We Invite Indian Electric Vehicle Companies To Wales: Robert O'Neil, Welsh Automotive Forum

Image: Arjit Garg

In one-of-a-lifetime opportunity, I was invited to visit the Aston Martin Lagonda facility in Wales. The visit was facilitated by the Welsh Automotive Forum on request from the Department of Business and Trade, Government of UK. Accompanying us was Robert O’Neil, Chief Executive of the Welsh Automotive Forum, an independent company, incorporated in 2001 to develop a common approach in achieving sustainable continuous improvement for the Automotive Industry in Wales. The organization is supported by the Welsh Government and has many members, including Aston Martin.

"Our aim is to showcase our already well established and much recognised competence and capability with automotive manufacturing and supply chains," said Robert O’Neil. While the nearby region of Coventry houses companies like Ford, Jaguar-Land Rover, Tata, Mahindra among many others, Wales, on the other hand consists of 2 niche vehicle makers, including Aston Martin, 20 Tier 1s and 1 OE Engine Plant in the form of Toyota, with a further 100+ companies in the service and supply chain, many of which are small and medium enterprises. In total some 10,500 people in Wales are directly employed in this sector.

While Aston Martin Lagonda facility just started a couple of years, employing around 600+ people, a success story for Wales has been Toyota’s Deeside plant. The facility opened in 1993 and today produces an engine every 44 seconds. It is the first Toyota plant outside of Japan to produce hybrid electric engines. However, the region has now opened itself to focus on Net Zero Mobility, inviting OEMs and parts makers in the EV segment.

“We would welcome companies to liaise with us if they currently supply the market or have the capability to change their process and participate in future net zero mobility supply chain solutions” said Robert O’Neil. “What Wales offer is supply chain competence and capability with a new exciting compound semi-conductor cluster that will support future net zero mobility solutions,” he added.

First Covid-19, then Global shipping crisis and now the Ukraine-Russia situation led to a shortage of the semi-conductors, that has been a challenge for the sector. This also proves that various countries need their own supply chain for seamless auto production. “Wales has an attractive and competitive ecosystem that supports organisations and their local supply chains with proven collaborations between academia, R&D, government support working in tandem to harness competitive supply chains,” said Robert.

Concluding our Aston Martin plant visit, Robert O’Neil said "Wales already has a well-established and much recognised automotive supply chain and the centre of excellence around compound semi-conductors as well as new start-ups supporting net zero mobility make Wales an exciting location supporting sector transition”.