Automotive & Future Mobility
The beating heart of the UK’s automotive heartland.
Staffordshire companies plug directly into an ecosystem of OEMs and Tier 1s across the Midlands and North West – JLR, Toyota, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Alstom, ABB, Aston Martin and more are within short reach – reducing supply risk and unlocking collaborative NPI.
Key numbers
1,457 companies
51,000 jobs in the Midlands automotive cluster; 38% of UK auto FDI (2017–21)
UK automotive
£93bn turnover; 813,000 employed across the wider sector (2023/24)
Corridor upgrades
modelled to support 17,000+ jobs and £12bn GVA (long term)
A cluster with national weight
The Midlands automotive cluster comprises 1,457 companies, supporting 51,000 jobs – 25% of the UK’s automotive workforce – and has captured 38% of UK automotive FDI capex (2017–21). That scale is reflected in R&D assets like UKBIC, WMG, MIRA Technology Park and a network of propulsion, autonomy and lightweighting programmes.
Engineered for electrification and autonomy
From drivetrain suppliers and power electronics to ADAS, HMI and digital twins, Staffordshire’s firms are building next gen systems for net zero mobility. Nationally, the UK auto sector employs around 813,000 people across manufacturing and the wider value chain, with £93bn turnover and robust 2024 outputs in cars, CVs and engines – demand that Staffordshire suppliers serve daily.
Plant to port logistics, simplified
The A50/A500 corridor reduces east–west frictions for just in time inbound and finished goods outbound, while East Midlands Airport’s 24/7 express cargo capacity accelerates high value components and service parts. Corridor interventions are modelled to support 17,760 new jobs by 2061 and billions in incremental GVA.
Test, validate, industrialise
With i54’s large plot readiness and a skilled labour pool (1.7m workers within 30 minutes of the zone), Tier 1s can scale assembly, machining and electronics within a single travel to work geography, while tapping Keele/Staffordshire Universities for industry aligned talent.
Supply chain depth across propulsion and structures
Local anchors like Gestamp (Four Ashes), Moog, Perkins and precision SMEs deliver body in white, actuation, engine and powertrain systems to OEM programmes across the Midlands.
Hydrogen and zero emission heavy duty
JCB has invested £100m in hydrogen combustion engines, achieving EU and GB type approval for non road mobile machinery and demonstrating mobile refuelling (HyKit) for off grid operation – breakthroughs showcased at its Rocester, Staffordshire HQ. That expertise cascades into drivetrain innovation, thermal systems and field engineering talent.
The bottom line
If you design, build or service the next generation of vehicles, Staffordshire gives you OEM‑adjacent locations, test‑and‑validate partners, zero‑emission innovation and express freight that keeps your promise to customers.