East Midlands Mayor highlights role of advanced manufacturing in regional growth during Toyota site visit

Credit: Onclusive News

The Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, has visited Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston plant to see first-hand the advanced manufacturing taking place on site, the skilled jobs it supports, and its potential role in the region’s transition to a more circular, low-carbon economy.

During the visit, the Mayor met with Toyota employees and leadership to better understand the scale of operations at Burnaston and the technologies being deployed. She also saw how established manufacturers can continue to create high-quality employment while reducing their environmental impact.

The visit forms part of the Mayor’s wider engagement with major employers across the region to understand how existing industrial strengths can be supported to grow, innovate and create long-term, high-quality employment, and follows her recent regional delegation she led to Japan.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said: “Advanced manufacturing is a cornerstone of the East Midlands economy, and Toyota’s Burnaston plant shows what that looks like at its best – skilled jobs, world-class production and a clear commitment to the future. This is exactly the kind of business we want to see thriving in our region.

“It was good to meet the workforce and see how innovation and sustainability are being built into everyday operations. Supporting employers who are cutting carbon while creating secure, high-quality jobs is central to my ambition to help more people in the region access good jobs, stay in work, and earn more.

“By working with companies like Toyota and partners such as East Midlands Freeport, we can build on our strengths and unlock new opportunities for growth. Exploring the potential of sites like East Midlands Intermodal Park is about making sure our region continues to attract investment, deliver for local communities and remain competitive for decades to come.”

Toyota Manufacturing UK’s Burnaston plant employs more than 2,400 people and plays a significant role in the UK’s automotive supply chain. Activity at the site demonstrates how advanced manufacturing can support productivity, skills development and supply-chain resilience while contributing to national net zero goals.

Alongside the visit, East Midlands Freeport and Toyota Manufacturing UK have agreed to explore potential future opportunities at East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP), adjacent to the Burnaston site.

Discussions will focus on understanding how rail-connected logistics, low-carbon infrastructure and supply-chain innovation could support regional growth objectives, while aligning with Toyota’s global sustainability ambitions.

Dariusz Mikolajczak, Managing Director of Toyota Manufacturing UK, said: “Burnaston is a key part of Toyota’s European and UK manufacturing footprint and a major employer in the East Midlands. We are proud of the work our people do here every day to improve quality, sustainability, and efficiency.

“Engagement with the Mayor and regional partners provides an opportunity to share insight into our operations and explore how collaboration can support skills, innovation and the transition towards a more circular manufacturing model over the long term.”

The EMIP site, owned by Etwall Land Ltd and being promoted by their development partner Goodman, sits beside the A50 near Etwall, Derbyshire, within easy reach of 85 per cent of the UK population in four hours. It has the potential to be directly connected to road, rail, and will benefit from its proximity to the UK’s busiest express-air-freight hub at East Midlands Airport. It has an estimated gross development value of £1 billion and has the potential to support advanced manufacturing and logistics activity, subject to the delivery of enabling infrastructure.

Tom Newman-Taylor, Chief Executive of East Midlands Freeport, said: “East Midlands Freeport exists to help create the right conditions for businesses across the region to thrive – through infrastructure, skills and clean growth.

“Engagement with established employers like Toyota helps inform how strategic sites such as EMIP could support wider regional ambitions, while remaining focused on long-term economic benefit for local communities.”

The East Midlands Freeport programme as a whole is forecast to deliver up to 28,000 direct jobs, £9 billion in economic value and more than £1 billion in retained business rates for reinvestment in local skills and infrastructure over the coming decades.