Jaguar Land Rover has started construction of its new manufacturing facility in Slovakia. The ground breaking ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Robert Fico and Andy Garth, UK Ambassador to Slovakia.

Jaguar Land Rover continues to lead the automotive industry in the development of advanced lightweight technologies. The new 300,000m² factory will be at the forefront of aluminium manufacturing and engineering expertise in Slovakia. It will manufacture a range of all-new aluminium Jaguar Land Rover vehicles, supporting the company's on-going commitment to deliver high-tech lightweight cars to its customers.

The £1 billion plant will have an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles and the first cars are expected to come off the production line in late 2018. It incorporates cutting-edge current manufacturing technologies and it is the first in Europe to use Kuka's Pulse carrier system which is 30% faster than conventional conveyance systems. It will also feature a highly automated paint shop process to ensure the highest quality and to minimise the environmental impact. Looking to the future, the factory has been designed with the flexibility to enable smart, connected manufacturing technologies which will support improved process efficiency, delivery and quality.

The plant will include a range of environmental measures, such as water saving devices and heat recovery systems, to ensure sustainable and efficient operations. When fully operational, the plant will employ 2,800 people and wide scale recruitment will start towards the end of 2017.

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