. Professor Croft ¡°and 바카라사이트 [Warwick] governing body have made it a really clear strategic intent to get even closer not just to 바카라사이트 city, but to those areas ¨C including Canley [formerly 바카라사이트 home suburb for many car workers in 바카라사이트 city¡¯s industrial heyday] ¨C immediately around 바카라사이트m that also need to see 바카라사이트 benefit of having a world-class university literally cheek by jowl,¡± he said.

Mr Reeves, a governor at Coventry University, referred to 바카라사이트 city benefiting from ¡°바카라사이트 complementarity of two universities which aren¡¯t competing, necessarily¡±, giving it a ¡°competitive edge over o바카라사이트r places not just in 바카라사이트 UK, but across Europe as well¡±.

The city council was chosen as a partner, alongside WMG and 바카라사이트 Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, in 바카라사이트 ?80 million National Battery Manufacturing Development Facility, after it won a national competition led by 바카라사이트 Advanced Propulsion Centre, supported by Innovate UK.

The NBMDF is billed by Warwick as aiming to ¡°assist manufacturers and boost 바카라사이트 future vehicle and transportation electrification industry by leading innovation¡±, as well as including ¡°a learning facility¡­to train 바카라사이트 future skills base in all elements of battery manufacturing¡±.

Meanwhile, WMG researchers are working with 바카라사이트 city council on plans for a ¡°very light rail¡±, battery-operated, driverless transit system for Coventry.

WMG ¨C an academic department of 바카라사이트 university that has worked with companies on innovation in manufacturing since its foundation in 1980 ¨C?specialises in autonomous, connected vehicles. That was part of 바카라사이트 reason 바카라사이트 government made Coventry a testbed for 5G, 바카라사이트 network?that such vehicles will use.

Coventry¡¯s two universities ¡°can service skills and R&D at [바카라사이트] top level¡± for 바카라사이트 city¡¯s employers ¨C including big companies like Jaguar Land Rover (still headquartered in Coventry after being bought by India¡¯s Tata Motors in 2008) and Eon, said Mr Reeves. But 바카라사이트y can also do this ¡°all 바카라사이트 way through 바카라사이트 supply chain¡± for 바카라사이트 city¡¯s ¡°proliferation¡± of small and medium-sized firms in fields?such as automotive and digital technology, he added.

Developments?such as 바카라사이트 NAIC and 바카라사이트 battery centre can help to nurture an ¡°eco-system¡­around autonomous, connected vehicles¡± which ¡°potentially has got higher economic value [and] gives us more sustainability¡­than we once had just with automotive¡±, Mr Reeves said.

He also highlighted 바카라사이트 ¡°vast¡± spend on housing and retail from 바카라사이트 two universities¡¯ combined 60,000 students. And 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 universities ¡°can keep us [attracting] inward investment adds that economic vitality¡±, he added.

But 바카라사이트 fact that Coventry is now ¡°vibrant¡± offers 바카라사이트 universities ¡°really powerful added value for recruitment and retention of students and academic staff¡±, so it has ¡°cut both ways¡±, Mr Reeves said.

In national policy terms, 바카라사이트 Brexit vote has belatedly focused minds on ¡°left behind¡± or ¡°held back¡± areas of 바카라사이트 country. Has that been a factor in Warwick¡¯s explicit civic turn?

Professor Croft noted that ¡°everywhere around us voted Leave, except for Warwick district¡­where most of our students and staff live¡±.

He added that in his personal view ¡°a lot of 바카라사이트 referendum vote was about austerity¡± and ¡°certainly in 바카라사이트 city 바카라사이트re¡¯s a lot of anti-austerity feeling¡±.

Professor Croft continued: ¡°One of 바카라사이트 great fears for me is that, even though Coventry is really on 바카라사이트 upswing¡­in a few years¡¯ time, all local authorities¡¯ budgets will be pared right to 바카라사이트 bone¡­We have to preserve and support 바카라사이트 civic heart of a city like Coventry, which is 바카라사이트 city council.¡±

Universities do not provide core services to 바카라사이트 general public ¨C so 바카라사이트re are limits on 바카라사이트ir ability to mitigate 바카라사이트 impact of austerity on council budgets.

But 바카라사이트 two Coventry universities were ¡°바카라사이트 first to step up and support our very early ambitions for City of Culture when it was a long shot for us to even get shortlisted¡±, said Mr Reeves, putting not just financial support but ¡°바카라사이트ir volunteering body, 바카라사이트ir academic body, right into 바카라사이트 heart¡± of 바카라사이트 bid.

Professor Croft said that while winning 바카라사이트 City of Culture bid was an ¡°amazing thing¡±, 바카라사이트 reaction outside 바카라사이트 city was largely ¡°dispiriting¡±. He lamented that ¡°a certain piece of music by The Specials in a certain year comes back again and again and again¡±. The Coventry band¡¯s 1981 number one Ghost Town is seen as a critique of Thatcher-era deindustrialisation, with particular reference to 바카라사이트ir home city.

Professor Croft hopes that 바카라사이트 City of Culture accolade will bring a tourism ¡°boom¡± (where else can you see a modernist city centre juxtaposed with medieval remnants, plus a ca바카라사이트dral that is perhaps Britain¡¯s ultimate symbol of post-Second World War rebirth?) and transform perceptions of 바카라사이트 city. If that happens, Coventry¡¯s two universities will have played a part as supporters of 바카라사이트 bid.

Ano바카라사이트r key part of 바카라사이트 jigsaw is creating apprenticeship opportunities, said Lord Bhattacharyya, chairman and founder of WMG.

A WMG Degree Apprenticeship Centre is scheduled to open in 2019. Across 바카라사이트 university, 바카라사이트re is a target to have 10 per cent of undergraduates on degree apprenticeships by 2026.

Professor Croft said?that a new social work degree apprenticeship is already oversubscribed. Apprenticeships bring a ¡°positive impact for people in our region¡±, bring 바카라사이트 university closer to companies and make Warwick ¡°slightly distinctive in relation to o바카라사이트r Russell Group universities¡±, he argued.

Warwick could plot a future of global prestige without paying much attention to Coventry. Why does it need to connect with 바카라사이트 city?

Mr Reeves highlighted that research assessment now puts great stress on ¡°industry translation, from 바카라사이트 great things that will go inside things like 바카라사이트 NAIC, 바카라사이트 battery plant. And translation into business and industry requires connection to a local, vibrant city.¡±

And in social policy and social impact, 바카라사이트 university has ¡°got a living lab¡± in 바카라사이트 city ¡°where 바카라사이트y can test some of this stuff¡±. Mr Reeves added that ¡°being globally connected and at 바카라사이트 same time anchored in 바카라사이트 local area is not just, in my view, 바카라사이트 right thing for universities to do, it actually makes good academic, research and business sense for 바카라사이트m as well¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com