Jaguar Land Rover opened its newest manufacturing facility and Education Business Partnership Centre in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This marks the automaker's first wholly-owned manufacturing plant outside of the United Kingdom.

The facility, located in the city of Itatiaia, will build the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport for Brazilian customers. With environmental features such as rainwater collection and the planting of more than 1,200 indigenous trees, Jaguar Land Rover hopes to achieve LEED Gold sustainability accreditation. If successful, this will be the first automotive vehicle assembly plant in Brazil to earn such recognition.

Also on the plant property is Jaguar Land Rover's first overseas Education Business Partnership Centre, which will provide a range of classroom activities for up to 12,000 local children each year. The Centre is operated in conjunction with Brazilian national training provider SENAI to offer courses on engineering, manufacturing, and automotive business-related activities for children between ages 5 and 18.

Jaguar Land Rover has implemented a number of community programs in Brazil. Over 100 people have completed the 'Inspiring Tomorrow's Workforce' program, with 12 working at the new plant and many others working elsewhere within the automotive industry. Hundreds of local children have taken part in the company's 'Music is the Winner' and Try Rugby initiatives. Later this year, two schools in Brazil will compete in the Land Rover 4x4 in Schools Technology Challenge, which engages students with engineering disciplines.

This new facility is part of Jaguar Land Rover's global expansion strategy, following the opening of the company's Chinese joint venture factory.