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PRESS RELEASE
21 September 2015
For Immediate Release
SUCCESS FROM THE MIA MOTORSPORT TO DEFENCE (M2D) PROGRAMME

Following the MIA's Motorsport to Defence Supplier Showcase event at General Dynamics UK, in South Wales (July 2014), MIA member Williams Advanced Engineering has recently announced their new �17 million partnership with General Dynamics UK, on the AJAX backbone.

The MIA's M2D Initiative was created in 2007, to help motorsport companies engage with the defence industry and maximise the business opportunities which existed between them.

Over the past eight years, the MIA has worked closely with defence companies to introduce the motorsport industry to the opportunities available within the defence sector. The relationship between the two industries has enabled the defence sector to benefit from motorsport's rapid turnaround and powerful R&D capability, while Motorsport Valley� has enjoyed less seasonally-variable revenue streams.

This recent announcement further endorses the MIA's M2D programme and highlights the capability which the motorsport and high-performance industry has to offer, to not only the defence industry, but to other leading sectors, too.

Nick Wills, MIA Defence Development Director - "This is an excellent example of the agility and innovation in the motorsport industry being able to demonstrate their technical expertise across numerous disciplines".
 
Williams Advanced Engineering recently announced: "Williams Advanced Engineering is working with global defence company General Dynamics UK to bring its Formula One bred technologies and capabilities to the state of the art AJAX platform.

"Williams Advanced Engineering has been awarded a �17 million contract to design and manufacture - at its R&D facility in Grove, Oxfordshire - the AJAX Core Infrastructure Distribution System which will be fitted to 589 vehicles that are due to be delivered to the British Army through 2017-2024. This is the sophisticated power and data backbone of the platform, which will enable the distribution of power and data around the best-in-class Armoured Fighting Vehicle.

"Formula One has long used sophisticated electronic data logging to monitor and improve the performance of racing cars. With this project, Williams Advanced Engineering will be using its expertise in data analytics and systems integration to ensure that AJAX has the world's most advanced electronic architecture and can provide troops with the information needed to stay safe and perform at the highest level.

"AJAX is the replacement for the British Army's reconnaissance vehicle fleet and its six-tracked variants will provide the medium-weight core of the British Army's deployable armoured capability up to 2045.

Craig Wilson, Managing Director of Williams Advanced Engineering - "Williams Advanced Engineering has developed a strong reputation in the motorsport and automotive sectors, but we know that our unique Formula One bred capabilities in areas such as energy storage, lightweight materials, aerodynamics, and data analysis are applicable to a wider range of markets. Defence is a relevant and key industry and we are now collaborating with some of the world's leading defence companies, with this General Dynamics UK project being a prime example. The MIA and their Motorsport to Defence programme have been highly valuable in allowing us to meet with and showcase our capabilities to leading players in the defence world".

For further information on the Motorsport to Defence Initiative, please visit www.the-mia.com/Technology-Transfer/Defence/Motorsport-to-Defence.

- Ends -

For further information, please contact:
Helen Jones
Tel: 02476 692600
[Distributed by CDWrite on behalf of the Motorsport Industry Association. To unsubscribe from all CDWrite email lists, please reply with "STOP" as the subject line]

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