Key appointment strengthens new national battery manufacturing facility

Jeff Pratt has been appointed Managing Director of the £80m UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), a national facility to support the UK’s industrialisation strategy for battery R&D.

The UKBIC programme, led by WMG in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (C&WLEP) and Coventry City Council, was funded by the APC as part of the Government’s £346m Faraday Battery Challenge.

The UKBIC will enable the development of next-generation battery systems across the full spectrum of R&D activities, from cell chemistry, electrodes and cell design, through to module and pack development. The facility is due to open in 2020.

Mr Pratt is currently General Manager at Nissan’s Lithium Ion Battery Plant in Sunderland and will take up his role as Managing Director of UKBIC later this month. He will be reporting to WMG Chairman, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya.

Jeff, who has a BEng (Hons) in Electrical Engineering and MEng, said: “I feel privileged and excited to be appointed to lead the introduction of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre. The UKBIC, in conjunction with the Faraday Battery Challenge, will play a pivotal role in supporting the UK’s Electric Vehicle battery industry and enhancing development growth in the UK.”