Northern Irish zero emissions bus manufacturer Wrightbus is investing £25m to develop clean transport technology across the UK.
The company said the research and development project would bring skilled jobs and vital transport infrastructure to Northern Ireland and the wider UK.
The investment includes £10m to develop efficient electric buses, £5m to develop hydrogen-powered coaches, £5m for product validation across the UK and £5m for vehicle monitoring systems to collect real-time performance data.
“The research projects we’re currently funding, including the development of our hydrogen coach, the further enhancement of the world-leading Electroliner bus, and our telematics system, will allow us to continue to push zero-emission transport boundaries and represents a huge boost for manufacturing in Northern Ireland and the wider UK,” said Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales.
The venture was unveiled as part of a visit to the Ballymena-based group from Technology Secretary Peter Kyle.
“Investing in innovation is central to our Plan for Change, but public investment alone is not enough to ensure British businesses remain at the cutting edge of global industries,” said Kyle.
“Wrightbus’ investment will not only boost growth in Northern Ireland. It will help to accelerate the UK’s transition to net zero and our mission to become a clean energy superpower while keeping our economy competitive on the global stage.”
In 2023, Wrightbus received Innovate UK funding as part of a £50m package backing transport technology.
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