Supercar manufacturer McLaren Automotive (Woking / UK; www.mclaren.com) has inaugurated its GBP 50m (EUR 57m) composites technology centre. The centre is located near Sheffield, where, from 2019, it will start producing carbon fibre tubs for the firm’s supercars assembled in its Woking facility.

The new centre is McLaren’s second manufacturing unit and the first to be located away from its Woking base. More than 40 McLaren staff already work in Sheffield, at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (Sheffield; www.amrc.co.uk) based at the city’s university. Once it is fully operational, McLaren’s composite technology centre will employ 200 staff.

Mike McFlewitt, McLaren Automotive’s chief executive, described the inauguration ceremony “as an important and exciting milestone.” It marked what he said was the continuing development of the current 2,100-strong company, a move that would bring new jobs to the Sheffield region, “which has a proud association with innovative materials; first with steel, and now a future to look forward to with carbon fibre innovation for McLaren.”

McLaren Automotive was founded eight years ago as a part of the McLaren Group, which includes the Formula 1 racing team. In 2016, it recorded a turnover of GBP 650m and a pre-tax profit of GBP 9.2m.