A £10 million research and development centre is poised for the i54 business park in the wake of Jaguar Land Rover’s decision to move there, it was revealed today.

The Technology Innovation Centre would be used by the car giant and by nearby aerospace companies like Moog, HS-Marson and Goodrich.

Wolverhampton University is behind the project, with Staffordshire University and other institutions also invited to take part.

Industry experts and university research staff would work at the new base, located on the border of Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire.

Although the plan is in the early stages, the centre could be up and running within two years to coincide with the opening of JLR’s new £355m engine plant, creating 750 jobs.

Professor Ian Stoakes, Wolverhampton’s pro vice-chancellor for research and enterprise, said today: “The arrival of the JLR engine plant is like a blessing from heaven. It is just the outcome we had hoped for.

“Given the density of aerospace companies that are all in growth at the moment, and their importance to the city and the region, we think that there will be a particular demand to help service the research and development of these companies.

“The JLR engine plant further adds to the argument that a Technology Innovation Centre on the i54 site could play a major role in serving not only the aerospace sector but also the automotive one as well.”

The innovation centre would be funded through the Government’s Technology Strategy Board, which was established to help set up regional bases for leading-edge development work.

Both the automotive and aerospace industries share a need for new materials, fresh methods to join metals and updated assembly techniques, which the new centre would help develop.