LONDON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has pledged to invest 28 million pounds (35.9 million U.S. dollars) in a research project aimed at developing cutting-edge electric car batteries.

Andrew Stephenson, minister for business and industry, said on Thursday that the new investment will be used in the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).

The investment, part of the UK's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, will also cover practical training to improve employee skills in battery manufacturing.

Stephenson said that "driven by the potential of fast-paced development of battery technology, this investment puts the UK -- among a handful of countries around the world -- on the next step to meet the challenge by the future of mobility.

"Our investment ... in this new facility will support the UK's world-leading automotive industry to compete internationally, attract further investment and establish supply chains for new electric vehicle battery design and development," he said.

Jeff Pratt, managing director of UKBIC, commented that "It is fantastic to see construction starting and we are looking forward to working with all our partners on this project, which will have huge significance on the next generation of battery systems."