Progress at Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc

Scottish Enterprise partner project the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) has secured provisional agreements with three companies to locate at the site – Arcola Energy, Low Emissions Resources Global (LERG) and MEP Technologies.

MSIP, a joint venture between Michelin, Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise, is a world-class Innovation Parc in Dundee on the site of the former Michelin tyre factory, which has now ceased operations after almost half a century in the city.

The new parc will focus on sustainable mobility and low carbon energy to drive growth and diversity in the Scottish economy while addressing the global climate emergency.

Scottish Enterprise Chief Executive Steve Dunlop said: “There has never been a more crucial time to look to the future, particularly as we move out of the Covid pandemic and move forward with the climate change agenda.

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“The Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc will be a pivotal asset in the fight against the climate emergency, and Arcola Energy, LERG and MEP Technologies will play a key role in helping achieve Scotland’s ambitious net-zero emissions target.

“They will be among the employers of the future in Dundee and will help create a greener and fairer Scottish economy.

“This is testament to the exceptional facility that is being developed here at MSIP. We at Scottish Enterprise and our partners have been incredibly proud to see the plans for the parc grow over the past year and those ambitions are now becoming reality.”

Arcola Energy is a London-headquartered leading specialist in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, particularly focused on heavy vehicles applications, including refuse trucks, buses and trains. The company aims to create a new engineering, manufacturing and aftermarket facility at MSIP which will employ 30 people in the coming year, and up to 100 in the next three years.

Low Emissions Resources Global (LERG) is a chemical engineering business based in New York, focused on ground-breaking P-SOEC electrolyzer technologies to create a ‘greener tomorrow’. LERG will initially bring 10 jobs to the Innovation Parc, with the ambition to create up to an additional 15 jobs at MSIP over the next two years.

MEP Technologies, designers and manufacturers of high technology battery systems for portable industrial storage and automotive electric vehicle systems, will relocate from its existing Dundee premises to accommodate the growth of its business. It will initially bring 10 jobs to the Innovation Parc, with plans to create up to 10 new jobs at MSIP over the next two years.

The companies intend to be operational at the Innovation Parc by the end of the year.

MSIP is also in advanced discussion with several other companies in low-carbon industries which intend to locate at MSIP in the near future.

The Parc has also announced that, following an international executive recruitment process, the MSIP Board has appointed Greig Coull as the new CEO. Mr Coull is expected to start his new role in the summer.

Originally from Dundee, Mr Coull has held several senior executive roles in Michelin including at their HQ in France and brings extensive leadership and commercial experience across manufacturing, marketing and building strategic alliances.

As Greig takes over the reins from the interim CEO John Reid, further appointments have been made to build the MSIP team to manage the Innovation Parc going forward, to support current, future and prospective tenant companies and also the development of the Skills Academy and Innovation Centre. These roles include the management team, finance, operations, health and safety, marketing and communications as well as operational security team and resources to support the Skills Academy.

In total 20 new jobs have been created to form the MSIP Team, and 15 of these appointments are from ex Michelin Dundee employees.

John Reid said: “At Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc we want to attract companies that are innovative and leading the way in sustainable mobility and low carbon energy, to develop new products and processes that will tackle the climate emergency head on.

“These companies – Arcola Energy, MEP Technologies and LERG – show a real mix of MSIP’s focus. They have chosen to locate at MSIP because of the great offer we have. It’s exciting news and an excellent start at building a world class Innovation Parc and creating hundreds of jobs in Dundee.”

These companies, operating across fuel cell technologies, conversion of vehicles to electric drive trains, and renewable energy, could create an additional 200 jobs at the Parc within the next 12 months.

AMTE Power, a London-headquartered battery manufacturer has also talked publicly of its intention to open a large site, creating up to 300 jobs, at either MSIP or one other preferred site.

Plans are progressing well to further develop MSIP’s Skills Academy and Innovation Centre, with infrastructure work scheduled to start in the next few weeks.

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Ever since the closure of Michelin Dundee was announced in November 2018, we have worked collaboratively with Michelin and partners to secure a long-lasting future for the city’s skilled workforce, and for its innovation and manufacturing heritage. That legacy – Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc – is taking another and significant step forward with the announcement of its first three tenants, each one an exciting venture that uphold the core values of the vision for the site. I am also pleased that Greig Coull has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of MSIP. Greig brings a wealth of manufacturing experience and, having worked at Michelin Dundee at the beginning of his career, will, I have no doubt, drive forward these values.

“Covid-19 has been an unprecedented global crisis which has fundamentally changed every aspect of our lives, but it has also presented us with an opportunity to re-imagine the Scotland around us, and to begin building a greener, fairer and more equal society and economy. Today’s announcement takes the Innovation Parc a step closer to realising its potential and helping to drive our green recovery from Covid-19 and on to becoming a net-zero society.”

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