But Michelin remained involved, and together with Scottish Enterprise and Dundee City Council, it has worked on developing a 32-hectare site that aims to generate economic growth, impact the local supply chain and support innovation as Scotland progresses to net zero.
Phase one of the £25 million project is already complete, and by the time the site has been entirely transformed, several large industrial units will be complemented by an Innovation Campus. Thirteen tenants are already in situ, with more companies on the way, including potentially AMTE Power, which has identified MSIP as the preferred site for a ‘MegaFactory’ that could produce more than 25,000 battery cells a day, creating 215 on-site jobs and another 800 in the wider supply chain.
Greig Coull, CEO of MSIP, told Autocar: “We are fast becoming a hub in Scotland where industry can thrive, underpinning the growth of existing and new businesses and developing new technology and skills provision, all of which will support in the delivery of a just transition to net zero in Scotland.”
Scottish Enterprise has been heavily involved elsewhere, too. It has provided support for Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) – the bus manufacturer based in Larbert, near Falkirk, which is one of the “global leaders” highlighted in NSET. ADL’s single-deckers and double-deckers lead the market in the UK and have been developed using batteries and tech from Chinese giant BYD. In 2021, ADL also announced plans for a new-generation hydrogen double-decker.
Another groundbreaker that has benefited from Scottish Enterprise backing – to the tune of a £500,000 grant – is Emergency One (E1), which, from its base in Cumnock, East Ayrshire, launched the world’s first electric fire engine in 2020. The innovative E1 EV0 uses battery power for its engine and water hose pump, and marked a significant breakthrough for the company, the UK’s largest manufacturer of specialist fire and rescue service vehicles and equipment.
While these are some way removed from the mass-production passenger cars that Scotland once boasted, they do serve as useful reminders of the technological expertise the country is capable of and the backing that can be available. The hope, in the long term, is that these successes are noted by those in the EV industry and investment follows.