Jeff Pratt has been appointed managing director of the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC), which is part of the Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge — a £246 million commitment over the next four years on battery development for the automotive sector.

A national competition to establish a new UK facility was won by a joint bid from WMG (at the University of Warwick), Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and Coventry City Council.

The UKBIC (www.ukbic.co.uk) will develop the processes to make the UK a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of batteries through collaborative R&D between industry and academia.

It will see the development of the next generation of battery systems in terms of battery chemistry, electrodes, cell design, module and pack level. It is due to open in 2020.

Mr Pratt is currently general manager of Nissan’s lithium-ion battery plant in Sunderland and will take up his role as managing director of UKBIC in June.

He joined Nissan in 1987 and has held various management positions at Sunderland, including paint shop engineering manager between 2001 and 2006 and trim and chassis engineering manager between 2006 and 2009.

He moved to the Li battery plant in 2009 and had overall responsibility for the construction, commissioning and operation of Nissan’s UK battery business.

He said: “I feel privileged to be appointed to lead the introduction of the UKBIC. The automotive industry is undergoing huge change with electrification.

“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.”