Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced the opening of three new engineering hubs in Germany, Italy and Spain. The hubs will focus on developing next-generation autonomous technologies, creating nearly 100 new jobs in the process.
The new roles will be dedicated to developing driver assistance systems and artificial intelligence (AI) for self-driving cars of the future. The move comes as part of JLR’s digital transformation and global recruitment drive, which aims to stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving automotive industry.
The three new engineering hubs add to JLR’s existing tech hubs in the USA, Hungary, Ireland, the UK, China and India. This move marks the next phase in the company’s digital transformation, as it continues to expand its global footprint and invest in cutting-edge technology.
Partnership
The new technology hubs are part of a strategic partnership with NVIDIA, provider of AI computing technology. The collaboration aims to accelerate the development of self-driving cars and the infrastructure needed to support them.
This latest move by JLR comes as the big tech industry downsizes, with many companies cutting jobs and reducing investment. However, JLR is taking a different approach, investing heavily in its digital transformation and creating new jobs in the process.
Autonomous technologies
“This investment in our engineering hubs in Germany, Italy and Spain is a clear demonstration of our commitment to the future of the automotive industry and our global expansion plans,” said JLR CEO, Thierry Bolloré. “We are proud to be working with NVIDIA to create the next generation of autonomous technologies and drive innovation in this exciting field.”
Jaguar Land Rover has also announced plans to transform its Halewood plant in the UK to solely produce electric vehicles (EVs), as well as making its new generation of midsize SUV architecture fully electric. The Halewood factory will switch to producing EVs in the coming years, in line with JLR’s strategy to position itself as a maker of modern luxury vehicles, with a commitment to becoming net zero carbon by 2039. The firm’s EMA platform will be fully electric, and the first model from this range is scheduled for launch in 2025. JLR will also be launching a fully electric Range Rover in 2024.
