John Poli to the post
The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) appointsJohn Poli to the post of Manufacturing Operations Director
The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) has appointed John Poli to the post of Manufacturing Operations Director.
John is responsible for the facility’s manufacturing capability and is part of UKBIC’s Executive team, reporting to the Managing Director, Jeff Pratt. Before joining UKBIC, John ran his own engineering consultancy, specialising in manufacturing engineering. Prior to that he was Jaguar Land Rover’s Power Train Manufacturing Engineering Director, responsible for global engine, electric drive and battery manufacturing.
John had a 30-year career at JLR, eventually leading the team that created production systems and advanced technologies to enable electric propulsion. John Poli, UKBIC Manufacturing Operations Director, said: “I’m delighted to be joining UKBIC at this exciting time, helping to accelerate electrification in the UK and beyond.
To be at the cutting edge of battery development is something I’m excited about and one of the key reasons I wanted to join UKBIC.” Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “It’s great to have John join our growing team, helping UKBIC to play a key role in developing and stimulating the race to a greener future.
John’s knowledge and experience will be a great asset to the business.” UKBIC is a £130 million 20,000 square metre pioneering battery manufacturing development facility, which provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.
The facility was opened last year by the Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, the Prime Minister.
About UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)
The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is a pioneering concept in the race to develop battery technology for the transition to a greener future.
The unique battery manufacturing development facility provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production.
Based in Coventry, the publicly-funded battery product development facility welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation with existing or new battery technology – if that technology will bring green jobs and prosperity to the UK.
In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation, UKBIC is also part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority.
The project has been delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick.
UKBIC was created in 2018 following a competition led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK.
