Government-backed Oxford company opens 100,000 capacity clean electric motor factory

Business Secretary announces £184 million investment in next generation of scientists and engineers.

A new 100,000-unit electric motor production facility for YASA, thriving electric motor manufacturer and University of Oxford spinout, will be opened today (Thursday 1 February) by the Business Secretary Greg Clark.

An Oxford university spin-out founded in 2009, YASA has received extensive government support and investment for its development through auto programmes including the Advanced Propulsion Centre, Innovate UK and Regional Growth Fund. The company is now established as a world-leading electric motor manufacturer with 80% of its production destined for export across the world, including China.

In his speech today at the opening of the new site, which will support 150 high-skilled jobs, the Business Secretary will also announce as part of the Industrial Strategy a significant government investment of £184 million for 41 UK Universities to help train the next generation of world-class engineers and exceptional scientists at British universities. The announcement follows the launch of the government’s Year of Engineering campaign in January, a year-long campaign to tackle the engineering skills gap and widen the pool of young people who join the profession.