The Volkswagen Group and CGI, one of the world’s largest business and IT consulting firms, announce the deepening of their global collaboration. This move strengthens the Volkswagen Group’s long-term capabilities to further expand a powerful IT infrastructure for the future. As part of their joint efforts, both partners have launched the new entity MARV1N (pronounced “Marvin”) which will act as an international development unit for Group-wide digitalisation projects and support the developers at Volkswagen. With these additional resources, the Volkswagen Group plans to develop new IT systems faster and more efficiently. The Volkswagen Group is advancing the modernisation of…

Ferrari North Europe is celebrating another successful National Apprenticeship Week after more than 200 young people visited Official Ferrari Dealerships across the UK to gain insight into careers with the Prancing Horse. Throughout the week, Ferrari Dealers opened their doors to showcase the opportunities available through the Ferrari Apprenticeship Programme, now in its 15th year. Attendees were given exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Ferrari workshops and showrooms, where they discovered what it takes to work with one of the world’s most prestigious automotive brands. Guests had the chance to meet both current apprentices and graduates of the programme, who shared their…

Veolia, in partnership with Solihull Council, is launching a third round of funding through the Solihull Community Environment Fund on 17 February with £20,000 available to support local eco-projects, clubs and communities. The Solihull Community Environment Fund, previously known as the Community Improvement Fund, has supported 13 projects since 2023, and is now back with its largest pot yet. The fund is open to community groups, parks groups and clubs that are looking to improve their local areas. Constituted groups and clubs in Solihull can apply for up to £2,000 to support projects that benefit the local community and the…

XPENG, a Chinese-born global-orientated high-tech automotive company, announces its official entry to the UK and kicks off the pre-sale of its first right-hand drive model. The ultra-smart all-electric mid-size coupe SUV, XPENG G6, marks a new milestone in one of the world’s biggest automotive and EV markets. UK a key milestone in XPENG’s global journey “Our launch in the UK, in partnership with International Motors Ltd (IML), marks a significant step in XPENG’s European and global expansion,” said Dr. Brian Gu, Vice Chairman and President of XPENG. “We are excited to bring a new era of smarter, more sustainable mobility…

Due to essential works to enable the continued development of the HS2 High-speed rail line, it is unfortunately necessary to close public access to the Household Waste Recycling Centre (tip) at Bickenhill for seven days. The site will be closed from 6am on Monday 24 February and will re-open at 6am on Monday 3 March. Unfortunately the council cannot allow access to the site during the closure, but residents can book bulky items via the chargeable bulky waste collection service. There is also a free, bookable collection service for small electrical items, paint and textiles . For more information see…

EasyPark Group, a leading provider of digital parking and mobility solutions, completes its strategic acquisition of Parkopedia, a global leader in connected car services and mobility data aggregation. Together, this acquisition creates a seamless, end-to-end driver experience, built on highly accurate and complete data, and unparalleled global payment capabilities. “With the addition of Parkopedia, we are making the driver journey more seamless,” said Cameron Clayton, CEO of EasyPark Group. “Parkopedia’s in-car data integration and payment technology, coupled with our digital parking solutions and on-street parking equipment, allows us to address the entire driver experience, and we are excited to share…

Work to create more ‘bee beaches’ and restore historic heathland habitats is being carried out across the West Midlands. This conservation effort is part of the Purple Horizons Nature Recovery Project, led by Natural England. The work involves using diggers to remove vegetation and create bare ground areas – known as ‘bee beaches’ – which are crucial habitats for many threatened pollinators. This project, now in its second year, has created even more bee-friendly habitats across seven sites: Shire Oak Park, Barr Beacon, Pelsall North Common, Chasewater Country Park, Brownhills Common, Wharf Lane and Muckley Corner.  The work is being…

OMODA&JAECOO has officially announced the appointment of Gary Lan as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the UK, effective immediately. In his new role, Lan will be responsible for steering the company’s operations across the United Kingdom, overseeing the expansion of the OMODA and JAECOO brands, and strengthening their presence in one of Europe’s key automotive markets. Lan’s appointment marks a crucial milestone for the company, coinciding with the official UK debut of the JAECOO brand and the start of JAECOO 7 customer deliveries at the end of January 2025. This follows closely on the heels of OMODA’s launch in September…

The leading all-electric parcel delivery company HIVED has placed an order for 11 Mercedes-Benz eActros, recently voted International Truck of the Year 2025, as it expands the UK’s only end-to-end electric delivery network, covering middle and final mile. HIVED has ordered nine eActros 600 and two eActros 400 from Mercedes-Benz Dealer partner, Motus Truck & Van. They will operate across HIVED’s nationwide middle mile network, collecting from retailer warehouses for delivery to end customers. The eActros 600 is the perfect choice for HIVED’s middle mile deliveries as its large battery capacity of over 600 kWh1 means it can travel at…

L-R Paul McCormick (Speller Metcalfe), Holly Winby (Speller Metcalfe), Cllr Adrian Andrew, Associate Leader Walsall Council, Kate Moore (Speller Metcalfe), Samuel Minett-Smith (Speller Metcalfe) and Matthew Bailey (Speller Metcalfe) Bloxwich Launchpad is a new and exciting digital skills hub in the heart of Bloxwich due to open in Spring 2025, it will be housed in the former Post Office on Market Place. The scheme is funded through the Bloxwich Town Deal and aims to improve access to digital skills support and training, as well as business support, for the people of Bloxwich. As part of the agreement with Walsall Council,…