McLaren Applied Limited is a British technology company that works in conjunction with companies such as
GSK,
NHS and more. Its electronic division, McLaren Electronics, manufactures parts such as engine temperature and pressure sensors for
F1 teams.
In September 2014, Ian Rhodes replaced the founder,
Ron Dennis
Ronald Dennis CBE (born 1 June 1947) is a British businessman and Official British Business Ambassador for the United Kingdom. He is best known for his former role as owner, CEO, chairman and founder of McLaren Group. Dennis was removed from h ...
, as CEO of the company. McLaren Applied was initially known as "McLaren Composites", its main work being the manufacture of parts for the
McLaren F1
The McLaren F1 is a sports car designed and manufactured by British automobile manufacturer McLaren Automotive, McLaren Cars, and powered by the BMW S70/2 V12 engine. The original concept was conceived by Gordon Murray. Murray was able to convi ...
and
Mercedes SLR. However, it also won contracts to manufacture parts for other companies and moved into the energy industry, mainly
solar panels
A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a phot ...
. It was dissolved in 2003 and replaced with "McLaren Applied Technologies" a short while after in 2004. Under its old name as McLaren Composites, the company also produced landing equipment and solar panels for ''
Beagle 2''. In 2021 McLaren Group sold the company to
Greybull Capital.
History
The company was formed when two
McLaren Technology Group companies merged - McLaren Composites and TAG Electronics. The companies merged due to the sale of
Audiolab to
International Audio Group. TAG Electronics Holdings was the parent company of TAGMcLaren Audio (Now Audiolab) and also TAG Electronics Systems. When Audiolab was sold, the holding company TAG Electronics Holdings was scrapped and the remaining technology company merged with McLaren Composites, which both together then formed McLaren Applied Technologies.
The company name was changed again on 2 January 2020 to McLaren Applied Limited.
Business model
McLaren Applied works in three performance areas: systems, equipment, and modelling and simulation.
Clients include teams and companies in sports, health and wellness, defence, motorsports and automotive sectors.
In 2010, McLaren Applied developed systems that supported Team GB's
2012 London Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
medal bids in rowing, sailing and cycling.
McLaren Applied worked with
Specialized Bicycle Components
Specialized Bicycle Components, Inc., colloquially known as and stylized as SPECIALIZED, is an American company which designs, manufactures and markets bicycles, bicycle components and related products under the brand name "Specialized", as wel ...
to produce the Specialized S-Works+McLaren Venge racing bike, as ridden by
Mark Cavendish.
GlaxoSmithKline
GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British Multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of Gl ...
(GSK) worked with McLaren Applied on developing drugs, vaccines and medication. McLaren Applied also helps develop some household brands of GSK including
Aquafresh
Toothpaste is a gel dentifrice used in conjunction with a toothbrush to help clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene; it functions as an abrasive agent that helps to remove dental plaq ...
,
Horlicks
Horlicks is a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by founders James and William Horlick. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In the early 20th century, it was ...
,
Sensodyne,
NiQuitin and more. McLaren Applied enabled GSK's toothpaste production line at
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a market town in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in the county of Berkshire, England, on the southwestern bank of the River Thames. It had an estimated population of 70,374 and forms part of the border with southern Bu ...
to cut the time it takes to change over one toothpaste brand or flavour to another from 39 minutes to 15 minutes, resulting in the factory becoming more productive to the tune of 6.7 million tubes of toothpaste a year.
Energy
McLaren Applied handles electronics and data for the
Ekofisk
Ekofisk is an oil field in block 2/4 of the Norwegian sector of the North Sea about southwest of Stavanger. Discovered in 1969 by Phillips Petroleum Company, it remains one of the most important oil fields in the North Sea. This was the first ...
drilling plant in the North Sea. The McLaren Applied ENERGY website states: "McLaren Applied has taken its knowledge of analysing large data sets and applied it to drilling. Using real time data direct from the drilling head, the computer models developed by McLaren Applied constantly updates and provides insight that helps guide operational decision making on a day-to-day basis."
McLaren Applied also works with Wind Turbines companies and data centre companies. More well known, McLaren Applied works with IO on the design of their data centres and cooling systems for IO.
Electronics
McLaren Electronic Systems is a brand of electronic systems for racing cars created and manufactured by McLaren Applied.
The company has won multiple
Queen's Awards for Enterprise
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organizations who excel at international trade, innovation, sustainable development or promoting opportunity (through social mobility). They are the highest ...
for innovation and international trade. McLaren Applied have supplied the single
electronic control unit
An electronic control unit (ECU), also known as an electronic control module (ECM), is an embedded system in automotive electronics that controls one or more of the electrical systems or subsystems in a car or other motor vehicle.
Modern vehic ...
used in all
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...
cars since 2008, and also supply software, sensors and other components to Formula One teams. MES also supply the powertrain control system used in McLaren's Formula One race cars.
In addition to Formula One, McLaren Applied also provides the engine control units used in the
NASCAR Sprint Cup and
IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices o ...
. The two ECU's share a common base, and McLaren Applied have held the contract for IndyCar series since 2007 later 2010 as a standard ECU supplier (previously
IndyCar
INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapo ...
's ECU supplier was
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. () was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States. After having lost $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009, the company split into two independent public companies, Motorola ...
) and NASCAR Cup Series since 2012, who were also switching to
fuel injection
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All com ...
from
carburation
A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...
, had left an open choice. McLaren Applied produced the electric motor, transmission and electronics used in the
Spark-Renault SRT 01E, the car used in the inaugural
Formula E
Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, w ...
season.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mclaren Applied
McLaren Group
Engineering companies of England
Technology companies of England
2004 establishments in England
Electronics companies established in 2004
Companies based in Surrey
Woking