2,000 jobs generated with technology hub
MIRA, the engineering and research company based in Leicestershire, has announced a ten-year, £250m business plan which could create up to 2,000 jobs in the region. The plan’s focus is the development of a new Engineering Centre and an improved Technology Park within the company’s existing 750 acre site.
The £250m investment will “lay the foundations for growth over the next 30 years”, said the company.
The company currently employs 450 people at its base near Hinckley.
Commercial director of MIRA Technology Park, Terry Spall, said: “Whilst our work is at the cutting edge of what is possible using technology, we have many buildings, including our main office block, that date back to the 1950s and despite improvements over the years they are environmentally inefficient and far from ideal.
“We have achieved 30 per cent growth over the past year, recruited 70 new staff and our current Technology Park - which is home to 32 world-class companies - has reached capacity. We are now in danger of missing business opportunities as a result, which places a serious constraint on our ability to grow further.”
The company will build environmentally sustainable office space and workshops, as well as an adjacent business campus which it says “could attract more high-quality companies to the site and generate jobs requiring a variety of skill levels”.
MIRA said it has now entered into discussions with partners, including Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and local residents to refine its plans before seeking planning permission.
Additional plans for the area include cycle paths and sports facilities which would be accessible to the community, as well as additional lakes and trees.
Councillor Stuart Bray, Leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, said: “MIRA’s plans represent a huge boost for jobs in Hinckley and Bosworth borough as well as being really good news for the regional economy too.
MIRA’s commitment to expand their operations in this area show a great vote of confidence in their existing workforce and the potential of people who live in this area, recognising their contribution towards making MIRA a world-leader in advanced engineering.”
