Jaguar Land Rover has opened its state-of-the-art EUR1.4bn manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia
Manufacturing in Slovakia
Jaguar Land Rover currently employs around 1 500 people in Nitra, 98 percent are Slovak nationals and 30 percent are women. It will launch its second phase of local recruitment in November looking for an additional 850 people to join the world-class team in Nitra. All manufacturing employees have taken part in a bespoke 12 week training programme in the company's first overseas Training Academy, representing an investment of € 7.5 million.
Professor Dr Speth continued: "Our diverse workforce brings a wealth of experience from both automotive and broader industries. I am delighted to officially welcome our Slovak team to the Jaguar Land Rover global family today."
The new 300 000 m² facility stands at the forefront of aluminium manufacturing and engineering expertise in Slovakia, with an annual capacity of 150 000 vehicles a year. Supporting the company's on-going commitment to deliver high technology lightweight vehicles to its customers, the first Land Rover Discovery rolled off the production line in September.
The plant incorporates cutting-edge technologies and it is the first in Europe to use Kuka's Pulse carrier system which is 30 percent faster transfer times than conventional conveyance systems. It will also feature a highly automated paint shop process to ensure the highest quality and minimise the environment impact.
Looking to the future, the factory has been designed with the flexibility to enable smart, connected manufacturing technologies, such as shop floor visualisation by using real time data to solve issues which will support improved process efficiency, delivery and quality.
Slovakia has an established premium automotive sector, which represents 44 percent of the country's overall industry. With an established network of suppliers in close proximity, Jaguar Land Rover has sourced and localised a number of components, such as seats and wheels, to support production of the Land Rover Discovery in Nitra delivering several thousand additional jobs in the automotive supply chain in Slovakia.
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