Driving the Electric Revolution

The Driving the Electric Revolution challenge has enabled 150 organisations to form 91 funded project consortia. Through £405 million in co-investment, these projects have leveraged nearly £16 for every £1 invested, playing a pivotal role in the UK’s positioning as a global leader in electrification.

About Driving the Electric Revolution

Driving the Electric Revolution aimed to accelerate electrification across sectors, positioning the UK as a leader in Power Electronics, Machines, and Drives (PEMD). Its projects facilitate future improvements in supply chain capability, productivity, capacity, quality, & efficiency, support the UK’s continued push towards net-zero goals, and green economic growth in transport, energy and industry.

To establish regional centres of excellence, the Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC) was created to drive place-based activities focused on the development, prototyping, and scaling of PEMD technologies.

Rising demand for decarbonisation through electrification has created job and talent opportunities and the Electric Revolution Skills Hub was created to address skills gaps, upskill staff and train new talent in PEMD technologies.

Developing this competency in the UK will seize the economic opportunities in the global transition to clean technologies and electrification and create growth and highly skilled jobs across the UK.

Reports

• The UKRI DER Annual Reports directory includes annual reports, in-depth reviews of the Driving the Electric Revolution challenge, case studies, and funded projects.
• Driving the Electric Revolution: Metals Technology Deep Dive Report provides industry insights into the importance of metals in the sustainable materials and semiconductor sectors.
• Driving the Electric Revolution: UK Power Semiconductors Landscape Report highlights the UK’s capabilities and needs for power semiconductors.
• UK supply chain opportunity in materials for permanent magnets report reviews the rare-earth materials and magnet supply chain opportunity for the UK. To access the presentation and the report.
• Driving the Electric Revolution Engage with…Webinar Highlights reviews several of the 57 webinars hosted by Innovate UK Business Connect.
• Driving the Electric Revolution in the AgriFood sector report highlights the opportunities and challenges of electrifying the agricultural and food sectors.

Previous Events

• Innovate UK exhibited DER electrification technologies at Materials and Manufacturing Showcase 2025.
• Innovate UK showcased twenty-five organisations who received DER funding at Advanced Engineering 2024. Watch the Advanced Engineering highlights and exhibitor interviews.
• Engage with…LIVE! 2023, Birmingham, showcased the UK’s Power Electronics Machines and Drives (PEMD) industry technologies that support the push towards a net zero carbon economy.
• Engage with…LIVE! 2022, Sheffield, enabled organisations to network and discuss opportunities to boost electrification and adoption of clean technologies. View event highlights and watch event presentations.
• Driving the Electric Revolution’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webinar series in 2022 addressed the challenges and opportunities in ED&I within the Power Electronics, Machines, and Drives sector.

Engage With… Electrifying Interviews

The electrifying interviews feature insights from specialist organisations about their PEMD systems, technologies, and manufacturing. Additional interviews with McLaren Applied employees provide insights about their work and career journeys – demonstrating that PEMD is a relevant and exciting career choice.

Engage with… Webinars

Initiated at the very start of the Covid-19 pandemic, these webinars enabled PEMD organisations to continue meeting, engaging, and communicating. Between 2020 and 2022 fifty-seven Engage with… Webinars were attended by 3,057 people, who asked 565 questions that directly led to new business opportunities.

Historic funding competitions

• PEMD Scale-up competition, December 2022, invested up to £5 million to enable UK businesses to adopt manufacturing best-practice (Strand 1) and to scale-up manufacturing process development (Strand 2) with between £50K and £400k of funding available per project.
• Building Talent for the Future 2 competition, April 2022, invested up to £4.5 million for the creation of access to training courses, educational materials, and outreach resources through online and in-person learning to support PEMD skills and supply chains
• PEMD Skills Hub competition, December 2021, invested up to £1 million in a single project to signpost and access existing and new skills training courses that meet industry needs and encourages the community to share PEMD skills.
• Building Talent for the Future competition, September 2021, covered project costs of up to £25,000 to fund several ideas that quickly fill immediate gaps in skills, talent and training for the PEMD industry.
• Supply Chains for Net Zero competition, June 2021, invested up to £22 million in innovation projects to facilitate the UK’s niche and volume supply chain and manufacturing capability growth in PEMD.
• Catalysing Green Innovation competition, July 2020, invested up to £5 million in innovation projects to support net zero by catalysing the green economic recovery in transport, energy and industrial sectors.
• High-Volume consultation, February 2020, was a CR&D Scoping Workshop held in Derby.
• Niche manufacturing consultation, February 2020, was a CR&D Scoping Workshop held in Derby.
• The Building Regional Centres of Excellence competition, October 2019, awarded up to £30 million to build regional centres of excellence for the development, prototyping and scale-up of PEMD technologies.
• Accelerated Supply Chain Development competition, July 2019, invested up to £19million across two strands in innovation projects to develop PEMD supply chains in the UK.

Join LinkedIn group

Continue discussions into PEMD technologies via the LinkedIn Community Group.