Coventry's Contribution to Transportation - Essay Example

? Coventry's contribution to transportation Part Overview Coventry is home to distinguished and world renowned car brands produced by British based firms. The brands manufacture a variety of respected and desirable car models for the world market. Coventry got to be the British cycle and motor industry’s birthplace. The city has got over 100 years of automotive history (Tom & David 2000, p. 18). Major car brands such as Jaguar, Rover, London Taxi International and Triumph became manufactured in Coventry. The automotive industry in the United Kingdom- UK dates back to the end of the 19th century. During the 1950’s, the car manufacturing industry in the UK became the second largest in the globe falling behind to the United States (NAIGT 2008, p.89). At the time, the UK was the largest exporter of cars. In the decades following the 1950’s, the industry faced greater competition from other car manufacturing nations such as France, Japan and Germany. This led to a fall in growth of the industry. By 2008, statistics showing the production of cars by volume ranked the UK as the 12th largest car manufacturer. As competition in car making rose during after 1950, so too did the number of foreign car manufactures rise in the country (Tom, Jason & Clive 2012, p. 54). Companies such as BMW, TATA, and Volkswagen Group invaded the industry. Foreign company groups also claim a large percentage of ownership in traditional British car brands such as Rover, Triumph and Riley (Wells 2010, p. 103). Below is a picture of a Triumph Dolomite sprint car that got manufactured between 1973 and 1980; The Coventry motor industry has experienced innovations and inventions over the years as it faces competition and pressures from the market. The industry has invested heavily in modular design and technology in response to other competing automotive firms in other countries (Tom, Jason & Clive 2012, p. 13). The industry has embraced highly skilled workforces in production of its car brands. Production has also shifted to embrace technologies that reduce car emissions such as carbon IV oxide and its components. The development of a highly integrated industrial system that is efficient in massive scale, logistics and global trade gets to offer customers worldwide with unprecedented value and accessibility (NAIGT 2008, p.15). This becomes possible through the industry’s extremely sophisticated systems integration skills. The industry has also seen massive technological progress since its inception. The industry has incorporated vital features to ensure vehicle safety (Tom & David 2000, p. 118). Technological progress has also seen the industry focus on issues such as fuel economy, environmental impact, comfort, performance and versatility. Technology and modern management skills have led to transformation of the industry through cutting edge design analysis, lightweight materials, extension of digital control to enable most car functions. Coventry has recently assisted in developing cars that embrace green technology such as electric cars and hydrogen powered vehicles (NAIGT 2008, p.65). The image below represents the technological advancements in green technology by the industry; Part 2: Report One sector that makes up the Coventry automotive industry gets to be research and development- R&D. the efforts of Coventry’s R&D get geared towards a technology roadmap that makes use of relevant resources to build cars that meet the consumers’ demands and environmental demands. This paper will analyze the R&D segment of Coventry’s automotive industry to determine its strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Success of the industry’s R&D will ensure that the industry remains competitive and relevant in the current global automotive industries (NAIGT 2008, p.59). The current global targets in transport aim towards decarbonizing the system by 2050, improving vehicle performance, safety and designs. R&D expenditures represent key information on the sustainability of an industry. The R& D represent an industry’s inventiveness and its ability to remain competitive in the future. R&D points to the amount earned by Coventry’s automotive industry that gets reinvested back in the industry (Tom, Jason & Clive 2012, p. 24). Investment in R&D by the Coventry automotive industry shows that firms that make up the industry are working towards making vehicles more efficient. The advancing levels of technology and increased demands of society combined with the global marketplace have made R&D get more complex. R&D programmes get geared towards producing competent results for the industry (Tom & David 2000, p. 118). The R&D industry in Coventry gets to focus on enhancing powertrains and alternative fuel sources for vehicles. R&D also focuses on using suitable materials and appropriate processes for manufacturing automotives. R&D gets interested in the electrification of vehicles. Strengths of Coventry’s R&D Coventry’s automotive industry gets made up of premium automotive brands such as Jaguar, Rover and Triumph. Existence of such automotive makers in the industry allows for the development of a stronger R&D in the industry (NAIGT 2008, p.19). This is so since these brands are always in competition to produce more efficient vehicles and this involves setting up strong R&D departments for their success. The automotive makers in Coventry also generate considerable revenue, which gets invested back in the industry for R&D. Presence of research institutions that provide skilled labor also enhances Coventry’s R&D. Coventry University offers courses that range from automotive designs to engineering, and this helps in the growth of R&D in the city as graduates get employed within the city’s automotive industry. Such institutions also provide facilities for training and research for the automotive makers R&D (Tom, Jason & Clive 2012, p. 30). Weaknesses There is a lack of coordinated collaboration among manufactures in the industry. Most firms making up the industry are competing and thus engage in little sharing of ideas. This results to a setback for the industry as the R&D faces spurred growth thus causing the industry to lag behind in the global automotive market (Tom & David 2000, p. 88). Lack of an adequate supply base. The automotive industry in Coventry has experienced bumps through its history that led to a reduction in production after 1980s. This led to some production firms shutting down and subsequently causing suppliers to pull out. For efficient R&D, the industry requires sufficient and consistent supply of resources. Currently, the industry has to rely on foreign R&D (NAIGT 2008, p.18). Opportunities The availability of technology provides an opportunity for Coventry’s automotive industry to develop its R&D. Modern technology is available for the automakers in Coventry to undertake R&D. Efficient R&D ensures that efficient vehicles get manufactured towards meeting global demands. The automotive industry in Coventry should take advantage of the government’s recognition of R&D as an area of investment (Tom, Jason & Clive 2012, p. 20). The government’s backing of R&D provides a window for growth within the industry. There is also an opportunity for the industry’s R&D if the manufactures get to collaborate. This may lead to greater advancements in R&D for the industry. Threats Foreign automotive industries R&D provide a threat for the Coventry automotive industry (NAIGT 2008, p.16). Automotive industries in the other car making countries such as Japan, France and the US have made greater strides in R&D, and this may render Coventry’s R&D efforts behind. Bibliography David Thoms, T. D., 2000. The Coventry motor industry:birth to renaissance? London: Ashgate. Team, N. a., 2008. An independent report on the future of the automotive industry in the UK. 1-122. Tom Donelly, J. B., 2012. The west midlands automotive industry:the road downhill. Surge:Applied Research centre sustainable regeneration, 1-32. Wells, P. E., 2010. The Automotive Industry in an Era of Eco-Austerity:. New York: Edward Elgar Publishing. Read More