Ricardo has announced that it is to construct a new £10m (US$16m) research and training facility at the company’s Shoreham Technical Centre and headquarters. The Ricardo Vehicle Emissions Research Centre (VERC) will help facilitate the company’s development of the next-generation of clean, low-carbon vehicles. The development of the Ricardo VERC has been selected for part-funding under the £1.05bn third round of the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund.
The VERC will be capable of researching and developing emission reduction technologies and incorporating these technologies into hybridised, 4-wheel drive, and advanced technology vehicles.
Ricardo UK Ltd managing director Martin Fausset commented: “Ricardo is a world leader in the development of the type of clean, low carbon automotive technology that will enable the next generation of road vehicles to have lower emissions and be more fuel efficient than ever before. The award of funding for the development of our state of the art Vehicle Emission Research Centre under the UK Government Regional Growth Fund will enable Ricardo to continue to lead the world’s auto industry in this vital area and in doing so create and sustain high quality employment opportunities in this nationally important sector, many of such jobs being in support of export customers.”
