DECEMBER 2018
THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 1 FOREWORD
BY CABINET SECRETARY FOR ECONOMY & TRANSPORT, KEN SKATES AM
The South Wales economy is becoming more sophisticated and this Audit is a helpful tool to help us understand the current position and what we need to do to move forward. For example, the steels and metals industries are undergoing constant development and will need to decarbonise significantly between now and 2050, in line with the UK’s desire to reduce carbon emissions. The development of compound semiconductor applications technologies in the whole of the South Wales area is crucial for many different world In Wales we need a better understanding of industries and I am keen to see this niche expertise how research and innovation drives productivity grow into a world-leading RD&I and manufacturing and growth, so that we can support those areas region. that provide the greatest opportunity to grow our economy, create jobs and develop skills. Our Therefore, I welcome this Science and Innovation strategy, Prosperity for All and its accompanying Audit, as it helps us understand the economy of Economic Action Plan, lay the bedrock of Welsh Wales and enables us to plan for future investment. Government support on which increased prosperity, We look forward to the South Wales Crucible improved productivity and economic growth will acting as a catalyst for change in the South Wales be built. These call for a much closer alignment region. and working together of our universities, industry and public sector organisations, to drive change in the RD&I and manufacturing landscape. I see this Audit as part of the evidence base of assets in Wales, which can be exploited to achieve our Government’s priorities.
One of the aims of the South Wales Crucible Science and Innovation Audit is to inform research and innovation policy effectively for the common good, setting Wales’s strengths and opportunity clearly in the frame for future investment, in line with both the Welsh agenda and also the UK Government’s agenda, as there is significant overlap in priorities and ambitions.
2 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE JAMES DAVIES, EXECUTIVE CHAIR, INDUSTRY WALES
Ultimately, we want to continue to develop a dynamic and effective environment to support companies already established within Wales and to attract businesses that are seeking a world class location for their business. The South Wales Crucible SIA fits clearly with this ethos.
I am delighted to recommend the four key themes focused on; from continued innovation in materials to convergence of Agriculture and Food supply chain by technology, from the application of Smart The opportunity afforded to us by this Science and Manufacturing in all sectors to the prioritising of Innovation Audit (SIA) is very timely. We are about innovative Health and Care solutions. Such strategies to embark upon a revolution of disruptive markets, require the enablers of sustainable and affordable products and services, enabled by the combination energy coupled with a set of new Digital technologies and connectivity of emerging technologies that will and it is good to see such common recognition by dramatically impact our futures. It is essential that we both Academia and Industry. step forward collectively and confidently to engineer solutions that will enhance our society for common This productivity growth imperative has framed our good. This confidence must be based on the strengths SIA thinking and is reflected fully in our proposed of our knowledge and its application into effective key ambitions and activity plans. These will support and economic reality. It is, therefore, appropriate the translation of scientific excellence into innovation- that an audit of our strengths was conducted for our led growth, allowing our businesses to boost their Science and Innovation activities and then to reflect productivity, making their products and services more on the key areas that need to be addressed to achieve competitive internationally. sustainable profitable growth in the economy.
The robust and comprehensive evidence base presented in this report will allow us to make better choices and more informed prioritised investment decisions. The South Wales Crucible partnership will focus effort and resource on our specialised areas of excellence and differentiation where we can confidently and assertively lead science and innovation agendas – both for the benefit of Wales and the wider UK.
A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 3 PROFESSOR HILARY LAPPIN-SCOTT OBE, Chair of the South Wales Crucible Executive Sponsor Group, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor – Research and Innovation and Strategic Development, Swansea University
We have existing strengths across the four key thematic areas identified in this audit report, namely: steel innovation; smart manufacturing; health innovation; and agri-food tech, underpinned by digital technologies and sustainable energy. Working together, the SIA process has helped us to identify how we can best build on our existing strengths, reinforce our emerging areas of excellence and use these as a springboard to drive new productivity growth opportunities.
In my role as a champion for Women in Science I will ensure that this comprehensive audit paves This is an exciting time for Universities in Wales. the way for an inclusive programme of activity that The core University members of our Science delivers benefit for all across the region. We need and Innovation Audit (SIA) South Wales Crucible to continuously improve equality and diversity in the consortium – Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and research workforce as it is only through harnessing Swansea – recognise that we have a vital role to the skills and talent of all that we can unlock our full play in transforming the productivity performance of productivity potential. our region and we are constantly striving to make a positive difference at local, national and UK levels.
Having worked together effectively for many years, we share a common vision of transforming the Welsh economy with world-class science and innovation at its heart. This is made possible by working collaboratively with our anchor companies, SMEs, RTOs, funders and Government partners to maximise the beneficial impacts of our research expertise, specialist innovation facilities and large supply of talented students.
4 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE 6
2 OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION 10
3 STEEL INNOVATION 17
4 SMART MANUFACTURING 33
5 AGRI-FOOD TECH 49
6 HEALTH INNOVATION 66
7 ENABLING COMPETENCY: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 80
8 ENABLING COMPETENCY: DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES 86
9 CONCLUSIONS 93
Annex A: South Wales Crucible delivery structure and contributors A-1
Annex B: SIA core geography B-1
Annex C: Sector SIC code definitions C-1
Annex D: Supporting evidence D-1
Annex E: References E-1
Annex F: South Wales Crucible Innovation Assets F-1
Annex G: SIA Contributors G-1 INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE
INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE
BACKGROUND
1.1 The South Wales Crucible Science and forum for discussion and to allow the linkages Innovation Audit (SIA) report forms part of the between the themes to be identified and third wave of SIAs. As UK Government intended articulated clearly. when it launched this exciting initiative, our SIA is focused on identifying niche areas of excellence The emerging evidence was tested thoroughly which can be leveraged to maximise innovation- through an extensive programme of business and led economic growth in Wales and unlock long wider stakeholder consultation. In total, over 70 term productivity gains for the UK as a whole. organisations have contributed formally to this process and many more informally. A fine-grained analysis of our science and innovation strengths has confirmed that we have the potential to realise significant productivity INTRODUCING THE FOUR CORE growth across different technology areas and THEMES OF THE SIA… associated sectors of our economy. 1.4 Both our long-standing and emerging world-class research and innovation strengths 1.2 The South Wales Crucible SIA consortium have shaped the SIA hypotheses, which are includes world-leading universities (Swansea, focused on four core thematic capabilities of Cardiff, Bangor and Aberystwyth), research steel innovation, smart manufacturing, health centres of excellence, and internationally innovation and agri-food tech. significant firms. These themes are underpinned by two enabling The consortium is supported by the Welsh competencies of digital technologies and Government and aligns with Wales' two City sustainable energy – with the latter being Deals and the proposed Growth Deals for Mid particularly important for our steel innovation and and North Wales. Importantly, although rooted smart manufacturing agendas. in South Wales the reach of our SIA consortium extends across all of Wales, including key science and innovation assets in places as 1.5 As indicated above, our themes have not diverse as Deeside (automotive and aerospace), been considered in isolation. The evidence Bangor (energy) and Aberystwyth (agri-tech). presented throughout this SIA report points Additionally, it has strong links to significant towards a need to foster stronger linkages across sectors, clusters, universities, RTOs and science and between these areas of excellence so that parks across the wider UK and globally. we can maximise the synergies and realise our full productivity potential.
1.3 The process of developing the South Wales By doing so, we will support the UK as it embraces Crucible SIA was a highly collaborative and both the challenges and opportunities presented engaging one. Weekly meetings were held by industrial digitalisation, clean growth and an between the theme leads to provide an open ageing society.
6 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE
THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE SIA THEMATIC AREAS
STEEL INNOVATION AGRI-FOOD TECH
A global leadership position for the UK can be Accelerated process efficiency, productivity secured through the creation of a hub for steel growth and economic sustainability will be innovation by building on and expanding existing delivered through world-class research into research excellence in the South Wales region, improving primary production, specifically and investing in innovation within the UK steel through improvements in crops, animal health industry and wider supply chain. and the waste streams from the agri-food supply chain.
SMART MANUFACTURING HEALTH INNOVATION Sustainable Smart Manufacturing will bring a step change in performance for the regional Developments within data driven life-long health and wider UK economies through enhanced and mental health will be accelerated by the global competitiveness and productivity. In creation of an interconnected test bed for Wales this will be achieved through investment in innovative developments in healthcare, drawing existing capabilities and key assets in advanced on our clear and distinctive strengths in health manufacturing to accelerate convergence with informatics, neuroscience and clinical/medical digital and energy enabling technologies. This technology innovation. will deliver the most efficient and productive methods for manufacturing sustainably, creating value in new and different ways.
A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 7 INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE
…AND OUR SIA GEOGRAPHY
1.6 Stretching from the Severn Estuary to the Irish 1.9 Moreover, our partnership is confident, bold Sea, the South Wales Crucible covers the largest and outward facing, with well-developed links concentration of economic activity in Wales. to leading ecosystems elsewhere across the UK Encompassing the major urban centres of Cardiff, and internationally. We recognise fully that by Newport, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, our exploiting emerging strengths, synergies and area is home to 2.2 million people, some 1.4 opportunities, and collaborating with the best, million of whom are of working age, roughly 3% we can both accelerate our own innovation-led of the UK on both measures.1 economic growth and, at the same time, support the UK more broadly with its long-term productivity 1.7 As well as covering the key hubs of economic agenda and response to the Grand Challenges activity along the M4 corridor, our SIA geography set out in the Industrial Strategy.2 also contains significant rural areas, adding to our enviable quality of life offer. This includes 1.10 With 70,000 businesses and over a million two national parks: the Brecon Beacons; and the jobs, the South Wales economy is important Pembrokeshire Coast. to the UK.3,4 In 2016, we generated a GVA contribution of £44bn, c.3% of the UK total. 1.8 The core SIA geography (see Annex B for Importantly, we have a growing economy: since details) covers the two city-regions (Cardiff 2010, we have increased our GVA by 23% and Capital Region and Swansea Bay City Region) created 42,000 jobs, reflecting our underlying of South Wales. However, a logical and flexible academic and industrial strengths across multiple approach to defining the SIA’s spatial footprint sectors and different technology areas. has been adopted by the consortium. 1.11 As explained later, our economy is driven Therefore, each thematic area has a slightly by a combination of leading universities, research different geographic focus, which reflects centres of excellence, internationally significant functional economic areas, the distribution of firms and innovative SMEs. Four leading key science and innovation assets across Wales, universities (each with strong links to industry) plus the important flows and linkages between – Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea these. Crucially therefore, the reach of our – are members of the South Wales Crucible consortium extends to other parts of Wales, consortium, and the Compound Semiconductor including places such as Aberystwyth (agri-food Applications Catapult is also based here, whilst tech), Bangor (energy), and Deeside (steel and leading multinational firms including Tata Steel, advanced manufacturing). GE Healthcare and Ford, act as key industrial anchors.
Figure 1-1 shows the location of the key assets, which are concentrated around Cardiff and Swansea in particular.
8 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE INTRODUCTION TO THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE
Figure 1-1: Map of key science and innovation assets in the South Wales Crucible
BA OR U I ERSIT
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Source: Produced by SQW 2018. Licence 100030994. Contains OS data © Crown copyright [and database right] [2018]
1.12 Despite these well-embedded strengths, 1.13 This productivity growth imperative has South Wales suffers from a long-term productivity framed our SIA thinking and is reflected fully in gap compared to the wider UK. A review of the our proposed action ideas (these are presented latest data suggests that our performance level in the final section). (in terms of GVA per filled job) currently stands at 82% of the UK average (in 2002 it was 84% of These will support the translation of scientific the UK level). excellence into more innovation-led growth, allowing our businesses to boost their productivity We are gradually becoming less productive and make their products and services more relative to the rest of the UK and we must harness competitive internationally. our internationally significant areas of science and innovation excellence to reverse this trend Raising skills levels is also an important challenge by supporting the creation of more high value for the South Wales Crucible. jobs and in turn raising productivity.
A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 9 SECTION 2 : OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
2. OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
2.1 To provide context for the detailed theme 2.3 Table 2-2 provides some headline perspectives specific sections which form the majority of the SIA, on the strengths of our partner universities, this section examines our underpinning strengths drawing on a variety of data sources. All four in science and innovation, and the broader South institutions had at least 10% of their outputs rated Wales Crucible innovation ecosystem. as world leading in over ten ‘units of assessment’ (broadly defined subject areas) in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014. This illustrates SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH EXCELLENCE a combined breadth of excellence between the four, as well as a depth of excellence within each 2.2 The Welsh research landscape is dominated of them. These strengths are linked by three Sêr by the four South Wales Crucible university Cymru National Research Networks, which are partners. Data from Gateway to Research – discussed along with REF impact rankings in the including Research Council and Innovate UK data appropriate thematic sections below. – reveal that the four academic partners account for c.60% of the number of project participations 2.4 The REF Impact measure is a key indicator in Wales. Importantly however, there is a ‘long for the ability to raise productivity through tail’ of other research active bodies in Wales the translation of research into benefits for the with over 3,000 other organisations listed in the economy and society. All four institutions are Gateway to Research data. ranked in the top 55 in REF 2014 for research impact, with Cardiff and Swansea placing 5th Table 2-1: Research active organisations in the and 22nd respectively. South Wales Crucibleii 2.5 Data from the Higher Education Business Community Interaction survey suggest that in 2016, the four institutions’ combined income Organisation name Number of participations from collaborative research involving public Cardiff University 1161 funding was over £70m, with a further £18m in contract research income. The four institutions Swansea University 460 ‘punch above their weight’ on collaborative research income, attracting 5.5% of the UK total, Aberystwyth University 330 although our share of contract research is lower at 1.5%. Wales remains more productive than Bangor University 299 the UK average in publications per researcher in Welsh Government 28 2014, only bettered by Scotland in this indicator.
Source: SQW analysis of data compiled by Technopolis based on RCUK Gateway to Research
iiThe database appears to include multiple entries for the same organisation e.g. Biocatalyst Limited and Biocatalysts Ltd. Even accounting for this, the dominance of the partner HEIs is unchallenged. If only Innovate UK projects are counted, the four partners account for 25% of project participations.
10 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE SECTION 2 : OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
Table 2-2: Breadth and depth of research excellence, and perspectives on scale
Aberystwyth Bangor Cardiff Swansea
REF 2014: Units of assessment with at least 11 13 25 14 10% of outputs rated world leading (4*)
REF 2014: Overall GPA ranking 58 42 6 26
REF 2014: Overall Impact rating 55 41 5 22
REF 2014: Overall research power ranking 51 59 18 42
8,455 11,270 31,595 19,160 FTE students 2016/17 (% postgrad) (13%) (24%) (27%) (17%)
Collaborative research income (2015/16) £3.7m £4.8m £32.2m £30m
Contract research income (2015/16) £2.2m £5.7m £6.9m £3.3m
Times Higher Education World University 301-350 301-350 251-300 =162 (25) Ranking – Globally (and UK) (2018) (=39) (=39) (=35)
QS World University Rankings (2018) 481-490 441-450 =137 431-440
Source: SQW analysis of REF, HESA, HEBCI, Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings
The 2016 Elsevier report also confirms that 2.7 Demonstrating international significance, the close to 11% of Wales’ publications belong to Times Higher Education World University Rankings the world’s top 5% most cited publications in place all four institutions in the top 350 in the 2014. One of the key findings of the report is world (with Cardiff joint 162nd and Swansea in that Welsh research is becoming more and more the Top 300) and also in the UK top-35. Using a international. different methodology, the QS World University Rankings place all four universities in the world 2.6 Over 70,000 students were enrolled across top-500. the four HEIs in 2016/17, some 3% of the UK total. The figures for Cardiff are particularly With over 26,000 universities worldwide, this notable as it is the 10th largest HEI in the UK is a considerable achievement. Moreover, when by enrolment. Our students benefit from high population and economic resources are controlled quality teaching – the universities of Aberystwyth, for, Wales has one of the world’s highest Bangor and Swansea have been awarded concentrations of top ranked universities in Gold rating in the UK Government’s Teaching terms of population and GDP per capita. Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TEF), whilst Cardiff University has been awarded 2.8 However, as the Reid Review noted, whilst a silver rating. Over a fifth of our students are there is “unequivocal evidence that high quality postgraduates, helping to ensure a flow of highly research and innovation are present across educated people entering the workforce. Wales…Wales has a relatively small research community from which impact can be delivered.”
A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 11 SECTION 2 : OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
2.9 The other HEIs in the South Wales Crucible scholarly output than the 3.5% average across all core geography – Cardiff Metropolitan, the subject areas for the South Wales Crucible. University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and the However, at this higher level, the SciVal data University of South Wales – also play a valuable supports the REF data above in finding that we role in our innovation ecosystem, often by focusing have internationally significant research across more on applied rather than research intensive multiple subject areas, in terms of both quantity areas. Their particular strengths of relevance to and quality. our SIA themes are summarised in the sections which follow. 2.11 Overall, these data provide strong support to our agri-tech and energy strengths, whilst the INTERNATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT picture is less clear cut for health, advanced RESEARCH STRENGTHS manufacturing and steel. This is to be expected as the first two areas are broad, they cut across 2.10 International research excellence can be multiple subject boundaries, whilst the third is evidenced through Elsevier’s SciVal database. very tightly defined so does not appear in this Figure 2-1 combines two metrics: Field Weighted high level data. The following thematic sections Citation Impact (FWCI), used as a proxy for the include more granular assessments of our scientific quality of research; and percentage of Scholarly strengths, and the various centres of excellence Output, used to illustrate the quantity of research within our universities that contribute to these. output. The 16 subject areas shown all have a higher FWCI than their respective international averages, demonstrating the high quality of our research. In terms of quantity, all but four subject areas shown have a higher percentage of the UK’s
12 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE SECTION 2 : OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
Figure 2-1: Field Weighted Citation Index for South Wales Crucible HEIs in relevant subject areas
A IC T A IO O ICA SCIENCES NE OSCIENCE ENVI ON ENTA SCIENCE DENTIST EA T ANETA SCIENCES S C O O I NO O IC O IO O TIDISCI INA ATE IA S SCIENCE ENE IOC E IST ENETICS O EC A IO O AT E ATICS SICS AST ONO EN INEE IN A ACO O TO ICO O EDICINE A ACE TICS
CI S S A E O O SC O A O T T Source: SQW analysis of SciVal data
2.12 “Scientific research makes an invaluable model for leading institutions across Europe to contribution to the Welsh economy. Our universities follow’13. bring nearly half of all expenditure on research and development into Wales and account for 2.13 Welsh businesses and the Welsh over £400 million of export earnings through Government have also built capacity through EU research earnings and overseas development.”10 funding, putting Wales in a strong position to There is an opportunity to expand on this by move forward. For example, Swansea University’s attracting further income from UK Research and £450m Bay Campus is part funded by the EU. Innovation (UKRI). The 2014-2020 ERDF Programmes have an allocated investment of €2.23bn for Research Although large in aggregate, the £122m of and Innovation (R&I) for Wales,iv representing funding received by organisations in South Wales 28% of the overall Welsh ERDF programme and plus the universities of Aberystwyth and Bangor highlighting the significance of R&I for Welsh is a relatively low share of total Research Council economic development.14 Swansea University is funding over 2013-2018iii.11 Similarly, our the lead organisation for eight live projects in the organisations attracted less than 2% of Innovate 2014-20 ERDF Programme, with a total value of UK funding over the same period.12 Swansea £130m and EU funding of £80m. University successfully secured two £60m loans from the European Investment Bank to enhance 2.14 Since 2008, 142 Welsh organisations have their campuses and expand research facilities. participated in FP7 and H2020 programmes (3% The EIB have commended Swansea University of the UK total). Some 290 projects with a total as an exemplar of best practice for industry value of €1.24bn have been led from Wales, collaboration and a ‘flagship that provides a representing 0.7% of the UK total.15 Cardiff
10
A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 13 SECTION 2 : OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
University is the most significant here, having been base; 55k are employed in crop and animal involved in almost 70 H2020 projects, followed production across Wales, with an LQ of 2.8. by the Universities of Swansea, Aberystwyth, and Bangor.16 We are able to review our comparative 2.17 Specialised non-manufacturing sectors in position with reference to the H2020 participant South Wales include electricity, gas, steam and portal data.17 air conditioning supply (LQ of 1.6, 6k jobs), and public administration and defence (LQ of 1.7, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY 63K jobs). South Wales is also specialised in ORGANISATIONS (RTOS) the insurance, reinsurance and pension funding sub-sector, with 8k jobs equating to an LQ of 2.15 In addition to our university research centres, 2.6. This reflects the presence of large anchor significant RTOs also have a presence in our companies such as Admiral Group and Legal & area. These are discussed in more detail in the General Assurance Society. following sections but, in short, they include: the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult 2.18 The Office for National Statistics definition of in Cardiff; the Bangor research site of the ‘Science and Technology’ sectors provides a useful National Centre of Ecology and Hydrology; the indicator of the scale of our employment focused Swansea engineering research institute IMPACT; on science and technology activity.19 The data and the TWI Technology Centre at Port Talbot. indicate an employment of 180k in ‘science and technology’ sectors across South Wales in 2016; INNOVATION CAPABILITIES this is a major part of our economy, representing one in five jobs, a similar proportion to the UK SECTOR STRENGTHS average.20 Science and technology employment is found across our geography with particular 2.16 Manufacturing is at the heart of our concentrations around the urban centres of Cardiff economy, accounting for over 10% of all jobs in and Newport in the east, through Bridgend the South Wales Crucible.18 The manufacture of and across to Swansea and Port Talbot, see fabricated metal products is the largest sub-sector Annex D. within this – accounting for 16k jobs – and is also highly specialised relative to the UK as a whole, with a location quotient (LQv) of 1.8. Other specific areas of manufacturing specialisation include coke and refined petroleum, basic metals, and furniture (see Annex D). Key Welsh Government defined manufacturing anchor companies include Airbus, Ford and Toyota as discussed in Section 4. Although not specialised in employment terms, the 11k jobs in food manufacture make this our second largest manufacturing sub-sector. This is supported by our significant primary production
iii From 2013-18, organisations in our area attracted 0.7% of the total funding from Research Councils. iv The European regions of ‘West Wales and the Valleys’ and ‘East Wales’ both include parts of the South Wales Crucible geography, hence combined totals for Wales are presented here. v An LQ above 1 indicates that employment in the given sector in South Wales is proportionately higher (more concentrated) than employment across UK. vi The manufacture of food products has an LQ of 1.0 for South Wales, and 1.2 for the whole of Wales.
14 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE SECTION 2 : OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
BUSINESS BASE
2.19 Our business stock has grown by 16% since meaningful to present figures for all of Wales. The 2012, and businesses across Wales exported figures below are therefore indicative rather than goods and services worth £16,485m in 2017, definitive for innovation activity in South Wales: some 5% of the UK total.21 However, South Wales faces challenges in relation to business • The UK Innovation Survey reveals a mixed demography as our business density, business picture. Whilst the majority of Welsh businesses birth rate, and five year business survival rate are were innovation active between 2012-14,vii the all lower than the UK averages.22 proportion was lower than the UK average (51% v 53%). More positively, a higher proportion 2.20 Encouragingly, we perform well on of Welsh businesses were found to be either encouraging academic start-ups. There are product or process innovators compared to the almost 50 active staff start-ups from the four SWC UK average (28% v 24%), and the proportion partner universities and a further 59 active spin- who are both product and process innovators offs with some HEI ownership, 13% and 7% of the was similar to the UK average (7.1% and 7.7% respective UK totals.23 Contributing towards this, respectively). Swansea Innovations provides commercialisation support to academic staff and has supported • Business Expenditure on R&D has grown the formation of successful spin-outs including year-on-year to £435m in 2016. This represents life sciences firm Cholestenix, steel company 2% of the UK level, lower than the c.4% of UK BIPVCo, and environmental consultancy AER. businesses based in our area.25 Data indicate that this relative under-representation is a INDICATORS OF INNOVATION persistent problem. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES • Similarly, Business R&D Employment is 2.21 Recognising our international significance, large in real terms (5k jobs in 2016) but also Wales is classed as a ‘strong innovator’ at the relatively underrepresented at 2.4% of UK R&D EU level.24 However, competition in the UK is employment,26 whilst Wales has c.4% of all UK fierce as Scotland and all the English regions employment. Encouragingly, the proportional are categorised as ‘innovation leaders’, a higher share of R&D employment in Wales has grown ranking than ‘strong innovator.’ over recent years.
2.22 Further information on innovation activity in • Welsh businesses submitted over 800 the private sector is provided by three sources: R&D tax credit claims for a total of £65m the UK Innovation Survey; Business Expenditure in 2015-16. Whilst this represents 3.2% of and Employment R&D; and R&D tax credits. all UK claims, the £385m of qualifying R&D However, the first two are only available at a expenditure this was based on was lower at pan-Wales level, and whilst the third is available 1.7% of the UK total.viii for the South Wales Crucible core geography, data suppression rules mean that it is only
vii Businesses were classed as innovation active if they undertook one of the following three activities: Introduction of a new or significantly improved product (good or service) or process; Engagement in innovation projects not yet complete or abandoned; and/or New and significantly improved forms of organisation, business structures or practices and marketing concepts or strategies. viii Note that this does not represent all expenditure on R&D, just that which qualifies for R&D tax relief and has been used to make a claim.
A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 15 SECTION 2 : OUR KEY STRENGTHS IN SCIENCE AND INNOVATION
OVERVIEW OF THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
2.23 Our science and innovation strengths are landscape – although our firms face challenges supported by a competitive offer in the other around access to finance and skilled labour. parts of our innovation ecosystem – especially These are summarised in the graphic below and property, connectivity and a supportive policy explained in more detail in Annex D.
Figure 2-2: Overview of the South Wales Crucible Innovation Ecosystem
Source: SQW analysis (full references in Annex D)
16 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE SECTION 3 : STEEL INNOVATION
3. STEEL INNOVATION
“Steel is arguably the most widely used By consolidating our base in the South Wales structural material in the world. region and collaborating with Swansea University, including through our adjacent A critical foundation for a modern and major plant at Port Talbot, we want to work sustainable steel industry is innovation. The together to strengthen the critical mass of ability to successfully innovate is no longer the local cluster. Key to this strength are solely reliant on a company’s own resources. industries working in collaboration with one Successful innovation today rests on the ability another alongside university academics and to work with a broader group of innovators in researchers, potentially leading to further both the public and private sectors. ground-breaking technological advances.
The close proximity of such innovators and Investment in people is also essential; by the critical mass of science and innovation providing sustainable careers in the sector; assets in the South West Wales area creates a employing work-based learning initiatives that powerful clustering benefit. exist in the region to up-skill our workforce and supporting industry led Engineering We have mutually identified various potential Doctorate and Masters programmes to train areas of comparative advantage in innovation the engineers of tomorrow, will all ultimately that could be unlocked through focused result in a sustainable and prosperous materials collaboration, investment and consolidation of and manufacturing sector and promote and assets and capabilities. contribute to cultural, social and economic development within Wales. This activity is collectively focused on providing The Science and Innovation Audit of this value from existing assets and those in regional cluster will provide an important development, building on world-class science platform for implementing exciting opportunities and innovation excellence, and seeking and investments in the future.” to remain at the forefront of international development in steel technology. Bimlendra Jha, CEO, Tata Steel UK
HYPOTHESIS We have a renowned cluster of steel and metal A global leadership position for the UK can processing industries, customers and suppliers, all be secured through the creation of a hub of which are supported by research excellence. for steel innovation by building on and The creation of a hub for steel innovation will build expanding existing research excellence in on and expand our existing strengths in advanced the South Wales region, and investing in materials, new applications for steel in novel/high innovation within the UK steel industry and value products, and energy in steelmaking. A more wider supply chain. productive, less energy intensive steel industry will enhance our international competitiveness, Geography: South Wales, Deeside (Flintshire), making the UK steel industry more sustainable. Bangor and Aberystwyth
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3.1 The first of our themes is focused on the 3.3 We have a long and proud history of South Wales Crucible’s excellence in steel steelmaking and continue to produce highly innovation and the creation of market leading, trained individuals that will support innovation-led environmentally sustainable, novel steel products. growth within the industry and across adjacent Steel innovation is pivotal if the UK is to capitalise sectors in the future. Ultimately, we aim to create on the growth forecast in global steel demand. market leading, high quality, novel steel products, Our region boasts a very strong cluster of steel to respond effectively to the global environmental and metal processing industries, customers and challenge and develop world-leading expertise suppliers, with major industrial assets including in innovative steel technologies. As such, quality globally renowned steel manufacturers Tata Steel, assurance is key and is addressed by continuous Celsa Steel and Liberty Steel. The Crucible’s key non-destructive testing, such as that carried out science and innovation strengths in Advanced by TWI Wales in Port Talbot. This can be further Materials Research, New Applications for Steel optimised by increasing innovation levels through in Novel/High Value Products, and Energy in the use of smart manufacturing and digital Steelmaking will form the pillars of growth for technologies. a sustainable and internationally competitive UK steel industry.
3.2 Our strengths in novel/high value products are well aligned with the broader High Value Manufacturing growth agenda, as presented in the Welsh Government’s Economic Action Plan, whilst our expertise in reducing energy consumption in steelmaking helps to address the Grand Challenge of clean growth as set out in the UK’s Industrial Strategy.
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ENABLING THEMES: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Increased application of digital technologies Energy is also a key area of focus for the can transform the productivity of the UK’s UK’s Steel industry. Energy can be divided steel sector. This is a significant opportunity into two different contexts, with the Circular as much of the infrastructure currently used Economy at the core of this enabling theme. predates modern, low cost, high power computing. Renewable Energy in Steel Making - Renewable energy at scale is of great importance as an input to the steel sector. Efficiency - making existing factories and Steel making sites often have capacity in manufacturing units ‘smart’, by using terms of land to store energy, e.g. excess existing data, machine learning and robotic energy can be converted into hydrogen gas manufacturing, can significantly improve which is easily stored and released and is efficiency. already a major source of energy within the steel works as it makes up 60% of the Digital design - digital design of alloys at contents of coke oven gas. the atomic scale, and digital design and optimisation of materials in applications will Waste Energy Management - There is minimise weight and maximise performance. currently substantial research activity within the region, aimed at transforming the local Monitoring – Steel manufacture involves a steel industry from an energy user to a mix of highly complex processes that occur community energy hub. There is also potential within extremely demanding and aggressive to explore carbon capture and utilisation/ environments. However, quality control is storage (CCUS) within steel plants. often reliant on the skills and expertise of an ageing workforce. The adoption of sensor Steel Products for Renewable Energy - applications in molten metals and energy There is a huge potential market demand intensive rolling processes, combined with for steel products that support infrastructure x-ray and imaging technologies, would for renewable energy both in the UK and significantly optimise the production, across the globe. The key areas of focus reproducibility and quality of our steel within our area are the development of new products. steel-based products for generating, storing and releasing safe, clean, renewable Circular economy - from the tracking of energy; and the electrification of transport materials and identifying their origin through – developing and optimising electrical steel to the creation of the supply chains from driven motors as well as lightweight steel waste sites to the future manufacturing vehicle bodies. sites, digital information will be key in the successful transition to a circular economy.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL THE UK’S STEEL INDUSTRY TRENDS
3.4 The steel industry is the source of employment 3.6 National employment in the steel industry has for more than 50 million people (including supply fallen significantly over the past five decades from chains) globally and is the second largest industry more than 300,000 jobs in the early 1970s to just in the world, with an estimated annual turnover of over a tenth of that in 2016. Consultees reported $900bn.27-28 that the current steel industry is a lean and efficient World steel use per capita is projected to sector but faces risks and threats including: increase from 217kg in 2014 to around 305kg by 2050, in line with the needs of a growing • Global overcapacity in steel production,34 population.29 However, this represents a slowing with implications for the competitiveness of the UK of demand due to the end of a boom fuelled by industry, which has higher electricity costs than rapid expansion in China.30-31 competitors35
3.5 The latest evidence points towards an • UK exports of finished steel are already lower increased demand for high strength and toughness, than European competitors Germany Italy, and high corrosion resistance, and high performance Spain (43% compared to 57-62%). Uncertainty steels32 (see Annex D). More generally, and as around Brexit has increased exporting risks36 discussed above, climate change is pushing the whole industry to develop and embed a more eco- Despite this, research has identified a significant friendly steelmaking process. The move towards future domestic growth opportunity of 6.6 million industrial digitalisation will also shape the future tonnes (Mt) for finished steel – equivalent to £3.8bn of the steel industry, in particular when relating p.a. in revenue terms by 2030. This consists of to quality assurance. Linked with the Grand high-volume opportunities in construction Challenge of clean growth, the circular economy (c.£2.2bn) and a range of high-value will also become increasingly important as every opportunities in automotive (£0.3bn)and other piece of steel can be recycled to meet the growing sectors (c.£0.8bn). In addition, there is a wider need for new steel. It is thus possible to create a growth opportunity related to true steel demand. sustainable steel circular economy by focusing on As of 2015, there was an 11.7mt deficit between scrap utilisation and optimisation, designing steel UK steel production and true steel consumed by products with traceability for recyclability, and the UK, suggesting significant scope to grow the capturing vital waste energies and resources. UK’s steel industry and replace imports.
ix Finished steel is a tradable processed product which is tailored for the steel industry’s downstream customer but is not necessarily the end product. True steel refers to actual steel consumption, including steel contained in imported goods.
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“Despite its longevity and maturity as a market, Innovation is at the heart of our sustainability steel packaging is currently innovating and strategy both in terms of the products we make developing at an unprecedented rate. This and the way we will make them in the future. is fundamentally being driven by: (a) REACH For this reason, Trostre would fully engage with legislation; (b) Growing consumer awareness and support the creation of a National Steel of steel packaging’s environmental credentials Innovation Centre (see below) and we look and how it can fit in the circular economy and; forward to playing an active part in its future (c) The commercial imperative to continue to activities.” innovate and present an attractive and viable packaging option to the consumer. TATA PACKAGING, TROSTRE Joe Gallacher, Works Manager
LOCAL SCIENCE AND INNOVATION ASSETS
3.7 Wales has a longstanding history of iron and steel making, dating back to the 19th Century and the Blaenavon Iron Works. Today there remains a clear geographical advantage to our region, with a strong cluster of industry partners and wider supply chains closely located to world leading research facilities housed within our universities, which can also be utilised to support other sectors. This competitive advantage has provided collaborative industrial-academic partnerships, with universities providing research excellence to tackle large scale, industrially relevant issues.
3.8 Consultees agreed that our key strengths and dominant R&D themes which can be significant drivers of growth are: Advanced Materials Research; New Applications for Steel – Novel/High Value Products; and Energy in Steelmaking.
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THE NATIONAL STEEL INNOVATION CENTRE (NSIC)
Announced by the Swansea Bay City Deal, Once fully established, NSIC will employ over Swansea University is working in collaboration 150 staff. with the UK steel sector on the creation of an open access National Steel Innovation Centre NSIC will operate as a hub, drawing upon (NSIC) for the entirety of the steel supply chain. specialist knowledge and capabilities from Building on the Steel and Metals Institute, NSIC academic partners, including: Imperial College will provide research excellence at Technology London, Cambridge, Cardiff, and Warwick Readiness Levels 4-9 in disruptive transformation Universities. Challenging research will be in both processing methods and product scaled up and reach end users and technology development. Specific areas of expertise will providers via the Warwick Manufacturing be in low carbon steel making technologies, Group (WMG) High Value Manufacturing carbon capture and utilisation/storage, Catapult and the Henry Royce Institute. NSIC materials processing and characterisation; will also partner with leading RTOs such as process and product innovation (e.g. the Materials Processing Institute which has late stage product diversification and expertise in metal processing. The Centre construction innovation); energy efficiency and will also bring local industries and academic environmental sustainability, all underpinned partners together in collaboration, working on by the circular economy and data science joint innovative research projects, whilst also management (Factory 4.0). significantly contributing to the relative regional economic growth. The Centre will benefit from the substantial industry commitment to steel in the UK; and Dr Martin Kearns, Powders Group Director, the Swansea Bay City Deal announced a Sandvik Osprey “We certainly view the £20m capital investment for a state of the establishment of the National Steel Innovation art Innovation Centre, with a further required Centre as an advantageous development for £10m to be raised. the region and its metals-based industries. It should attract materials talent to the region NSIC will expand and develop its expertise which will support the growth and development through an emerging talent stream from of local industries, as well as providing a Swansea University’s pioneering Engineering highly supportive environment that will allow us Doctorate, in conjunction with similar to commercialise new materials technologies programmes from other leading Universities. more rapidly.”
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UNIVERSITIES
3.9 Our universities have particular strengths in materials and mechanical engineering. For example, Materials Engineering at Swansea University is currently ranked 8th in the UK and within the world top 100 for Mechanical Engineering.39,40 The key research facilities that support this scientific excellence are shown in Table 3-1 and evidence of their significance is provided in Table 3-2.
Table 3-1: Steel Innovation research assets
Swansea Cardiff
Steel and Metals Institute (SaMI) Established Research at the internationally recognised through a collaboration between Tata Steel UK, Magnetics and Materials Research Group the Welsh Government and Swansea University focuses on several areas related to the to support the steel and metals industry in Wales, production, characterisation and application and Tata Steel’s UK business R&D transformation to of magnetic materials. The RELEXPRO project, achieve competitive edge in the steel supply chain. undertaken in collaboration with leading steel SaMI will re-establish itself near the Bay Campus manufacturers CSM, BFI, Ferriere Nord and as the NSIC (see case study above). Arcelor Mittal, deals with thermoelectric heat recovery from low temperature exhausts of Materials Research Centre (MRC) A leading steel processes. The centre has also worked centre for materials teaching and research, the with Cogent to set up a spin out called MRC hosts internationally recognised research Faultcurrent Ltd. projects including: Corrosion and Functional Coatings, Grain Boundary Engineering, the £9m Geoenvironmental Research Centre Advanced Imaging of Materials facility, and (GRC) GRC is a pioneer in the field of geo- Materials Advanced Characterisation Centre. environmental engineering providing vital research support in a new and emerging Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for area of land-based environmental problems; Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings – and to directly translate its research for (SPECIFIC) Led by Swansea University with Tata the benefit of industry. The GRC’s Land Steel as the main industrial partner, SPECIFIC Regeneration Network (LRN) is established as develops functional coated steel and glass a leading Network in Wales for this sector products, transforming building facades into and work has shown how construction and surfaces that generate, store and release safe, blast furnace slag waste could be reused clean, renewable energy. in earthworks construction; and developed Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI). a new technique to convert industrial A leading centre in energy and environmental wastes into cement substitutes, among other technology. ESRI leads a £9.2m project. successes.
Reducing Industrial carbon Emissions (RICE) for demonstration sites of high TRL technologies for reducing emissions from steel production and generation of green energy and chemicals.
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Swansea Cardiff
Materials and Manufacturing Academy Gas Turbine Research Centre (GTRC) Cardiff hosts (M2A) Part ESF funded, M2A provides one of the few gas turbine testing facilities in the industry led postgraduate research training world, with features that make it unique. Only a in advanced materials and manufacturing. handful of academic research facilities in the world have the operational scale of the GTRC which enables novel research studies to be conducted into the functionality of new combustion systems, components and fuels under elevated conditions of temperature and pressure, as would be experienced within a gas turbine engine during operation.
University of South Wales
The Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC) (& the Hydrogen Centre) is a ground- breaking research centre bringing together leaders from various disciplines to meet the energy security and environmental challenges of the new millennium. SERC is already engaged in a number of university led R&D projects with the steel sector, including FLEXIS, RICE and LifesCO2R, all focussing on carbon reduction and carbon capture and utilisation/storage in the steel industry. The capacity exists to work on projects enhancing the steel-making and finishing processes and the potential development of co-products, from the transportation, environmental, economic and social aspects.
Table 3-2: University research strengths
SciVal data – field weighted citation impact (2014-2017)
The South Wales Crucible universities outperform The South Wales Crucible universities perform on the UK in Building and Construction, and the a par with the UK in areas including: Electronic, engineering disciplines of: Civil and Structural; Optical and Magnetic Materials; and Surfaces, Industrial and Manufacturing; and Mechanical. Coatings and Films.
BUIL IN CONSTRUCTION
AUTO OTIVE CIVIL STRUCTURAL EN INEERIN EN INEERIN ATERIALS CHE ISTR IN USTRIAL ANU ACTURIN EN INEERIN
ECHANICAL ETALS ALLO S EN INEERIN
ENERAL ATERIALS ECHANICS SCIENCE O ATERIALS
RENEWABLE ENER CHE ICAL EN INEERIN SUSTAINABILIT ISC
ENERAL EN INEERIN ELECTRONIC O TICAL A NETIC ATERIALS
SUR ACES COATIN S ENVIRON ENTAL IL S CHE ISTR
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Research Excellence Framework 2014 (REF)
UK ranking by research power UK ranking by quality (GPA)
Civil and Construction Engineering: Civil and Construction Engineering: Cardiff University (10th) Cardiff University (1st) Physics: Cardiff University (6th) General Engineering: Swansea University (10th) and Cardiff General Engineering: University (20th) Cardiff University (7th) and Swansea University (12th) Earth Systems and Environmental Chemistry: Cardiff University (9th) Sciences: Bangor University (15th) Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences: Swansea University (8th), Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities (16th), Cardiff University (20th) Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Metallurgy and Materials: Bangor University (19th)
UK ranking by impact
Civil and Construction Engineering: Cardiff University (1st)
Physics: Cardiff University (6th)
General Engineering: Cardiff University (3rd) and Swansea University (9th)
Chemistry: Cardiff University (7th)
Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences: Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities (17th)
Source: SQW analysis of SciVal and REF data
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INDUSTRY
3.10 South Wales boasts a very strong hub of whilst Celsa Steel, Liberty Steel and Cogent steel and metal processing industries, customers Power have large operations in the Cardiff and and suppliers. There are approximately forty Newport areas. They are complemented by a industrial assets relevant to steel innovation number of internationally recognised businesses, located between Llanelli and Newport alone, as SMEs and downstream customers that are key highlighted in Annex D. There is a particularly players within the steel and metals supply chain. high density of businesses located within the These include: Sandvik Osprey, a global leader Swansea Bay City Region, with key locations in the production of gas atomised metal powders; including Baglan Energy Park, Harbourside, Port Timet, who supply a fifth of the world’s titanium; the Talbot and the northwest of Swansea. Vale nickel refinery; Wall Colmonoy, a producer of nickel and cobalt powder super alloys, 3.11 Using a SIC code based definition of the castings and precision machined components; steel industry which incorporates some important and start-up Sexton Materials Research (see downstream uses, there are 34,000 people Annex D). Additional customers include Welsh employed in South Wales and Flintshire in the Government anchor companies Ford and Valero, steel industry. We have a particularly large volume as well as 3M, and the Royal Mint. This highlights (almost half the UK total) and concentration of our broader supply chain strengths in new employment in the ‘manufacture of basic iron and applications for steel and the significance of the steel and of ferro-alloys.’ See Annex D for details. steel sector to our wider economy. For example, businesses which are wholly dependent on steel 3.12 Tata Steel’s Port Talbot site and its coils from Port Talbot serve a diverse range of downstream units (see case study below) are part sectors, particularly automotive, construction, of the only integrated steel plant in Wales, energy and packaging, and yellow goods.
TATA STEEL IN WALES
Tata Steel has five facilities in Wales and In line with the goals of the proposed Steel employs over 5,000 people in the Swansea Sector Deal, Tata Steel has committed to Bay City Region alone. Research found that invest £500m at Port Talbot over the next Tata and the wider supply chain in Wales five years, as well as establishing the Steel represent £6.7bn of annual output and £3.2bn and Metals Institute with Swansea University. of GVA. The employment multiplier of the As part of this, Swansea University has been activity throughout the entire Welsh economy invited to host more than 150 items of R&D is 2.2, which indicates that every job at Tata equipment, valued at almost £10m, for materials Steel supports another 1.22 within the region. characterisation, construction research, fatigue and fracture and pilot plant equipment. Tata Tata’s primary and downstream operations has also committed to fund and embed 45 within Wales are highly integrated, for example new researchers, technologists and technicians Tata Steel Strip Products are the sole supplier within the Institute. This partnership provides of steel coils to Shotton and Trostre. See annex the foundations for the NSIC (see above). D for breakdown of Tata activity.
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In addition, on the 30th June 2018, Tata base for the combined entity, while keeping Steel and thyssenkrupp AG announced that focus on performance to build the leading they have signed the definitive agreements to European steel business that is sustainable in combine their European steel businesses in a every sense. As part of the venture, significant 50/50 joint venture. The new company will funds have been secured across Tata Steel have sales of 17 billion euros, shipments of 21 UK’s business, including a £75 million Blast million tons per year, employ 48,000 people Furnace life extension investment in Port Talbot, and will deliver between €400-500 million which would see a continued operation up per year in synergies that can be utilised to until at least 2026, providing further stability develop more advanced products, investing in to the region. installations and researching technologies that support a sustainable future. Being described as the “creation of a new European steel champion”, the joint venture will create a much stronger European Business and Customer
RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY RELATIONSHIPS AND NETWORKS ORGANISATIONS
3.13 Supporting our advanced materials 3.15 South Wales has a longstanding history of strength, and due to open later in 2018, the industrial and academic collaborative research Advanced Engineering Materials Research programmes, illustrating our well-developed Institute (AEMRI) (Annex D) will be a state-of-the- networking behaviours. Subsidiary local societies art facility based at TWI Wales in Port Talbot. of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining The AEMRI aims to drive business growth and such as the South Wales Materials Association competitiveness through research into advanced (formerly the South Wales Metallurgical engineering and materials, with specialisms in Association) and the Newport and District advanced modelling and simulation, large-scale Materials Society bring industrial and academic mechanical testing and advanced automated non- partners together to support the development of destructive evaluation for critical flaw detection. materials and metallurgical engineering.
3.14 The forthcoming AMRI in Deeside (see Annex 3.16 SciVal data reveal that 11% of papers D) will also support industry and provide valuable published in “Metals and Alloys” by the four SIA links to the AMRC High Value Manufacturing partner universities involved academic-corporate Catapult. collaboration, higher than the UK average of 7%. Key examples of industrial-academic collaborations include: SPECIFIC, Metal, and M2A as discussed above. As an open access innovation centre, NSIC will ensure our inclusive and outward looking approach continues in the future.
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SKILLS
3.17 The ability of the Welsh steel industry to 3.19 Encouragingly, there were 4,000 remain competitive in the global market strongly engineering apprentices in Wales in 2016/17, depends on continued productivity gains which, with a further 800 in manufacturing.46 For higher in turn, require a highly qualified workforce. level skills, Swansea offers Engineering Doctorates UKCES data show that the occupational and hosts the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training composition of the industry is changing, with in Industrial Functional Coatings and the an increasing focus on service, administrative, Materials and Manufacturing Academy (M2A) professional and managerial jobs. At the same to carry out industry led postgraduate research time, there is a significant replacement demand training. In total, the number of graduates from for ‘traditional’ occupations, notably skilled Welsh universities in science areas (including trades and machined operatives.44 engineering) has increased in recent years, despite a decline in the overall number of 3.18 Producers, fabricators and consumers in the graduates, with 17,600 graduating in science steel industry report skill shortages in key areas subject areas in 2016/17. such as metallurgy and engineering, as well as technical and process skills such as production management.45 More generally, UKCES data show an increasing density of skills-shortage vacancies in the Welsh manufacturing sector as a whole, these are particularly severe in occupations needed in the steel industry, namely skilled trades and machine operatives. In common with the other themes of this SIA, digital skills will also be increasingly important in the future.
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FUNDING AND SUPPORT LANDSCAPE
3.20 Reflecting our nationally significant research funding. For example, we have strengths, our institutions attract a particularly led Horizon 2020 projects worth €11m in large proportion of UK research income for ‘sustainable, resource efficient and low carbon “catalysis and surfaces” related research. We technologies in energy intensive process are also successful in attracting international industries.’47
Table 3-3: Research funding data
Research Council funding for research grants and fellowships (by research area) % UK funding 2010-17 Value of funding (£m)
Catalysis and surfaces 7.4 9.4
Civil engineering and built environment 2.1 4
Materials sciences 1.3 3.8
Innovate UK Funding
£1m grants offered over 2010/11 – 2017/18 in “Advanced Materials”, 3% of UK total £2m grants offered over 2010/11 – 2017/18 in “High Value Manufacturing”, 2% of UK total £6m grants offered over 2010/11 – 2017/18 in “Smart Manufacturing”, 3% of UK total
Source: SQW analysis of Research Council and Innovate UK data
3.21 The proposed steel sector deal calls for as a key policy, and the EPSRC’s Strategic Plan a future steel challenge fund of £30m per year 2015. Specific funding opportunities at the match funding in R&D, as well as requesting application stage, but not currently confirmed, the facilitation of investment through access to include the EPSRC Prosperity Partnership - to capital, grants and innovative tax credits.48 support the creation of large-scale, TRLs 1-3 This has been debated, but not yet formally collaborative research programmes - and the approved by Parliament. EPSRC SUSTAIN Manufacturing Hub - to support the commercialisation of early stage research 3.22 Using our strengths to support the growth opportunities. of an increasingly innovative and lower emission steel industry, this theme is well aligned with 3.23 At a local level, one of the key proposals of imperatives outlined in key policy documents. the Swansea Bay City Deal is the creation of the This includes the UK Industrial Strategy and its NSIC as discussed above.49 Grand Challenge of clean growth, the Welsh Government’s Economic Action Plan, the Well Being of Future Generations Act 2015, the UK Government’s Clean Growth Strategy with ‘Improving business and industry energy efficiency’
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT
3.24 The steel industry was once synonymous Max-Planck Institute for Iron Research and the with British industrial strength and a large BFI MPIe Fraunhofer Aachen, both based in number of innovations developed in the UK have Germany; the Centre for Research in Metallurgy, contributed significantly to the global industry. Belgium; Centro Servizi Metalli, based in Italy; As such, our business to business, and business Pohang University of Science and Technology, to research links stretch UK wide, with particular South Korea; the University of Tokyo; and collaborations with partners in the Northern Colorado School of Mines. Powerhouse and Midlands Engine. We are also well linked internationally and SciVal data show that 54% of Metals and Alloys papers published GAPS AND WEAKNESSES by our universities over the 2014-2017 period involved some form of international collaboration. 3.27 The Welsh steel industry would benefit greatly from Governmental support (National 3.25 Due to historic disruptions in research and Regional) for the foundation materials sector. and innovation provision within the UK, the Key to the success of a strong steel industry is vast majority of Tata Steel’s R&D infrastructure is access to skilled people and an innovative located at IJmuiden in the Netherlands. There is research environment similar to the successful thus a significant opportunity to embed more of German Fraunhofer model as discussed in the Tata’s R&D in the UK, with the establishment of Hauser Report. The CEO of Germany’s largest SaMI and the future NSIC encouraging moves in steel firm thyssenkrupp commented that despite this direction. Tata Steel have already named both Germany being a relatively high cost location, it Swansea and Warwick Universities as strategic remains a good place for production because, academic partners and over the past six years alongside other ecosystem factors, thyssenkrupp have partnered with them in over £50m of grant benefits from its relationship with the Fraunhofer funding covering research, training and public Society. In Wales, we have the capabilities in engagement, and have co-authored over 150 place to build a similarly successful ecosystem. journal publications. An example highlighting To do this, consultees recognised that we must our strength around energy in steel making overcome a connectivity gap between the is SPECIFIC. An international collaboration materials and metallurgy community and the wider led by Swansea University with Tata Steel and research base in areas such as computational other global industrial and academic partners, methods, environmental sciences, economics and SPECIFIC aims to commercialise technologies management. There is a tremendous opportunity which will allow buildings to become power for partners across Wales and the wider UK to stations by generating their own energy. address this gap and integrate cross disciplinary research and capabilities, leading to productivity 3.26 As discussed above, the future NSIC will gains and an increase in high value jobs. be an open access centre for the entirety of the UK steel supply chain and will draw upon partner knowledge from across the UK whilst also enhancing local collaborations within the strong cluster of businesses and research organisations in our region. In addition, it will work closely with the
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3.28 South Wales now has an opportunity to lead a result, this will significantly boost the innovation- change in the sector. With the future establishment led relative regional growth and place South of the NSIC – a development strongly supported Wales at the forefront of steel innovation, leading by business consultees - we believe we are on to international competitiveness. the cusp of creating a solution to improve the connectivity between academia and industry. As
Table 3-4: Conclusions table
Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Skills South Wales offers a strong Increased promotion and Skills shortages reported breadth of courses relevant to steel development of career in the steel industry, with industry needs, ranging from mid- opportunities in the steel industry, a requirement of 2,185 level qualifications to Doctorate at all levels. STEM initiatives to new employees by level. The number of graduates target younger audiences, learning 2024. 31% of this figure from Welsh universities in science programmes such as the Metal represents professional, areas (including engineering) has programme for upskilling and service, managerial and increased in recent years, despite M2A for industry led postgraduate administrative roles. an overall decline in the number of training. graduates.
Market Growth Significant scope to grow the UK’s Build on existing strengths in A future domestic growth steel industry particularly in high advanced materials research opportunity of 6.6 Mt volume construction and high value whilst developing projects in high by 2030, for finished automotive products. However, UK performance steels to meet UK steel exists (equivalent to producers face higher electricity demand. £3.8bn p.a in revenue costs than global competitors. Invest in research projects that terms) along with an focus on Renewable Energy in 11.7 Mt deficit between Steelmaking and Waste Energy UK steel production and Management to develop low true steel consumption in carbon, more efficient steel the UK. processing methods.
Collaboration South Wales now has the Industry-academic collaboration We have a strong cluster opportunity to lead change in can be facilitated by NSIC. of steel and metals the UK steel sector. With the NSIC can also integrate cross industrial and academic establishment of NSIC, it is disciplinary research and partners. Evidence believed that this could create the capabilities to overcome the suggests close working solution to improve the connectivity connectivity gap in the wider relationships between between industry and academia. research base across Wales and universities, RTO’s, the UK. government and industrial partners is key to success.
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Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Product Development Our strong cluster of academic Strong governmental support and Growth opportunities and industrial partners means we government/industry funding in new applications can excel in these areas. However to develop and conduct such for steel in novel/ revenue funding is required to research, akin to the Fraunhofer high value products, conduct essential research. approach. and steel products for renewable energy (e.g. electrification of transport and energy positive buildings).
Source: South Wales Crucible
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4. SMART MANUFACTURING
Whilst the first factory for manufacturing is often a subject of debate, the future of manufacturing is becoming clear – that is a combination of enabling technologies that will allow the full automation of, not merely one operation or line but the supply chain in a continuous, unpromoted manner that will bring significant degrees of improvement as regards productivity and cost. Perhaps the first factory consideration was a conglomerate of individual adjacent workshops making discrete parts of a ship that was finally assembled together at a rate of nearly one per day. Such a scheme allowed the Venice Arsenal to dominate ship building and military might for a significant period one thousand years ago. The future will be just as ground breaking, paradigm setting and provide a dominance for the successful stakeholders.
This time however, it will not be the organisation of people and parts but the ability to connect, automate and respond digitally allowing monitoring and control of a physical world by interacting with its digital twin. A move of a keyboard or mouse will change over lines, interchange tools, order the material supply chain and set a maintenance operation in being. To be clear, whilst today’s simulation is used a method of testing steady state conditions or one off experiments, future simulation will be transient control models that manage the cell, the line, the factory and the supply chain!
There are three vital ingredients to successful manufacturing; knowledge of the material and the material converting processes, ability to handle, move, and assembly parts into finished goods as quickly as possible and finally the ability to know what is happening at any point in time both in planning, manufacture and ultimately in service. Rightly therefore, this section will consider that excellence in both Academia and Industry for Advance Materials and Manufacturing Systems integrated by world class Simulation allows for the perfect combination to ensure that Productivity and Competitiveness are natural outcomes.
Of course, the technologies, mostly available as bench tested models, require integration and application into a very real and unlimited environment. Therefore the critical step will be to understand the disparate technologies and conceive the optimised way to integrate them into World class manufacturing of products and services.
Finally, the consideration turns to the Growth Model that develops our active and innovative micro and small companies into medium size sustainable enterprises. It is clear that the essential ingredients are in place from this report and therefore the focus must be on establishing platforms and accelerators to allow ease of access to Smart Manufacturing technologies including facilities and skilled resources.
James Davies, Executive Chair, Industry Wales
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HYPOTHESIS Sustainable Smart Manufacturing will Our academic strengths in Computational bring a step change in performance for the Engineering and Materials Science are regional and wider UK economies through complemented by well-established capabilities enhanced global competitiveness and in Manufacturing Systems in industry and productivity. In Wales this will be achieved academia. Combined with our strengths through investment in existing capabilities in the enabling technologies of digital and and key assets in advanced manufacturing sustainable energy and our strong industry- to accelerate convergence with digital and academia collaborative research culture, we energy enabling technologies. This will have the ability to raise the productivity and deliver the most efficient and productive long-term competitiveness of our broad base methods for manufacturing sustainably, of manufacturing companies. To realise these creating value in new and different ways. productivity gains, we must support our SMEs to invest in leading edge technologies and Geography: South and North East Wales advanced skills. including four out of the eight Welsh Enterprise Zones.
4.1 The second of our four themes focuses on others. Supporting these are Tier 2 and 3 SMEs the South Wales Crucible’s excellence in Smart and a smaller number of Tier 1 suppliers. Smart Manufacturing and our particular academic manufacturing technologies (Industry 4.0) are strengths in Computational Engineering and increasingly shaping the manufacturing industry, Materials Science, complemented by our and their adoption is essential to increase expertise in Manufacturing Systems in industry competitiveness, drive productivity and exploit and academia. This theme builds on the distinctive emerging market opportunities as discussed strengths of our academic partners and our rich below. industrial landscape and capitalises on the enabling technologies of digital and energy to 4.3 The Regional Innovation Monitor Plus deliver globally competitive and highly productive Report for Wales and the Made Smarter manufacturing capabilities for the advantage of Review53 identified an under-utilisation of smart Welsh and UK manufacturing. manufacturing technologies. This is exacerbated by a weak innovation culture in manufacturing 4.2 Wales is home to some of the world’s most and long-standing weakness in the motivation, progressive advanced manufacturing firms, with capacity and capability of SMEs to invest in a strong history of R&D including Airbus, Toyota, leading edge technologies and advanced skills. Sony, IQE, GE, Renishaw and Tata Steel amongst
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ENABLING THEMES: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
Wales’ existing capabilities and planned developments in advanced manufacturing will exploit advances in the SIA enabling themes of Digital and Sustainable Energy. This will be achieved through Sustainable Smart Manufacturing, creating additional efficiency and productivity gains. Sustainability will be achieved by maximising the opportunities presented by renewable energy and the alignment of manufacturing schedules with energy availability.
In line with the industrial digitalisation strategy, the Digital enabling theme will enable Welsh manufacturers to establish connectivity throughout the entire value chain, enhancing interaction with customers and increasing flexibility in manufacturing. Manufacturing is being increasingly shaped by digital technologies with multiple benefits. Examples include: Digital Twins (computer modelling, data acquisition, big data, smart sensors, IoT, sensor fusion, quantum computing); Human Machine Interface (augmented and virtual reality, data visualisation, collaborative robotics, human experience of data and intelligence); Machine Learning (augmented, automated data analysis, uncertainty quantification, surrogate-based optimisation); Robotics (precise, agile, cloud-connected, intelligent mechanical systems); Materials of the Future (high- performance materials for digitally designed, computer-aided manufacture whether additive or subtractive); Autonomous Systems (AI, autonomous, predictive and prescriptive decision making, cyber security, machine intelligence).
The Sustainable Energy enabling theme encompasses existing strengths and expertise in renewable energy generation, storage and transmission (ocean, solar, wind), waste recovery and reuse, and reduced consumption and emission reductions in vehicles. The incorporation of digital technologies in the manufacturing process will provide energy specific manufacturing process information that will allow manufacturers to optimise their production depending on energy factors (demand, cost, time, and availability). The resulting technologies will enable the adoption of circular economy principles where manufacturing processes gather data along the lifecycle of materials or products to maintain highest use and value through multiple lifecycles. Finally, the emergence of new types of services utilising block-chain digital information sharing platforms (allowing digital information to be distributed but not copied), allows the creation of new value chains around energy generation and peer-to-peer energy trading.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LOCAL SCIENCE AND INNOVATION TRENDS ASSETS
4.4 Manufacturing is a major contributor to the 4.7 South Wales is recognised internationally global economy and is undergoing transformational for its long-established research and change. As developing economies have innovation capabilities in advanced materials transformed into efficient mass-production, and manufacturing, in particular within manufacturing nations with inexpensive labour Computational Engineering, Materials Science costs, western economies have reacted by and Manufacturing Systems Engineering. It is starting to embrace industrial automation and accredited as a Smart Specialisation sector by robotics with industrial digitalisation (Industry the European Smart Specialisation Platform. Our 4.0) to improve productivity. key science and innovation assets are described below and in Annex D. 4.5 The world is becoming increasingly digital at an ever intensifying speed. The exploitation of the UNIVERSITIES digital technologies offer significant opportunities to drive health, prosperity, productivity and 4.8 Swansea University supports world class R&D competitiveness. Consultees expect that the activity in computational modelling (including uptake of industrial digital technologies will have digital twins), materials sciences (including a transformative effect on the manufacturing material developments, corrosion and coatings), sector. Research estimates that by adopting and manufacturing systems engineering in these technologies, UK industrial productivity collaboration with leading companies including could be improved by more than 25%, leading Airbus, Rolls Royce, GKN, Aston Martin, Ferrari, to an economic uplift of up to £455bn over BASF, and Pilkington. These internationally the next decade, in addition to reducing CO2 significant strengths see Swansea ranked in emissions by 4.5% over the same time period.54 the world’s top 100 universities for mechanical Furthermore, an asset utilisation increase of 30- engineering and the world’s top 200 for civil and 50% and an increase in labour productivity of structural engineering.56 up to 45-55% is also predicted.55 Enhanced efficiency will position the manufacturing sector 4.9 The Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational to respond effectively and with greater agility Engineering pioneered the finite element method to the Grand Challenges and wider disruptive for solving complex engineering problems, global megatrends. including: developing a computational aerodynamics design system for Airbus Wings; 4.6 However, competitor nations are already the BLOODHOUND supersonic car; and well positioned to lead the global race to adopt manufacturing process simulation resulting in industrial digitalisation technologies. Among hugely successful spin-out company Rockfield others, this includes Germany (Industrie 4.0), Software. Computational modelling of China (Made in China 2025), the USA (Making manufacturing processes and materials forming it in America), and Korea (Manufacturing facilitates the development of complex, active and Innovation 3.0). intelligent digital twins. The Materials Research Centre incorporates internationally recognised research in structural materials, corrosion and functional coatings, grain boundary engineering, environment and sustainable materials, and steel technology. It is a core member of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre in Materials, part of a global initiative with other Rolls-Royce centres in the USA, Germany and Singapore.
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The Systems and Process Engineering Centre of the world's top five catalysis research centres features printing and coating processes led by and has a long track record of developing the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating. It new materials that enhance the efficiency and incorporates the National Research Network long term sustainability of many manufacturing in Advanced Engineering and Materials. The industries. The CCI works closely with over 20 multidisciplinary CHERISH-DE Centre at Swansea of the world’s leading manufacturing companies University is tasked with bringing about a step- such as Johnson Matthey, Invista, Jaguar Land change in the impacts of the digital economy Rover and Haldor Topsoe. As one of the founding (see Section 8). partners of the £16m EPSRC funded UK Catalysis Hub, the CCI is working closely with a number of 4.10 Swansea University is making strategic regional universities to establish a major catalyst investments in industrial digitalisation for initiative based around the M4 corridor that will smart manufacturing through IMPACT, the form a focal point for the UK catalysis community, Computational Foundry, the proposed National enhanced by the Centre’s access to a new a Steel Innovation Centre and the proposed The world class Electron Microscopy Facility. This Factory of the Future. Funding for the latter was facility will work closely with industry to develop announced in the Swansea Bay City Deal but we the next generation of materials that will enhance believe an even better project could be delivered the productivity and long-term competitiveness of – see Table 9-1 for more. Swansea University a wide range of manufacturing industries. also leads the pan-Wales ASTUTE partnership with Cardiff University as a key partner. 4.13 Cardiff University’s Institute of Compound Semiconductors and its Future Compound 4.11 Cardiff University and its Centre for Manufacturing Hub aim to position Cardiff as Advanced Manufacturing Systems (CAMSAC) the European leader in compound semiconductor are ranked first in the UK for “Civil and innovation, widening to work with Swansea Construction Engineering” and joint second University to add to the regional offering. This for “General Engineering” by research impact critical mass in semiconductor research will (REF 2014). The Centre regularly works in enable industry to explore scientific and technical collaboration with academic institutions and a challenges for novel growth methods and broad cross section of the manufacturing sector, material combinations that will underpin the next including SMEs, multinationals, professional generation of electronic devices. bodies and policymakers. Research covers composite materials and computational methods 4.14 Our academic strengths are confirmed for multiscale modelling and optimisation of by SciVal data which show that our research structures and micro-architectured materials. performance is above the UK average, with For example, researchers have developed particular strengths in Computational Engineering, technologies that ensure the safety and best Manufacturing Systems Engineering and performance of materials and structures used by Materials Science as well as greater levels of companies including Airbus, BAE Systems, Ortho national and international research collaboration Clinical Diagnostics, Renishaw, Sony, and Tata in these areas. Furthermore, our corporate- Steel. In addition, research in the production, academia collaborations in the fields of characterisation and application of magnetic engineering, materials science, computer science materials has a major impact in the reduction in and energy are higher than the UK average. energy losses associated with magnetic power systems.
4.12 The Cardiff Catalysis Institute (CCI) is one
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Table 4-1: Cardiff and Swansea University Research Strengths
SciVal data – field weighted citation impact and collaborations (2013-2017)
MATERIALS SCIENCE COM UTATIONAL ENGINEERING MANUFACTURING S STEMS NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL ACA EMIC COR ORATE ENGINEERING COLLABORATION COLLABORATION
NUMERICAL ANAL SIS BUIL ING CONSTRUCTION CONTROL S STEMS ENGINEERING N COM UTATIONAL M OCEAN ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS S E E SURFACES COATINGS CERAMICS MANAGEMENT HUMAN COM UTER I C FILMS COM OSITES OF TECHNOLOG ISCRETE MATHEMATICS COM UTATIONAL INTERACTION M INNO ATION S E COMBINATORICS MECHANICS C MANAGEMENT N C S COM UTER SCIENCE SCIENCE M S ELECTRONIC O TICAL A LICATIONS O ERATIONS MAGNETIC MATERI CI IL STRUCTURAL ANAL SIS A LIE MATHEMATICS RESEARCH I C ALS M S M S COM UTATIONAL THEOR N C MATHEMATICAL H SICS SAFET RIS RELIABILIT IN USTRIAL C MATHEMATICS UALIT MANUFACTURING E MECHANICS OF MATERI ENGINEERING ELECTROCHEMISTR I C E ALS MO ELING SIMULATION AEROS ACE ENGINEERING GENERAL BUSINESS C E MANAGEMENT MECHANICAL METALS ALLO S ACCOUNTING ENGINEERING
SWANSEA CAR IFF U U SWANSEA CAR IFF U SWANSEA CAR IFF
MATERIALSMANUFACTURING SCIENCE S STEMS NATIONAL INTERNATIONALCOM UTATIONAL ENGINEERINGACA EMIC COR ORATE ENGINEERING COLLABORATION COLLABORATION
NUMERICAL ANAL SIS BUIL ING CONSTRUCTION CONTROL S STEMS ENGINEERING N COM UTATIONAL M OCEAN ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS S E E SURFACES COATINGS CERAMICS MANAGEMENT HUMAN COM UTER FILMS COM OSITES I C OF TECHNOLOG ISCRETE MATHEMATICS COM UTATIONAL INTERACTION M INNO ATION S COMBINATORICS E MECHANICS C N C S MANAGEMENT ELECTRONICCOM UTER O TICAL SCIENCE SCIENCE M S MAGNETICA LICATIONS MATERI CI ILO ERATIONS STRUCTURAL ANAL SIS A LIE MATHEMATICS ALS RESEARCH I C M S M S N C COM UTATIONAL THEOR MATHEMATICAL H SICS SAFET RIS RELIABILIT IN USTRIAL C MATHEMATICS UALIT MANUFACTURING E MECHANICS OF MATERI ELECTROCHEMISTR ENGINEERING I C E ALS MO ELING SIMULATION AEROS ACE ENGINEERING GENERAL BUSINESS C E MANAGEMENT MECHANICAL METALS ALLO S ACCOUNTING ENGINEERING
SWANSEA CAR IFF U U SWANSEA CAR IFF U SWANSEA CAR IFF
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REF (2014)
UK top 20 ranking by research power UK top 20 ranking by quality (GPA)
Civil and Construction Engineering: Cardiff (10) Civil and Construction Engineering: Cardiff (1)
General Engineering: Swansea (10), Cardiff (20) General Engineering: Cardiff (7) Swansea (12)
General Engineering: Cardiff (3), Swansea (9)
UK top 20 ranking by impact
Civil and Construction Engineering: Cardiff (1)
Source: SQW analysis of REF, Swansea University analysis of SciVal data
INDUSTRY
4.15 Wales has traditionally had a strong 4.16 There is a distinct concentration of manufacturing sector producing and exporting manufacturing capability in South Wales and globally, products from primary materials. the maps in Annex D show the locations of The Welsh Government estimates that key organisations within the sector. At least the manufacturing sector includes 5,400 four of these firms have developed smart organisations. Within this, the Advanced manufacturing strategies, as shown below, Manufacturing and Materials sector has almost and more than ten other significant companies 3,000 enterprises and employs 86k people have established Centres of Excellence in across four segments: Aerospace & Defence; Wales e.g. Airbus, British Airways, Tata Steel, Automotive; High Value Manufacturing; and Calsonic Kansei Europe, Celsa Manufacturing, Foundation Industries.57 Control Techniques Drives, GE Aircraft Engine Services, Meritor, Toyota, Raytheon Aircraft Services, Triumph Actuation & Motion Control Systems, and Renishaw.
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Table 4-2: South Wales Crucible firms with Smart manufacturing strategies
Established an Advanced Manufacturing Research Operations Centre to drive process Sony improvement utilising the latest robotics and Internet of Things technologies.
Implemented Smart Factory Solutions connecting a diverse range of machinery, enabling Panasonic real-time control over the factory floor resulting in high quality and productivity.
Digitally transforming its entire business, integrating its mechatronics components, Schaeffler UK systems and machines into the rapidly expanding world of the ‘Internet of Things’.
Breakthrough technology accurately predicts and visualizes material stresses and crack propagation at multiple scales, enabling innovation in: composites, polymers, Solvay 3D printing, automotive, aerospace, energy and applications in biotech and pharmaceuticals.
Sogefi Filtration Achieved optimisation of production due to IoT-enabled communication.
Source: South Wales Crucible
Vortex IoT – Innovate UK Rail Infrastructure Award Winning SME Vortex IoT is a Swansea based SME which designs and builds practical IoT solutions, for use in industrial and harsh environments settings that generate data to enable new ways of working, deliver operational efficiencies, solve known business problems and drive regulatory compliance. It leads a consortium of partners which include Network Rail, Tata Steel, and Fincore (edge computing specialists) as award winners in the recent Rail Infrastructure competition run by Innovate UK, project RODIO (Railway Optical Detection of Intrusions & Obstructions). An innovative IoT driven remote condition monitoring solution will provide a digitised view of the rail infrastructure allowing central/regional command & control centres to be notified in real time of a series potential hazardous rail obstructions and intrusions. RODIO answers known critical business challenges currently faced by Network Rail and rail service providers.
The product resulting from the RODIO project consists of an ultra-low power mesh network and a series of IoT sensors which are designed by the Vortex IoT team. Both the network and sensors will deliver valuable and highly lucrative commercial IP for the business. The collaboration with Fincore will also deliver ‘pathfinding’ edge computing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities.
4.17 The Welsh Government provides property such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research solutions for manufacturers at Enterprise Zones Institute (AMRI) which is being built in Deeside. in Deeside, St Athan/Cardiff Airport, and Ebbw Phase 1 of AMRI will support industry to adapt Vale, as well as Remotely Piloted Air Systems to modern techniques and will be run in close strategic sites at Aberporth and Llanbedr which collaboration with Sheffield University (see Annex have regulated airspace for test, evaluation and D). demonstration. The Welsh Government also provides strategic support through infrastructure
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RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATIONS (RTOs )
4.18 Our area benefits from hosting a number of • There is a strong innovation RTOs that are aligned to our core strength areas. ecosystem around the Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult • The Factory of the Future, proposed in the (Cardiff) including the joint venture between Swansea Bay City Region deal, will be at the Cardiff University and IQE (Compound centre of a smart manufacturing ecosystem. Semiconductor Centre Ltd), and the Co-locating academia with industry, it will Translational Research Facility discussed combine all three core technology areas to above. develop industrial scale demonstrators that will result in the accelerated adoption of • As discussed in Section 3, AEMRI at TWI smart manufacturing factories of the future by Technology Centre (Port Talbot) provides non- industry. destructive testing and evaluation, supporting industrial research with partners from the • Also based at Swansea, the part ERDF aerospace, automotive, electronics, nuclear funded IMPACT (Innovative Materials and renewable energy sectors. Processing and numeriCal Technologies) delivers industrially inspired, challenge • The OpTIC Technology Centre (St Asaph) led research into future manufacturing combines lab and business incubation technologies. The Computational Foundry facilities to assist new companies serving provides a platform to develop enabling the aerospace and defence, space sciences innovative digital technologies from existing medical and astronomy markets. Innovation strengths in the computer science, mathematics expertise includes engineering design, optical and wider interdisciplinary computational fabrication, surface metrology, and build and and digital innovation communities. integration.
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RELATIONSHIPS AND NETWORKS
4.19 Collaboration with industry sits at the heart of all we do. A key example of this is Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies (ASTUTE) - a pan Wales partnership for industry led collaborative research projects (see below).
ASTUTE – an effective mechanism for industry-academia collaboration ASTUTE capitalises on the world-class manufacturing expertise in Welsh Universities and their international collaborating partners, addressing the need for Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) in industry through the facilitation of effective collaboration between the manufacturing industry and academia in areas that can achieve high economic impact.
The ERDF and participating HEIs funded project is a strong partnership of Welsh universities with teams of world-class academics and a team of highly qualified technical experts. They collaborate with industry to address manufacturing challenges to develop sustainable, higher value goods and services for the global market by exploiting synergies of industrial research and academic expertise. This will realise greater levels of business innovation in manufacturing processes.
Extensive interaction has been achieved with more than 300 businesses in the first phase between 2010 and 2015, resulting in over £200m of beneficial economic impact.58 Independent evaluation concluded that ASTUTE is “an exemplar of Industry/Academia collaboration.”59 Successor programmes ASTUTE2020 and ASTUTE EAST (also EU-funded multi Welsh University partnerships), are continuing work with industry to develop, adopt, embed and exploit advanced and sustainable manufacturing technologies.
The planned £10m The Factory of the Future will be a fundamental science hub as part of the Swansea Bay and the wider manufacturing ecosystem (see Section 9 for more details).
4.20 Business to business collaborations of Electronic and Software Technologies Network Welsh companies include Schaeffler’s partnership for Wales. ASTUTE and Industry Wales are with IBM; Sony with RS Components and Premier close collaborators in shaping the delivery Farnell as well as being home to 33 local of manufacturing research, development and businesses;60 Airbus with a UK supply chain innovation in Wales. comprising more than 4,000 companies, ranging from large MNEs such as Rolls-Royce and GKN 4.22 EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, to hundreds of SMEs; Zodiac seats with Tata to supports business and champions manufacturing name just a few. and engineering. It aims to help UK industry innovate and compete locally and globally. 4.21 Industry Wales is an advisory body to the Welsh Government, representing industry across Wales with its three main divisions of Aerospace Wales Forum, Welsh Automotive Forum and the
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SKILLS
4.23 The UK Industrial Strategy and ‘Made Advanced Materials and Manufacturing as one Smarter Review’ both emphasise the current of five sectors with the greatest skills demand over engineering skills gap, with particular reference the next five years. to industrial digital technologies. Additional research concludes that the UK needs to produce 4.24 In addition to core University undergraduate almost 70k more engineers per year to marry and post graduate programmes the following industry supply with demand.61 The Chief interventions aim to build Wales’ pool of future Scientific Adviser to the Welsh Government has engineers in the core areas of Materials Science, also highlighted the shortage of researchers Computational Engineering and Manufacturing and scientists.62 Reinforcing this, Cardiff Capital Systems Engineering: Region Employment & Skills Plan 2017 includes
ASTUTE 2020, ASTUTE EAST, MetaL and M2A (see Steel Innovation) all include significant skills components, as do the proposed The Factory of the Future and the AMRI.
The National Research Network in Advanced Engineering and Materials: a transformative alliance that enhances fundamental and applied research in Wales, seeking to address the challenges articulated in ‘Science for Wales’.
Cambria Engineering University Centre: offering foundation and bachelor degrees Advanced Manufacturing and Applied Business Management through the Coleg Cambria-Swansea University HE Centre located in Deeside. Working closely with companies such as Toyota UK, Qioptiq, Magellan Aerospace and Granada Material Handling.
Doctoral Training provided via M2A, Coated, MATTER (see Annex D).
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FUNDING AND SUPPORT LANDSCAPE
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
4.25 Compared to the 1.5% of research council funding that organisations in our area secure across all subjects, the table below demonstrates that we perform relatively well in attracting funding for manufacturing (2.7% of the UK total). However, this is still below the expected value of 3%.
Table 4-3: Research funding
Research Council Funding % UK funding 2010-17 Value of funding (£m)
Materials sciences 1.3% 4
Tools, technologies and methods 2.8% 5
Manufacturing 2.7% 4
Process engineering 1.9% 2
Systems engineering 0.6% 37
Mechanical engineering 0.8% 1
Instruments, sensors and detectors 2% 1
Innovate UK Funding
£1m of grants offered over 2010/11-17/18 in the Advanced Materials sector, 3% of UK total £2m of grants offered over 2010/11-17/18 in the Electronics, Photonics and Electrical Systems sector, 6% of UK total £2m of grants offered over 2010/11-17/18 in the High Value Manufacturing sector, 2% of UK total £6m grants offered over 2010/11 – 2017/18 in “Smart Manufacturing”, 3% of UK total
Source: SQW analysis of Research Council and Innovate UK data
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4.26 The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund will 4.30 Partners have been successful in securing be an important source of finance. The Grand a relatively high proportion of European Horizon Challenge area of “Artificial intelligence and the 2020 funding and collaborate with a broad data economy” is addressed by this theme. The range of international partners on these projects. Industrial Strategy also includes provision for a For example, our partner organisations have led £300 million world-class talent fund which can three Horizon2020 projects on Transport with a be used to enhance our skilled workforce, and combined value of €15m, and two projects on Sector Deals e.g. the Automotive and Artificial Technologies for Factories of the Future with a Intelligence Sector Deals. combined value of €9m.63
4.27 The EPSRC Delivery Plan (2016-2020) 4.31 Swansea University’s Technology Centre in outlines three priority areas for strategic Materials has made a significant technological programmes aligned with this theme including contribution to the manufacture of efficient gas productivity, connectedness, and resilience. turbine engines, leading to a significant reduction in fuel consumption. The research has led to the creation of a profitable spin-out company, Swansea NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL Materials Research & Testing Ltd (SMaRT). SMaRT ENGAGEMENT undertakes materials testing in collaboration with Rolls-Royce and has provided access to a network 4.28 Our universities have an impressive consisting of 18 University Technology Centres track record of international collaboration. at 13 UK universities and an extended network SciVal data reveal that in our strength area of of Advanced Manufacturing Research Centres. computational engineering, 72% of papers in Our corporate-academia collaborators are also Applied Mathematics and 63% in Modelling evidenced by the SciVal data above. and Simulation published by our universities over 2014-17 involved international collaboration. 4.32 An internationally-leading computational Strong academic links exist with Karlsruhe research network, focused on finite element/ Institute of Technology, Fraunhofer Institute for discrete element analysis, has been developed Manufacturing Engineering and Automation, collaboratively with Swansea university spin-out Université Grenoble Alpes and Vanguard Initiative Rockfield Software Ltd. Rockfield pioneered the (in collaboration with WG) among others. core technology of commercial software system ELFEN and works with: Unilever, DSTL, QinetiQ, 4.29 Swansea’s academic collaborators include Corus, Proctor & Gamble, Devonport Marine Ltd, a broad range of national and international Rio Tinto, BP-Amoco, Shell, Exxon Mobil, Total- networks. For instance, SPECIFIC project strategic Fina-Elf, Miningtek, Orica, Sandia and Lawrence partners include BASF, NSG Pilkington and Tata Livermore National Laboratories. More recent Steel with their global supply chains which provide developments include work on virtual qualification a route to market for the solutions generated, with the UK AEA and digital twin technologies. and significant generic scaling up process and engineering knowledge. 4.33 Business to Research links are demonstrated from the R&D intense active companies who have established Centres of Excellence in Wales or around the world (see Annex D).
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OPPORTUNITIES GAPS AND WEAKNESSES
4.34 There is an opportunity to build on the existing 4.36 There is a recognised weakness in the investment in the key assets announced in the capacity of Welsh SMEs to invest in leading Swansea Bay City Deal and our strong industry- edge technologies and skills, including industrial academia collaborative research culture. This digitalisation technologies. This impacts on current will further energise our already rapidly growing global market competitiveness and productivity, smart manufacturing innovation ecosystem. We as well as future resilience. Public funding (Welsh, can position ourselves as a regional leader UK and EU) has been used to tackle these gaps contributing to the national agenda for smart but now faces an uncertain future due to Brexit. In manufacturing technologies, linking into and addition, the fledgling manufacturing innovation jointly delivering with the UK Made Smarter hub ecosystem developing around the key assets of and spoke network. This vision requires further ASTUTE, IMPACT and Computational Foundry development of the already announced The has not yet reached a level of sustainability and Factory of the Future and to fully embrace maturity comparable to the Fraunhofer/Catapults disruptive digital technologies such as active and models (see 3.28 in Steel theme) with their ring- intelligent digital twins, to equip and operate it, fenced, long term core funding. unlocking long term capability and capacity to take a leadership role, both driving and serving 4.37 To overcome this, regional assets must be the wider region and nation (see Section 9). utilised fully and developed to enable industry to accelerate implementation and exploitation of 4.35 Specific support is also required to stimulate smart manufacturing technologies via regionalised, and develop innovation and leadership skills, for collaborative R&D&I. Targeted support for skills, example through support to industrial fellowships, leadership and technology uptake is required (see leadership training, industrial lectureships and below and Section 9). doctoral training. The latter will provide knowledge transfer into companies and future leadership to increase the uptake of smart manufacturing technologies. Degree apprenticeships are essential to enable the development and integration of the future skills required by companies to implement new technologies and operate in smart manufacturing environments.
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Table 4-4: Conclusions
Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Skills There is a distinct lack of Weakness in the capacity of Welsh Enhance the existing Swansea engineers qualified at the SMEs to invest in advanced skills University programmes to highest technical levels. will lead to: lack of knowledge increase access to training New developments in and qualified staff in advanced and skills in support of the core technology and the greater and smart manufacturing; limited areas of: Materials Science, complexity of supply technological advancement and Computational Engineering chains are leading to an reduced productivity. and Manufacturing Systems increased requirement for Develop a strong skills base to Engineering. technical and non-technical drive productivity by: skills: Doctoral Training programmes • increasing number of provided via M2A, Coated, • multidisciplinary skills engineering graduates from MATTER (see Skills Hubs in from engineering and Welsh Universities annex D) ASTUTE 2020, computer science to • providing industry informed ASTUTE EAST, The Factory deliver data centric postgraduate research training of the Future, and AMRI are engineering. (doctoral and masters level) in academia/industry collaboration • innovation, leadership the areas of advanced materials programmes which deliver in- and communication skills and smart manufacturing house up skilling of early career are the greatest non- • increasing the number and researchers in Welsh SMEs to technical skills shortages quality of work based become leaders in the Advanced in UK manufacturing. programmes (apprenticeships, and Smart Manufacturing fields • project management education training and learning Cambria Engineering University skills to identify and e.g. METaL). Centre, for foundation degrees assess new opportunities and degree apprenticeships in and manage complex Advanced Manufacturing and supply chains.64 Applied Business Management.
Leadership Only a small proportion of the Doctoral Training through Due to a period of c.3,000 companies in the WG collaborative industry/academia retrenchment by foreign defined Advanced Materials research in smart manufacturing investors, Welsh SMEs and Manufacturing sector have to provide increasing numbers of lost the leadership of established technical R&D centres suitably qualified technical innovation leaders. Incentivise Welsh SMEs to large multinationals in of excellence in Wales to benefit innovate via access to RD&I facilities supply chain practices and from industrial digitalisation and collaboration opportunities (e.g. innovation. technologies. This threatens their ASTUTE). future resilience. Designated innovation spaces (e.g. IMPACT or The Factory of the Future) to host “Centres of Excellence” to support firms to exploiting smart manufacturing technologies.
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Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Technology uptake Wales has a relatively low Welsh Anchor & Regionally Support the manufacturing share of UK R&D spending. Important companies operate clusters through: Welsh manufacturing has faced in global markets. Welsh a challenging period with the SMEs (primarily Tier 2 and 3 • Locally based and delivered closure of major plants (e.g. suppliers) are often tied to the R&D&I, with aligned skills Hoover 2009, Hotpoint 2009, needs of these companies, provision LG 2006). Welsh Government reducing their incentive to • Easy access to cutting edge has recognised under-investment innovate. facilities for R&D&I in adopting advanced • De-risk smart manufacturing technologies and workforce Inability of SMEs to integrate uptake through regionally upskilling as a weakness of our the Smart Manufacturing anchored innovation spaces. SME base. agenda: connectivity, big data, communications and Proximity through Global challenges for automation. regionalisation of advanced manufacturing in Wales are manufacturing facilities with UK from converging trends in digital Lack of government supported Government ring-fenced R&D data. Rapid uptake of Industrial RTOs. Unlike other UK regions, expenditure (e.g. Enhanced Digitalisation will provide Wales lacks any institutions The Factory of the Future), to businesses with the means in advanced or smart benefit from knowledge based to address inefficiencies and manufacturing. cluster developments. continuously improve, innovate, and obtain competitive Establishment of an Active and advantage in the global Intelligent Digital Twin Institute. marketplace. Uninterrupted access to “Manufacturing in 2050 will collaboration opportunities via look very different from today; specialist academic / technical successful firms will be capable expertise (e.g. ASTUTE), in of adapting their physical and order to develop advanced intellectual infrastructures to manufacturing and engineering exploit changes in technology innovations and/or solve as manufacturing becomes company specific issues. faster and more responsive to changing global markets and closer to customers”65.
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5. AGRI-FOOD TECH
Agriculture, together with the food industry, Information gained through new research is the largest contributor to the UK economy needs to be readily available in a usable by far. However, with more innovation format. in practice, well-designed policies, and appropriate access to markets, British Our knowledge exchange systems agriculture could contribute much more. We themselves need innovation to make them find ourselves at a time of new opportunities more cohesive and evidence-driven. In to work together to improve productivity addition to the competitive edge our agri- and to regain our global lead in agri-food food industries seek, we need to pay attention technologies. to environmental impacts that, by their very nature are pre-competitive, affecting us all to We need a profitable and sustainable some extent. farming and food sector, that can and does compete internationally, that is a good I hope that the information gained through steward of the environment, and provides the collaborations in the Science and good food and a healthy diet for people in Innovation Audits will help businesses and The UK and around the world. Innovative government work together more effectively technologies and techniques in agri-food to face the challenges ahead. are vital for our shared future. Lord Curry of Kirkharle, farmer, Member Our researchers and centres of innovation of the Lords Rural Economy Committee are amongst the best in the world and it is and Chairman of Food & Farming Futures clear that to stay competitive, businesses need to know about the latest developments and be able to apply them as appropriate.
HYPOTHESIS We have globally significant strengths in Accelerated process efficiency, productivity agri-food tech related scientific research, growth and economic sustainability will specifically on crop improvement, animal be delivered through world-class research health and managing agri-food waste into improving primary production, streams. By translating these innovative specifically through improvements in crops, process and technology developments into animal health and the waste streams from practice, our primary producers can improve the agri-food supply chain. their productivity performance. This both increases their exporting potential and also Geography: Pan Wales provides higher quality inputs for our food and drink processing industry, thus boosting its long-term competitiveness and its ability to reinvest in the UK.
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5.1 The third theme of this SIA focuses on our global 5.2 Our strengths align well with the UK Industrial leadership in agri-food tech related scientific Strategy’s grand challenge area of clean research, specifically oncrop improvement, growth, in which the efficient use of resources animal health and managing agri-food waste is an important objective. Our strengths are streams. This activity is set against the backdrop of also highly relevant to the Welsh Government’s significant rising demand for food within complex Towards Zero Waste strategy, which sets out global supply chains. Our research in this area priorities for developing a circular economy and is already generating enhanced international actively promoting green growth. competitiveness through increased productivity, exports and high quality employment opportunities for UK producers, manufacturers and distributors.
ENABLING THEMES: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
The underpinning role of digital technologies Agri-food tech research generates valuable datasets with Welsh research facilities creating large volumes of data. For example, the National Plant Phenomics Centre stores an average of 8.3 TBi per month of imaging, genotype and environmental data . In addition, the Metabolomics Laboratory Centre at IBERS provides supercomputer facilities for the processing of high dimensionality Mass Spectrometry data, alongside software for advanced statistical analysis. With its partners, Aberystwyth University has access to veterinary data, as well as precision agri data from a range of remote sensing platforms and Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition. The Welsh Government supported Supercomputing Wales facilities are a key asset for analysing these large datasets.
Food fraud is estimated to cost UK families up to £1.17bn a year. As highlighted below, the food supply chain is fragmented amongst many small firms, underlining an urgent need to establish traceability. Distributed ledger and other advanced data technologies will help the UK build a food system based on trust, thereby ensuring the quality of British food. Swansea University’s Computational Foundry’s strengths in formalising and securing transactions offer design technologies that fit both human and social contexts for supply-chain traceability and accountability.
Energy from biomass Biomass is an increasingly important source of renewable energy, either through simple combustion and pyrolysis or through bio-transformations using fermentation to produce fuels such as methane biogas or ethanol addressing the UK’s need to reduce fossil fuel usage. Our researchers are involved in the use of agricultural and forestry waste as well as dedicated energy crops to address this need. Research on energy crops includes Miscanthus, a hardy perennial that grows well on marginal land with few inputs. Miscanthus research at Aberystwyth University is carried out in collaboration with groups in Europe, Asia and the Americas and is ranked 6th in the world based on SciVal analysis of scholarly output. Aberystwyth University have also developed new hydrids with improved performance, as well as improved processes, to maximise energy from these crops.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL KEY TRENDS AND DRIVERS OF TRENDS GROWTH
5.3 The agri-food tech sector, sometimes known 5.5 In seeking to achieve productivity and as the agri-tech sector,68 is underpinned by growth, our researchers and businesses will a large primary production base covering have to respond to changing contextual drivers agriculture, fisheries and forestry. UK agriculture of change so as to enhance our international is part of a complex global supply chain, which competitiveness. These include: rising demand represents the largest industry in the world, with and sustainable intensification; climate change; an estimated annual GDP contribution of around managing waste streams; supply chain $4.8 trillion.69 It is an industry driven by the resilience; value-added foods; technology fundamental human need for food for survival, developments and convergence; Brexit; and the demand for which is set to increase with the novel farming approaches (see Annex D for expected rise in the global human population to details). c.9.7bn by 2050.70,71 In the UK, food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector, and the food supply chain employs c.4m people, contributing LOCAL SCIENCE AND INNOVATION in excess of £112bn in GVA per year.72 ASSETS
5.4 Whilst the core focus of our theme is research 5.6 Agricultural research has a deep historical excellence, it is through our extensive interactions significance to Wales, particularly to Aberystwyth, with this large industry base that productivity and where experimental work at the Welsh Plant economic growth impacts are realised, and there Breeding Station and Cahn Hill is credited with is clear potential to grow this already significant being vital to the 1940’s war effort through sector further. Welsh food and drink exports in improved agricultural productivity. The sectoral 2016 were large in absolute terms, at almost significance and key focus on productivity £436m, but this only represents 2% of all UK food improvement remain today. Our research and drink exports.73 The Welsh Government has capacity and capability represent distinct foci therefore identified an opportunity to increase the of strength, particularly in crop improvement, annual turnover of the food and drink industry by animal health and managing agri-food waste 30% by 2020, and in the last year, Welsh food streams. These are supported by a dispersed and drink exports have risen by nearly 20%. supply chain covering the whole country.
Our knowledge base offers the capacity to drive 5.7 The table below provides key metrics to innovation and research in agri-food-tech to help illustrate our scientific excellence. The individual continue to deliver growth and sustainability research assets which contribute to this are across the sector. highlighted overleaf.
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Table 5-1: University research strengths
SciVal data – field weighted research impact (2014-2017)
E UI E
The South Wales Crucible partner universities outperform the UK average GE ERAL ETERI AR FOOD A I ALS in a wide range of subject areas related to Agri-Food Tech. Performance is particularly strong in equine, food RE EWABLE E ERG SUSTAI ABILIT THE E IRO E TAL animals, environmental science, and E IRO E T SCIE CE agricultural and biological sciences.
AGRICULTURAL S ALL A I ALS BIOLOGICAL SCIE CES
OCEA OGRA H
SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE HEI U
REF 2014
For “agriculture, veterinary and food science”, Aberystwyth University ranked 5th for overall research power. Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities as a joint submission achieved joint 8th for impact grade point average (an indicator of quality), and joint 17th for overall (considering outputs and impact). Within the impact category, 76% of our research activity was rated as being world leading.
For “earth systems and environmental sciences”, Swansea University was ranked 8th for overall GPA. For research output GPA, Swansea University was ranked 2nd, Cardiff University was ranked 4th, and Aberystwyth and Bangor universities were ranked joint 16th. Within the impact category, Aberystwyth and Bangor universities were ranked joint 17th.
Witty Review
Institutions ranked in the top 20 in the UK for their field weighted citation impact: Agri-tech: University of Wales Bangor (7) Agri-science: University of Wales Bangor (17)
Source: SQW analysis of SciVal, REF and Witty Review data
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Table 5-2: University assets and Welsh Food Centres
Training and Research Assets
Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth University (Continued)
Institute of Biological, Environmental The £4.2m part ERDF funded Vet Hub 1 will support and Rural Sciences (IBERS) - one of only animal health research by providing Wales’ two BBSRC institutes embedded in a UK first biosafety level 3 lab, and also facilitating University. IBERS produces internationally collaboration with industry. recognised research, ranked in the The Growing Mid Wales Partnership and Wales world’s top 150 universities,76 and Veterinary Science Centre are among the partners commercial impact. Between 2012 and working with Vet Hub 1, which is expected to make 2013, IBERS contributed £365m in a valuable contribution to the livestock industry in GVA to the UK economy, and provided Wales and farther afield. 2,450 jobs through operational impacts and improved agricultural productivity. A new Sêr Cymru II STAR will deliver “A Centre Some £247m of this impact is estimated of Excellence for Bovine Tuberculosis (CBTB) to arise through agricultural productivity for Wales”, providing a hub for national and improvements, with the remaining £118m international interdisciplinary research on bovine operational impact encompassing tuberculosis. In combination with VetHub 1, this will student impacts, commercialisation, and develop capacity and expertise in animal health/ income from IBERS77 improved crops, bovine tuberculosis, not currently available in Wales. including grass, clover, and oats. For example, c.65% of all oats used in Together with the recently opened Small Ruminant the UK were bred and developed at Research Platform, part of the national network IBERS. BBSRC and EU funded National of Centre of Innovation Excellence in Livestock, Plant Phenomics Centre is crucial to will strengthen animal health research, making crop improvement research through a valuable contribution to the rural economy understanding the impact of genetics and the livestock industry in Wales and farther and environment on plant phenotype. afield. These facilities integrate with Aberystwyth University’s farms encompassing over 1,000 Ha The EU-backed Future Foods, working of land, including a commercial dairy farm. The with BIC Innovation, will deliver Pwllpeiran Upland Research Platform supported world-class expertise in nutrition, food by BBSRC funding, is a 1346 Ha facility hosted science and technology R&D to Welsh by IBERS as a living laboratory for the development businesses. of improved social, economic and environmental outputs in the predominant, marginal land type of Wales.
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Training and Research Assets
Swansea University Aberystwyth, Bangor and Swansea Universities
Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Each have dedicated research capacity in the Aquatic Research conducts applied field of marine science supported by sea-going research on a diverse range of aquatic research vessels providing coverage of the organisms, linking with our animal health entire Welsh coastline, and including substantial strength. It also advises industry and programmes on seafood sustainability. All three government, for example on the Wales institutions collaborate on major pan-Wales marine Fisheries Strategy (2008). projects such as SEACAMS, ECOSTRUCTURE and BLUEFISH. The Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) is leading two projects using BEACON biorefining facilities (total value = £32M with £20M from ERDF) at Aberystwyth, Bangor industrial CO2 plus nitrates and phosphates from wastewater to produce pure protein and Swansea Universities. BEACON supports our from Algae as a replacement for animal strength in managing waste streams by, for example, protein. developing processes for the transformation of materials and waste-streams, including those from The Biocontrol and Natural Products food processing, into high added-value products (BANP) group at Swansea University for market applications. BEACON offers businesses focusses on two broad areas: with interests in the bio-refining sector access to the • Biocontrol: developing natural strong knowledge base, capability and infrastructure agents for the control of invertebrate at our universities. An example of combining our pests which impact on food security crop improvement and biorefining capability is and human and animal health. reflected in the use of IBERS’ HSG as a feedstock for several bio-tech research projects, with industry • Natural Products: exploiting agents partners to produce platform chemicals for plastics or their by-products for use in disparate and other markets, as well as biocomposites and biotechnologies that contribute to fine chemicals. protecting the environment and the generation of new therapeutics for Welsh Food Centres healthcare. Zero2Five Food Industry Centre (Cardiff Cardiff University Metropolitan University), The Food Centre Wales (Horeb, Ceredigion) and The Food Technology Sustainable Places Research Institute Centre (Coleg Menai, Grwp Llandrillo Menai) develops responses to issues such as climate drive continuous improvement and innovation in the change and resource depletion, linking to food sector, and provide technical and operation the environmental impact aspect of agri-food support to businesses. tech.
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INDUSTRY
5.8 The agri-food sector is an important industry 5.9 There are difficulties in measuring on-farm both in terms of the proportion of the Welsh employment robustly due to data limitations, but workforce employed in it, and the 88% of Welsh estimates for Wales range from around 40k-54k, land committed to agriculture.78 Productivity with particularly high numbers in Powys, improvements will put us in a strong position to Carmarthenshire and Gwynedd (8.6k, 5.3k, tackle the UK’s trade deficit in food and drink.79 and 4.8k respectively).80 The map below shows Our world leading activity in this theme focuses those local authority areas with the highest levels on the largely academic research strengths of of employment in agriculture, forestry and fishing crop improvement, animal health, and managing relative to total employment, as well as key agri- waste streams. This translates into beneficial food tech assets. productivity impacts and support to the clean growth agenda when implemented by industry, ranging from primary producers through to large supermarket chains.
Figure 5-1: Map of agri-food tech employment and assets
Business support
Education/Research
Government FOOD TECHNOLOGY Natural resource CENTRE Society/Network/Union
Wales (Agri-Food Tech theme) BIOCOMPOSITE CENTRE
Primary Roads
Agriculture, forestry & shing - % of total employment in all sectors (2016)
14% LEVERCLIFF
0%
CENTRE FOR ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGY ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY: BIOSPHERE National Phenomics Centre - Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus - IBERS - BEACON - Barrett Centre for Helminth Control - c.1,000ha of University Farms - Well-being & Health Assessment Research Unit ROYAL WELSH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY - Small Ruminant Platform (part of CIEL) PWLLPEIRAN UPLAND YOUNG FARMERS CLUB - Wales Soil Moisture Monitoring Network RESEARCH PLATFORM LANTRA FARMING CONNECT Farmers’ Union of Wales NFU CYMRU Food and Farming Futures Hig Cig Cymru - Meat Promotion Wales Menter a Busnes (Farming Connect) Wales Veterinary Science Centre Welsh Lamb and Beef Producers FOOD CENTRE WALES
DAIRY DEVELOPMENT NATIONAL BOTANICAL CENTRE GARDENS
CENTRE OF EXELLENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE AQUATIC RESEARCH
ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre SWANSEA UNIVERSITY Cardi University Water Research Institute BEACON Cardi University Sustainable Places Research Institute Food Security Land Research Alliance WISE CDT Natural Resource Wales
Source: Produced by SQW 2018. Licence 100030994. Contains OS data © Crown copyright [and database right [2018] and workplace employment by broad industry by Welsh local authority, Welsh Government.
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5.10 Employment in the broader agri-food sector and NutriWales. The latter aims to stimulate joint is substantial for Wales (85.2k), which has a research, product development, and access to higher concentration of employment within the new markets to benefit both the Welsh economy sector (with an LQ of 1.95) compared to Scotland, and the nutritional health of Wales.86 England and the Great Britain average. The Welsh Government has recognised the importance of the 5.14 Menter a Busnes provides a range of farming, food and drink industry by identifying it business support services including: Cywain, a as a foundation sector. It generated £4.5bn of project to develop new products for agricultural GVA in 2015 and accounted for c.18% of all or fisheries businesses; Farming Connect, a Welsh jobs in 2016. The sector is dominated knowledge transfer, innovation and advisory by micro-businesses (85%) 81,82 and of the almost service under the Rural Development Programme 28k food and drink businesses in Wales, only 75 (2014-2020); and the European Innovation are classed as large businesses.83 Partnerships (EIP) Wales. This connects primary producers to scientific researchers to find 5.11 The Welsh Government has defined two solutions to common agricultural and forestry anchor companies – Boparan Holdings (owners issues, allowing the creation of projects with up of the 2Sisters Food Group), and Dwˆ r Cymru to £40,000 of funding.87 EIP Wales is a good Welsh Water – and around 15 regionally example of farmer-led research supported by our important companies in the sector. The latter are specialised scientists translating innovations into spread across Wales and cover all aspects of practice. The IBERS Knowledge Exchange Hub the industry. Examples include wholesaler Castell provides a bridge between current agri-research, Howell, agricultural supplier Wynnstay, brewer industry and the Farming Connect team through S. A. Brain, dairy company First Milk and Cheese briefing papers, seminars and videos. Company, potato processor Puffin Produce, and meat supplier Randall Parker. It is companies 5.15 Three further Welsh Government initiatives such as these which bring Welsh investment in support the sector: Natural Resources Wales food and drink R&D to over £4m per annum.84 provides advisory, regulatory, research and management services for the environment; whilst 5.12 A developing asset for industry is the the Food Innovation Wales network unites the £40.5m ERDF and BBSRC funded Aberystwyth three Welsh Food centres, Zero2Five Food Innovation and Enterprise Campus. This Industry Centre, The Food Centre Wales and provides facilities and expertise to help businesses The Food Technology Centre. Through Food translate innovations and investments in agri-food Innovation Wales, the RDP-funded Project HELIX tech into new products, processes and services. provides funding support to allow Welsh SMEs to Once fully established, it is estimated that the improve production and reduce waste; the Food Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus and Drink Industry Board supports the growth of could help IBERS add almost £400m of GVA per the whole industry. year to the UK economy by 2020.85 5.16 Our universities engage at all levels of the supply chain to disseminate research outputs to a RELATIONSHIPS AND NETWORKS huge range of businesses. Annex D details case studies where our research has delivered tangible 5.13 Our assets are well connected by the six benefits to industry. Food and Drink Wales Clusters. In addition to Export Club and High Impact Business, there are four sub-sector focused clusters: Drinks Development; Fine Foods Wales; Welsh Seafood;
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SKILLS
5.17 The UK food and drink industry is 5.20 Our universities also contribute to this predicted to require 140,000 new recruits by agenda, with Aberystwyth and Swansea 2024,88 especially for highly qualified staff, universities working together though the WEFO whilst further research has identified that 45% funded BioInnovation Wales project. This provides of Welsh businesses in the food and drink flexible postgraduate training encompassing all sector have a skills gap.89 Bespoke research aspects of the food and biotechnology pipelines, conducted by Aberystwyth University (47 survey to update technical knowledge and embed a responses) identified that ‘technical information’ research culture in the workplace without the need and ‘awareness of the latest research and for employees to take significant time out of work. developments in the sector’ were the main Aberystwyth’s Distance Learning Sustainable and staff training areas that would benefit future Efficient Food Production MSc course aimed at company development.90 This highlights the agri-professionals is already the most popular need to provide high quality technical support course of its kind measured by recruitment of UK to translate innovation into practice, and aligns based students in 2016/17,95 providing training with the OECD report expressing the importance for approximately 100 students per annum.96 of technology implementation.91 5.21 We are also involved in the national 5.18 Two key challenges will be to address the BBSRC-funded AgriFood Training Partnership increased demand for interdisciplinary skills to which translates recent academic research into create competitive production systems, and to industry focused distance-learning at level 7 improve the digital skills of agri-food businesses and 8. so that they may benefit from opportunities offered by the Internet of Things.92 Increasing the attractiveness of the agri-food sector to undergraduates and improving universities’ understanding of the research and educational needs of the sector will also be important.
5.19 Existing initiatives include the Food and Drink Wales Strategic Plan 2018 which aims to improve skills in the sector.93 For example, apprenticeships are being promoted at level 3 and above and in 2016/17, almost 1,000 apprenticeships in agriculture and food and drink manufacturing were offered.94 Some of the programmes discussed above also offer skills elements e.g. Lantra deliver CPD courses as part of Farming Connect. Additionally, colleges spread across Wales provide a range of courses in agri-food related subjects.
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FUNDING AND SUPPORT LANDSCAPE
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
5.22 The Crucible partners compete successfully for Research Council funding, particularly in the areas of “Animal Science” and “Plant and crop science”, both of which are highly relevant to our focus areas of animal health and crop improvement. We also 'punch above our weight' in attracting funding from Innovate UK and European funding.
Table 5-3: Research funding (2010-17)97
Research Council funding to SWC universities only1 Total funding (£m)x Agri-environment 12.8 Animal science 11.2 Bioengineering 9.0 Climate & climate change 6.8 Food and nutrition 5.0 Marine science 15.5 Plant and crop science 30.7 Innovate UK Funding2
£6m of grants offered over 2010/11-17/18 in the Sustainable Agri-Food (SAF) Protection area budget holder, 6% of the UK total.
European Funding Horizon 2020xi3,footnote Societal Challenge Fund 2 (Food Security, Sustainable agriculture and forestry, €6.2m marine and maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy Societal Challenge Fund 5 (Climate action, environment, resource efficiency €5.4m and raw materials) Excellence Science Pillar: European Research Council €6.2m Excellence Science Pillar: Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) €5.4m Excellence Science Pillar: Research Infrastructure €1.6m MSCA COFUND project At least €1.4m
Source: 1Aberystwyth University analysis of GtR data: 2SQW analysis of Technopolis compiled data, 3Analysis of European Commission via the Welsh Government Horizon 2020 Unit, correct at 31 May 2018, identifying relevant agri-food and environment projects.
x Excludes training grants and scholarships. The four SWCA universities were awarded 172 training and 246 scholarships, worth c£64mil across all sectors between 2010-2017. However it was difficult to attribute the training grants to relevant sectors, so were these were excluded from the data above. xiValue of funding awarded to Wales-based participants
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5.23 Wales is a significant benefactor of the 5.25 There is also strong policy support for the European regional funding schemes, for example sector. Our strengths are well aligned with the Wales has been awarded (across all sectors) Industrial Strategy Grand Challenge area of £759m from the European Regional Development clean growth, and the ISCF ‘Transforming Food Fund (ERDF) and c.£680m from the European Production’ call, particularly the efficiency and Social Fund (ESF) between 2014 to 2020 sustainability aspects. Emphasising the global in approved projects. Of this ERDF funding, nature of food production and consumption, c.£117m of projects have relevance to agri-food five of the UN’s 17 Global Goals for 2030 are and the environment (See Annex D). The ESF has also directly relevant to our scientific strengths.xii funded projects such as the Bioinnovation Wales Through Sêr Cymru, two of the National Research project (see skills section) and KESS II studentships. Networks are applicable to support research in In IBERS alone, c.£2.5m and £120,000 of this the agri-food sector – those for Life Sciences, and funding supported PhD and master KESS II students Low Carbon Energy and Environment. respectively. These funding streams provide a key foundation from which Wales can create global 5.26 At a Welsh level, food is one of four impact and be successful in competitive funding foundation sectors in the Welsh Government’s streams, therefore replacing this funding will be Economic Action Plan. The Welsh food sector key following Brexit. aims to achieve 30% growth in food and drink sales by 2020.104 Finally, the Natural Resources Policy 2017 outlines the importance of managing LOCAL FUNDING SOURCES Wales’ natural resources effectively.
5.24 Local funding sources to support our strengths include a commitment of almost £16m of business investment funds through the Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 and other Government and business investment targeting SMEs.99,100 Examples of RDP funding schemes include EIP Wales and grant schemes under Farming Connect as discussed above. Additionally, the Welsh Government’s Food Business Investment scheme101 supports business growth. The “Regional Investment in Wales after Brexit” paper is a “first step” in developing a new approach to economic development in Wales, along with a number of post-Brexit proposals.102,103
xii The five are: Zero Hunger; Clean Water and Sanitation; Responsible Consumption and Production; Climate Action; and Life Below Water.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL average of c.0.7% on both measures for all FP7 ENGAGEMENT projects.105 In terms of academic research, SciVal data reveal that between 2014-17, almost 70% 5.27 Our organisations work collaboratively of our output in ‘Agricultural and Biological with both global and local supply chains (see Sciences’ involved international collaboration. Table 5-4, Figure 5-2 and Annex D) so that In addition, the National Plant Phenomics Centre excellent research translates into high impact is part of the European Plant Phenotyping outputs. This is vital when delivering a secure Network. food supply, whilst seeking to manage carefully the associated environmental impacts. At a UK 5.29 Indicating the international recognition level, we are involved in key initiatives such as of our expertise, researchers at IBERS have BioPilotsUK, a collaboration between five bio- advised international government agencies refining centres to support the commercialisation (including Welsh and UK (WG Marine & of bio-based products and processes; and the Fisheries Division, Defra, Cefas), Falkland Islands BBSRC/EPSRC Plants to Products network. (Fisheries), South Africa (SASMIA), Mauritius / Seven Welsh companies and five universities are Tanzania / Madagascar (Indian Ocean Tuna part of the c.300 member group, which conducts Commission, WIOMSA) governments) and the research into processing plant material into high Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change value compounds for pharma, nutraceutical and (IPCC) on issues relating to marine science. platform chemicals. We are also engaged with Food and Farming Futures, a UK-wide platform 5.30 IBERS also leads the Forages for Africa to facilitate technology transfer to accelerate initiative, a collaboration with national and innovation uptake, whilst the Small Ruminant international research organisations based in nine Research Platform at Aberystwyth is part of the East and Southern sub-Saharan African countries. national Centre of Innovation Excellence in The overall aim is to establish appropriate Livestock. forage-based feed resources for livestock smallholder farms, using the plant breeding 5.28 Demonstrating our international capabilities of IBERS and the International Center competitiveness, Welsh organisations led 23 for Tropical Agriculture. The most recent project projects worth a combined total of €110m under aims to improve animal productivity and reduce the EU’s Framework Programme 7 (FP7) in ‘food, greenhouse gas emissions of Colombian cattle agriculture and fisheries, and biotechnology.’ At farmers using genetically improved forages, and over 4% of the UK totals on both projects and will generate data that can be used globally.106 funding, this is comfortably more than the Welsh
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Table 5-4: Examples of national and international engagement on crop improvement
Pearl Millet: Boosting Wellness and Food Security A partnership between Bangor and Aberystwyth universities and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Acid Tropics, developed the HHB 67 variety pearl millet using novel genetic marker-assisted breeding technology. This variety has been grown on 700,000 ha in drought- prone areas of India, improving the food security of three million people. Current efforts focus on developing varieties of millet with an improved nutritional profile to benefit those suffering from type-2 diabetes.107
Oats: Tailored for nutrition and health IBERS’ oat breeding programme has produced varieties tailored to deliver human health advantages (high beta glucan to reduce coronary heart disease) and also animal feed varieties. Circa 65% of oats used in the UK are IBERS’ varieties, with an estimated market value of £123m p.a.108 IBERS’ varieties are marketed by Senova Ltd and tested for milling quality by the British Oat and Barley Millers Association.
Home grown Forages as Sustainable Protein Feed Significant quantities of protein - c.33% of total demand - are imported into the UK for animal feed, giving rise to concerns around traceability, price volatility and food security. A collaborative project between IBERS, Germinal Holdings Ltd and producers and processors within the Waitrose supply chain is trialling sustainable alternatives, bringing gains in economic and environmental efficiencies.109
Figure 5-2: Case study on IBERS’ engagement with Germinal Holdings
The Products: THE RELATIONSHIP: “Germinal Holdings Ltd and IBERS have forged a two-way relationship that is second to none, each knows what is required 63 commercial plant to produce successful research with commercial advantage to the industrial partner... Our relationshjp with Aberystwyth University/IBERS varieties developed is long standing and long term” “directly and solely” with IBERS, providing Paul Billings, Managing Director, April 2018 estimated turnover of £7-10 million p.a. for Germinal Holdings Ltd. 6 JOBS created in last 5 years within Germinal Opportunities: IBERS’ 63% of all UK Holdings Ltd. world class facilities, agricultural perennial 9 RESEARCH including the ryegrass seed Research Farm Manager GRANTS phenomics centre, production is from New products in last 5 years pollen proof chambers, genomics screening, Germinal Holdings development manager, technical advisor, 3 expert plant breeders Ltd/IBERS varieties marketing roles
SKILLS RECIEVED: 1 MSc (via the Advanced Training Partnership at IBERS) “Farming has never faced so many conflicting demands and so much On-going training provided by IBERS change all at the same time” SKILLS PROVIDED: 20 years of training (jointly with IBERS) >800 farm advisors, outreach estimate = 24,000 farms Paul Billings, Managing Director, 4 studentships sponsored April 2018
Source: Aberystwyth University interview with Paul Billings, Managing Director of Germinal Holdings Ltd
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GAPS AND WEAKNESSES
5.31 Ian Boyd, DEFRA Chief Scientist stated in Acceleration potential, informed by consultation Jan 2016 (Twitter) “Economic returns on R&D are with industry stakeholders and desk-based about 27 x investment but it takes an average of research, is listed below in order of urgency. The 23 years for R&D innovation to be taken up by potential solutions recognise the Reid Review’s agriculture.” The reasons for this are complex, but recommendation that “a distinctive approach is the challenges facing the agri-food sector could needed to promote business innovation in rural represent opportunities to enable progression communities”111 and that SMEs, which dominate within Wales. Wales is well positioned with its the agri-food tech sector, face different challenges Knowledge Economy systems already in place, than larger companies, where large scale industry R&D excellence and is the “only place in the UK investment requirements of schemes are often where you can develop a food or drink product prohibitive to collaboration. from concept to consumer in one location.”110
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Table 5-5: Conclusions
Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Clean Growth The sustainable use of Wales has a substantial Research into sustainable agricultural finite natural resources proportion of agricultural land, practices will be essential in meeting to provide sufficient food and the food and drink sector this challenge. The SWC universities and fuel to meet the is a major industry. offer world class expertise, however, demands of a growing continued and increased investment global population is is critical. Dissemination of the vital. Agriculture is also research findings is also vital to a substantial contributor ensure knowledge transfer and to greenhouse gas implementation of innovative emissions. techniques.
Research and Innovation As the largest industry in There is an opportunity to Increasing the funding support will the world, the food and increase Welsh food and facilitate R&D activity at scale to meet the demands and market opportunity of drink sector represents drink exports. this significant sector. Long term funding a significant opportunity There are proportionally structures must also be provided. for economic gains fewer funding calls dedicated and is identified by to food supply chain Raise awareness of IP rights as assets the Welsh Government improvements and food within SMEs in the agri-food tech sector. There is an opportunity for government Economic Action Plan as security relative to the size a foundation sector. to review the eligibility costs in grant of the market opportunity. funding support to include IP registration There is a specific aim Furthermore, funding for costs, but also generate greater to achieve 30% growth research projects is short term awareness of IP rights as assets. in the sector, with a (1-3 years) which can present bespoke action plan to a challenge when faced Development of key infrastructure would deliver this goal. with seasonal effects and support innovation in the agri-food sector, either through the establishment Key infrastructure needs long production lead times associated with agriculture. of a catapult type centre or through to be developed to utilising the Aberystwyth Innovation support the agri-food The financial risk and capacity and Enterprise Campus to provide such sector. to trial new innovations for a service in Wales. Additionally, an innovation test-bed facility/advisory The agri-food sector SMEs in agri-food tech is a barrier to innovation. network “what-works centre” acting has a preponderance as an innovation showcase may help of SMEs, which face There is currently no catapult SMEs feel more confident in investing in disproportionate centre or similar facility in the new technologies and processes. challenges in financing UK for agri-food. innovation R&D. The KE systems should be underpinned by better communication between academia and industry, and extend into schools, to ensure the generation of a future skilled workforce.
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Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Integration of agri and healthcare Food related human There is a real opportunity to Integrate agri-food and health within health issues such as use R&D to develop functional government policy and industry obesity and diabetes food products and to integrate advisory services. Support for R&D to type 2 are significant food and health. strengthen knowledge and innovation concerns for the UK will provide dual benefits within both population, including sectors. Research at IBERS and Bangor Wales. Functionalised University is already investigating ways food can offer to increase the healthiness of foods. substantial health Aberystwyth University’s Well-being benefits. Currently and Health Assessment Research there is a gap in the Unit also offers a platform to integrate integration of food and food and human health, and translate health. research findings.
Technology Technology is vital to There is a preponderance The plant phenomics centre at the sector. Building of SMEs within the agri- Aberystwyth University is one example on technological food sector, and this industry of using technology to advance advancements structure can make sector- R&D in crop improvements. Further and disseminating wide advances in technology developments in technology will technology will difficult to achieve. support the whole supply chain, as strengthen businesses. well as research to support global competitiveness in the sector.
Connectivity Welsh Government support, Transport and infrastructure, plus The agri-food sector e.g. Superfast Cymru, and technology for remote networking has a preponderance business incentives112 help to is vital for supporting businesses. of micro business and address this issue. However, Further building upon the Welsh SMEs that are spread continued support in this area Government Superfast Cymru project across a highly rural has the potential to bring to deliver broadband connectivity in area, giving rise to further gains. all rural areas.113 connectivity issues.
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Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Skills There is significant There is an opportunity to Within Wales, apprenticeship demand for increased increase the skills base in the schemes are currently being skills within the sector, agri-food sector in Wales promoted up to level 5. The with 140,000 new to safeguard the industry’s Aberystwyth University and Swansea recruits required by ability to respond to global University collaborative BioInnovation 2024, whilst research challenges and market Wales project is hoping to explore identified that 45% of demands. delivery of level 7 apprenticeships. Welsh business in the Lantra, as part of Farming Connect, food and drink sector also offer CPD courses to support have a skills gap (see skills development, and colleges Annex D). offer a range of courses in agri-food. Building links to schools to promote the sector will develop the next generation of skills.
Food security R&D into agri-food is There are significant Elevating the importance of critical to food security opportunities for export for agriculture and food security in and meeting market agri-food businesses, meaning R&D funding will greatly support demands. UK markets that innovations in agri-food advancements in this sector, are affected by trends developed in Wales have especially in relation to systems to in other countries – relevance to the global stage. support knowledge exchange and providing opportunity for implementation of innovation. export but also risk to Brexit will create opportunities UK production. Animal for new markets/products. International networks and feed protein (where Maintaining innovation during collaborations with international there is a heavy reliance the transition period will be organisations are key to providing on imported soya) is important to maximise this solutions to the global issues an example of this risk, potential. facing the agri-food sector. Active and the development of involvement in such collaborations “home-grown” animal is a key strength of our universities, feed protein crops showcased by the international increases food security engagement case studies presented and resilience. in this SIA.
Source: South Wales Crucible
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6. HEALTH INNOVATION
The global demand for safe, effective and to ‘facilitate the growth of a dynamic life affordable healthcare treatments continues science ecosystem, leveraging financial to rise and with it the need for innovative investment where industry, academia, solutions to complex conditions. New clinicians and government collaborate advances in personalised care, diagnostics, and deliver a sustainable economy and biologics, digitisation and neurological excellence in healthcare innovation’. interventions are transforming the way clinicians can be pre-emptive and improve Outcome and data driven healthcare is patient quality of life. There are a variety what we as healthcare providers and device of challenges to be overcome but the range manufacturers must focus on. I believe that of assets and excellence in Wales creates Wales, being as close to one true health exciting opportunities for growth and real- service as we will find in the UK, is the place world impact. where innovation can be adopted and where early adoption and data analysis can prove The life science sector in South Wales is a a true step-change in healthcare delivery. vibrant ecosystem of innovative companies Direct Healthcare Group is proud to work underpinned by the research of world- alongside organisations that share this ethic leading academic institutions. This sector and are working towards the translation of is an important driver of economic growth this research and putting it into action. vital to the Welsh economy for developing high-end skills, creating jobs and increasing Graham Ewart, wealth. The Welsh life science sector is CEO of Direct Healthcare Services supported by the Welsh Government’s vision
HYPOTHESIS Developments within data driven life-long – including the NHS Wales Trust- and patient health and mental health will be accelerated population provide a uniquely diverse sample by the creation of an interconnected test bed to trial and progress new innovations before for innovative developments in healthcare, wider commercialisation. By combining and drawing on our clear and distinctive strengths integrating our assets more intelligently, new in health informatics, neuroscience and industry developed products and health service clinical/medical technology innovation. developments can be rapidly piloted and commercialised in the Welsh Living Health Lab. Geography: South Wales Companies and health research charities will benefit from faster access to more comprehensive We have identified distinctive strengths data on drug/device performance than is and critical mass in health informatics, currently available, thus accelerating and de- neuroscience and clinical/medical technology risking their future R&D activities. Taken in the innovation. Too often however, the key assets round, this makes Wales an attractive location underpinning these strengths do not work on for foreign direct investment and high value job a cross-disciplinary collaborative basis. Our creation. research base, assets, innovation landscape
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6.1 The fourth theme of this SIA focuses on our 6.2 Our powerful digital health infrastructure and strengths in health informatics, neuroscience and focused life science research institutes and facilities clinical/medical technology innovation. Wales can be harnessed to effectively and rapidly pilot has an impressive clinical innovation landscape new industry developed products and health of research facilities, innovation activities and service developments. There is significant growth academic leaders with international reach. The potential in a data-centric approach to health that Welsh Living Health Lab concept will combine our interconnects our strengths in health informatics, assets and supporting capabilities to accelerate neuroscience and clinical/medical technology the development of new products and healthcare innovation. Our industrial capabilities and services in response to the twin challenges highly integrated Welsh NHS system provide the associated with rising healthcare costs and an broader ecosystem to develop, test and evaluate ageing society. The Living Health Lab will support these products in clinical settings. the launch of novel treatments and therapeutics (including through the mainstreaming of precision 6.3 Our strengths are strategically aligned with medicine) in Wales, thus increasing the speed of the Industrial Strategy Grand Challenge area NHS adoption. Importantly, our companies and of an ageing population, and with ISCF calls research charities will benefit from faster access related to “healthcare and medicines” and “data to more comprehensive data on drug/device to early diagnosis and precision medicine.” performance than is currently available. This will accelerate and de-risk their future R&D activities, making Wales a more attractive location for investment and high value job creation.
ENABLING THEMES: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
As noted above, the Industrial Strategy identifies a need to use data and artificial intelligence to transform the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. This theme helps to achieve this by utilising our strengths in enabling digital technology advances such as human- computer interaction, meta-data and big data analysis, stratification, healthcare digitisation, machine learning and population dynamics modelling.
The combination of a single NHS Wales Trust structure, databanks, data centres and innovative data analysis methodologies together create a powerful and unique regional resource, which is a key defining feature of our cluster development proposition. Data captured by the NHS Wales Informatics Service is made available for research purposes in fully anonymised form via the Secure Anonymised Data Linkage Databank which comprises over 20bn records stretching back 20 years from the entire Welsh population. A recent investment of £8m in Data Science Swansea brings two exciting Centres of Excellence together under one roof – the £9.3m Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research and the new £8m Administrative Data Research Centre Wales, enabling researchers to work
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together to unleash the potential of large scale data to conduct powerful new research. The Computational Foundry has “health and well-being” as a key driver and its research has already had a global impact on the understanding of best practice for safer interactive medical devices.
The use of Welsh population data sets has the potential to improve the efficacy of treatments through more timely and targeted use. We have a relatively small but significant urban geography which can be contrasted with the wider rural geography to create a robust, stable and widely applicable population sample. Applying these innovative methods in an interconnected approach has the potential to deliver a step-change in progress across areas such as: precision medicine; integrated diagnostics; regenerative medicine; e-health and mobile-health; cell and gene therapy; genetic testing; and brain mapping.
ENABLING THEMES: ENERGY
The South Wales region is home to some of the lowest air quality in the UK. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Port Talbot as being “the most polluted UK town or city”. The reduction of industrial emissions through alternative energy systems and lowering carbon emissions that is being pioneered by the Reducing Industrial Carbon Emissions project at Swansea University and University of South Wales are essential demonstrators for technology that can protect and enhance the health of the population – including its workforce and wealth generators. Our research will provide a significant decrease in industrial GHG and particulate emissions that is responsible for these polluted cities.
Aligned with air quality, water quality and treatment is also a key Health issue. Our researchers are involved in a fundamental shift in how waste water is treated from anaerobic to aerobic, which allows for lower GHG emissions and a decrease in noxious odours.
As the UK moves to using more electricity, the National Grid will struggle to cope with the extra demand. One consequence is that the NHS will need to ensure secure supply as emergency supply cannot be provided by diesel generators – they need storage and either fuel cell or battery supply and so will directly benefit from the energy research undertaken by the consortium. Furthermore, the consortium will also look to extend collaboration currently undertaken with South Wales Police on lowering the cost of energy through innovation, to the NHS.
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NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRENDS
6.4 Healthcare and the life sciences are becoming Brazil and China (10% and 7% respectively).116 increasingly globalised, both in terms of product Worldwide, continued growth is expected over markets and R&D locations. For example, the rise the coming years, with global pharmaceutical of Singapore and other leading international R&D sales expected to grow to $1.2trillion, health hubs (such as Boston, Massachusetts) are leading relevant biotechnology products to $315bn, and to a gradual migration of research activities away medical device sales to $478bn by 2020.117 from Europe.115 In terms of sales, North America accounted for almost 50% of world pharma 6.5 Consultees emphasised that our companies revenues in 2016, but its c.6% growth rate was are competing in an international market. To do lower than that of the emerging economies of so effectively, our companies must be alive and alert to the following sector shaping trends and opportunities:
An ageing population is the most significant driver for changing health and social care needs in our society. Partly caused by this, global health care spending is expected to increase to $1,412 per head by 2019.118
Greater personalisation of healthcare treatments will be enabled by the implementation of genetic testing, and better molecular design and targeting of medicines.119 In addition, biologics/ biosimilars/ recombinant products and antibody treatments will increase in prevalence.120
Clinical engineering methods will drive regenerative medicine innovation in areas such as skin grafts, 3D bio-printing, bio-electric implants and medical devices.
Increasing healthcare digitisation (patient records, disease statistics, population meta-data): AI will enable semi-autonomous approaches and big data analytics will allow population wide data mining.121
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LOCAL SCIENCE AND INNOVATION ASSETS
Universities
The Welsh Living Health Lab concept is underpinned by the extensive research and innovation strengths primarily within Swansea and Cardiff Universities (see table 6-1 for details).
Table 6-1: University research strengths data
SciVal data – field weighted citation impact (2014-2017)
E I INE South Wales Crucible universities I NOLO IOEN INEE IN I O IOLO outperform the UK average on
Medicine, Immunology and Microbiology, and Pharmacology. HA A OLO TO I OLO HEALTH IN O ATION HA A E TI South Wales Crucible universities ANA E ENT match UK performance in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biochemistry.
IO E I AL HOLO EN INEE IN
IO ATE IAL NE O IEN E
IO HE I T ENETI OLE LA IOLO
O TH ALE I LE HEI
UK top 20 ranking by research power UK top 20 ranking by quality (GPA)
Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, and Pharmacy: Cardiff (3rd), Swansea (13th) Nursing and Pharmacy: Swansea (2nd), Biological Sciences: Cardiff (14th) Cardiff (4th), Bangor (18th) Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience: Biological Sciences: Cardiff (13th) Cardiff (6th) Clinical Medicine: Cardiff (8th) Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience: Cardiff (2nd), Bangor (17th) Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care: Cardiff (20th)
UK top 20 ranking by impact
Clinical Medicine: Cardiff (8th) Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy: Cardiff (3rd), Swansea (18th), Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience: Swansea (2nd), Cardiff (10th) Biological sciences: Cardiff (9th)
Source: SQW analysis of SciVal and REF data
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6.6 Our expertise is supported by a wide range and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) of academic centres of excellence that provide Unit explores research in therapeutic delivery, world-leading capabilities. By harnessing these neuroimaging, wearable technologies and patient currently siloed and niche expertise areas, we can involvement with experts from Cardiff, Swansea contribute towards addressing the so-called Grand and Bangor Universities, along with colleagues Challenges and future health concerns, as well in NHS Wales and industry. Also based in as driving long-term economic and productivity Cardiff, the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric growth for the benefit of the UK. For example, Genetics and Genomics uses statistical, clinical, by embedding a health informatics approach genomic and bioinformatics research to develop into clinical trials and neurological research, better diagnosis and treatment for psychiatric, it is expected that population wide data trends neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative will be more evident and thus enable the more disorders. These assets are complemented by efficient and effective targeting of treatments for a the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research more personalised medicine approach. and the Centre for Innovative Ageing which aim to improve social policy by bringing together 6.7 Our research base, innovation landscape biological, psycho-social and environmental and patient population provide a uniquely diverse expertise. sample to trial new innovations before wider release. The local population would benefit from Clinical and Medical Technology innovation increased availability of advanced treatments, diagnostics and devices, in addition to the 6.9 The world’s first national wound healing potential research and economic benefits that centre, the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre introducing innovative new products and services (WWIC) is a flagship facility for clinical innovation to market would make to the UK economy. This which aims to improve wound prevention and opportunity has been recognised more widely by treatment, and is proving an exemplar worldwide research which identifies life sciences and drug (see annex D). Clinical innovation in areas such discovery as a strong business-university hot as cancer, infection and immunity treatments spot,122 as evidenced by recent private sector is also supported by the Positron Emission investments.123 The assets summarised below Tomography Imaging Centre based at University reflect the key components necessary for research Hospital Wales which allows researchers to track and innovation growth in data-driven lifelong the effects of drugs at a granular level and detect health and mental health. small quantities of malignant tissue. Additional translational and clinically oriented innovation is Neuroscience provided by Cardiff’s European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, with expertise in translational 6.8 Major assets such as the Dementia Research science, and the Medicines Discovery Institute. Institute and Cardiff University’s Neuroscience The Institute undertakes central nervous system and Mental Health Research Institute bring together and oncology drug discovery research as part of expertise in brain imaging, neurobiology, genetics, an effort to translate fundamental discoveries and immunology, cognition and population health to determine molecular targets for new drugs. understand the causes of Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. 6.10 The Institute of Life Science at Swansea Complementing these, Cardiff University's Brain University Medical School, recognised as a Research Imaging Centre is the only UK facility leader in the field by the UK Science Park to apply a 7 Tesla MRI Magnet facility to explore Association,124 has further clinical innovation brain imaging and brain stimulation. Highlighting capabilities. Co-location of academic, industrial our collaborative approach, the Brain Repair and clinical research through its Joint-Clinical
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Research Facility has supported the creation Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public of over 800 jobs in recent years.125 Example Health Improvement, co-directed by Swansea innovations include world-leading LVAD heart- and Bristol Universities. The Centre has a strong pump technology which draws upon regional track record using health data to evaluate multi- bioscientific, engineering and clinical research level interventions addressing public health issues strengths. such as diet, physical activity and substance abuse. 6.11 In addition to the networks discussed below, innovation support is also available at Cardiff 6.14 Our assets are complemented by research Medicentre, co-located with the University strengths and investments in the Secure Hospital of Wales and Cardiff Medical School. Anonymised Data Linkage (SAIL) Databank, The Medicentre provides 32 business incubator Data Science Centre, the Computational units for biotech and medtech start-ups. An Foundry, the Wales Institute of Social and example of a successful Medicentre start-up is Economic Research, Data and Methods, the drug testing firm TrichoTech who were acquired Swansea Centre for Health Economics and by Concateno (now Alere Toxicology) for over the Swansea Centre for Improvement and £11m.126 Innovation in Health and Social Care. These data focused facilities provide research to develop 6.12 The translation of innovation into practice ethical data collection procedures, anonymised requires clinical trials. Cardiff’s combination of the usage of patient information, meta-data analysis Clinical Research Facility (CRF) and Centre for techniques and methodology research. We are Trials Research provide the necessary facilities distinctively placed by combining all of these and expertise to design, conduct and analyse assets which gives us the capability to access NHS high value studies. and population level patient meta-data to identify, stratify and target the most effective treatments Health informatics within the existing healthcare infrastructure.
6.13 We have a number of facilities, data centres and institutes that tackle the research challenges associated with large-scale health data. The Swansea led Centre for Improvement in Population Health through E-records Research (CIPHER) is one of four connected investments comprising the Health e-Research Collaboration UK and supports health data research to inform drug discovery and improve patient care. Swansea University is also one of 22 universities and research institutes involved in the recent investment £54m into Health Data Research UK. This investment will use population wide health data to derive new knowledge to prevent, detect and diagnose diseases. Researchers will work in close partnership with NHS bodies and the public to translate findings into patient and population health and economic development. These investments are complemented by the Cardiff based Centre for the Development and
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Industry
6.15 The Life Sciences sector in Wales employs a higher concentration of employment in this around 11,000 people in over 350 companies sector than the British average. We also have with a combined £2bn annual turnover.127 Our relatively high concentrations of employment in businesses are diverse, research-driven and the pharmaceutical industry. global in their reach, and are expected to deliver £1bn of extra value by 2022.128 All of our 6.17 Specific commercial strengths include companies have the potential to feed into and wound healing, medical devices, single-use benefit from the Living Health Lab, as having technologies, diagnostics and clinical trials. access to improved data on product performance We are also home to multiple Contract Research will accelerate and de-risk their future innovation. Organisations.130 Key Welsh government defined Importantly, it should be noted that this sector anchor companies include: pharma firms GE delivers significant benefit into the wider sub- Healthcare, Norigine and Penn Pharmaceuticals; regional innovation system129 and wider UK. diagnostics firms Ortho Clinical Diagnostics and Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics; as well 6.16 Employment in the broader health sector, as Biomet UK (medical devices) and Packaging including clinical activity in hospitals, is 83k Coordinators (biotechnology). people in South Wales, equivalent to 3.6% of employment in the sector in Great Britain – see Annex D. With an overall LQ of 1.2, we have
Alesi Surgical Limited (previously Asalus Medical Instruments Limited) Based at the Cardiff Medicentre, Alesi Surgical (“Alesi”) has developed and launched Ultravision™, a product for the handling of surgical smoke s created during laparoscopic surgery. Smoke produced by laparoscopic surgical instruments rapidly obscures the operative visual field, making surgery inefficient and unnecessarily risky. Chronic exposure to the smoke may result in health consequences for the surgical staff.
Ultravision provides a solution to keep the operative visual field consistently clear. The underpinning technology, electrostatic precipitation, is the invention of Dr. Neil Warren of the Welsh Institute of Minimal Access Therapy (WIMAT), Cardiff University. The technology is totally unique and protected by patents that are currently granting in 16 territories, covering all major markets.
Equity investment from IP Group resulted in the formation of the spinout Alesi (formerly Asalus) from Cardiff. Development of Ultravision has continued and Alesi which has raised over £9m to support the work, including from two leading med tech European venture capital firms, Panakes Partners and Earlybird.
The continued interaction between the University, the Commercial Development team and Alesi along with essential interactions with NHS surgeons has led to the development of technology that offers a radically new way of safely handling laparoscopic surgical smoke. The product obtained its CE mark in January 2014 and has been launched in Europe. It was winner of the 2013 Royal College of Surgeon’s Cutlers prize for best surgical invention and won the Praxis Auril Impact Award in 2014.
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6.18 Highlighting our industrial innovation 6.21 Partners from across our health innovation strengths, over 15% of Welsh patent submissions ecosystem benefit from initiatives such as BioWales from 2004-2016 were in medical technologies, which is a showcase annual conference focused 7% in pharmaceuticals and 5% in biotechnology.131 on building links between NHS, industry and Three quarters of these patents were filed by academia. Important links are also forged through companies. In addition, 50 of the over 130 Welsh AgorIP. Led by Swansea University, AgorIP organisations and facilities classed as ‘research works with NHS and industrial collaborators to active’ are within the healthcare field.132 provide IP support to translate innovative research into new products, processes and services. Relationships and networks Supported by harmonised IP policies across local health boards, AgorIP supports a wide range of 6.19 Our clinical innovation focused networks innovation through its unique Open Access Open provide valuable collaborative opportunities Innovation approach.134 relevant to this theme. For example, consultees highlighted the Life Sciences Research Network 6.22 Our health innovation ecosystem also includes Wales as bringing together world-class business support networks. A representative research expertise to develop new therapeutic body for our industrial community, MediWales treatments. As of May 2017, it had supported provides business support and opportunities for 56 PhD studentships, 47 post-doctoral projects, pharma services and medical tech companies. committed over £5.8m proof-of concept funding MediWales has over 180-member organisations and leveraged over £12m of research funding.133 and works in close partnership with the Medicentre incubator (see above), along with 6.20 Our strengths lie in strong and innovative the extensive industrial, clinical and academic relationships with the Welsh NHS trusts. Clinical networks focused around the Institute of Life Innovation Partnerships or similar agreements Science at Swansea University Medical School. exist between Cardiff University and the Cardiff The Life Sciences Hub Wales aims to play a key and Vale University Health Board (UHB), as coordination role in innovation developed from well as Swansea University and both Hywel NHS Wales enabling the creation of commercial Dda UHB and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg UHB opportunities. In addition, ACCELERATE (see (ABMUHB). Swansea University is also co-located below) will harnesses academia and health with Singleton hospital. These relationships service innovation assets through the novel Open aim to accelerate the translation of clinical Access Open Innovation approach pioneered by innovation into improvements in services for the AgorIP. Welsh Government have announced a benefit of patients and the Welsh economy. In further £9m of funding to create additional health addition, ARCH (A Regional Collaboration for innovation centres across Wales. These centres Health), a Swansea University and health board will aim to develop health technologies to improve collaboration, is developing an integrated, the prevention, treatment and management of open, collaborative medical and life sciences long term chronic conditions. ecosystem, capitalising on the critical mass that has developed within the region. Swansea University has also formed a Community Brain Injury Service with ABMUHB to support people living with neurological conditions, whilst the BRAIN Unit coordinates between Universities, NHS and industry partners in the neuroscience space.
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Industry
6.23 Our companies actively engage with HEIs in open innovation and knowledge exchange through schemes such as Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). Across our universities, at the time of writing, there were six active life science focused projects with industrial partners such as Innoture, Renishaw, and Neem Biotech.
ACCELERATE - the Welsh Health Innovation Technology Accelerator A £24m part ESF funded initiative, ACCELERATE harnesses research and innovation assets across the region from academia, health service and innovation through a novel Open Access Open Innovation approach. The initiative provides a pan-Wales Health & Life Sciences innovation platform working in concert with Welsh Government to deliver commercialisation across Wales.
ACCELERATE addresses gaps between existing initiatives and provides a ‘Team Wales’ capability, accelerating technology push, creating capacity to address unmet clinical need, and developing assistive technologies to support enhanced quality of life. Through orchestration of the Life Sciences & Health ecosystem, wider economic and societal benefits will be realised, in conjunction with AgorIP and other WG-supported initiatives.
ACCELERATE provides long-term structural and operational change, establishing an integrated model across industry, academia and government in Wales as the de facto approach to Life Sciences and Health opportunities and challenges. For example, ACCELERATE could assist where an unmet clinical need in patient care is identified within the NHS, together with general ideas as to how this may be met. ACCELERATE provides skilled personnel and project expenses to develop solutions to the problem in conjunction with the NHS. This provides an opportunity to industry for new product development, manufacture and sales both nationally and internationally. Collaborative working between NHS, academia and industry results in accelerated patient, health and economic benefits.
6.24 Important pan-Wales bodies include the 6.25 The combined result of all of our support National Institute for Social Care and Health networks is a connected healthcare community, Research Clinical Research Centre and the Health particularly for clinical innovation and, to a lesser and Care Research Wales Support Centre. The extent, neuroscience. However, less support is former provides infrastructure, R&D funding and available for cross-disciplinary research and coordination with NHS R&D funding allocations, engagement with enabling technologies such as whilst the latter is important in supporting the our existing health informatics expertise. research community.
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Skills 6.29 At the UK level, a number of shortages and areas of concern have been observed: 6.26 The health sector is reliant on access to new roles combining traditional health skills with highly qualified labour, as shown in annex D. skills from other areas, e.g. health informatics Employees with a first HE degree are the largest and synthetic biology (incl. chemistry, biology group within the sector in Wales and are also and engineering);137 and the transferable projected to grow significantly over the next skills needed for increased adaptability. In the decade. Encouragingly, recent years have seen biopharmaceutical industry, communication and an increase of graduates in biological sciences – team-working skills are a concern.138 830 more in 2016/17 compared to 2012/13 – but there has been a fall of 275 graduates in medicine and dentistry over the same period.135 FUNDING AND SUPPORT LANDSCAPE
6.27 UKCES data present mixed messages for National and international support the health and care sector. The current incidence of vacancies is 24% and skills shortage vacancies 6.30 On average, South Wales attracts c1.5% of increased by 55% between 2013 and 2015. funding awarded by the UK Research Councils. Encouragingly however, skills gaps decreased by In comparison, we perform particularly well in 46% over the same period.136 attracting relatively high shares of UK funding for research in areas including medical and health 6.28 In 2016/17, over 18,000 apprenticeships interface (the most significant in volume terms) were offered in healthcare and public sector, and microbial sciences (the most significant in 37% of all apprenticeship offered in Wales (see relative terms). introduction). The UK government’s Industrial Strategy Life Sciences Sector Deal has announced Local funding sources actions to help support the industry’s ambition to reach 20,000 apprenticeships in the science 6.31 Our innovative companies benefit from sector by 2020. innovation and commercialisation focused local funding initiatives, including:
The cornerstone of the Welsh Government’s Life Sciences initiative, the £100m Fund invests in life sciences and related companies based in Life Sciences Wales. Since 2012, the Fund has created 150 high skilled jobs, 23 Investment Fund therapeutic and medical devices products, and attracted £380m of co- investment. £24m of co-investment into a pipeline of inward investment ACCELERATE opportunities.
The LSRNW and Welsh Government established Bridging Fund Life Sciences Bridging offers proof of concept support for life science priorities such as drug Fund development, diagnostics and medical devices.
A £13.5m initiative (with planned expansion) supports the capture and AgorIP commercialisation of IP, bringing opportunities to ‘investor-readiness’.
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Skills period involved international collaboration. Over 60% of our publications in Biochemistry, 6.32 The business support environment for Bioengineering, Biomaterials and pharmacology pharmaceutical and clinical innovations is well also involved international collaborations. established, however, links with data orientated companies are more limited. Nevertheless, the 6.36 Our industrial base also has global reach. combination of our innovation assets positions us Our key anchor companies have access to global strongly to support the commercialisation of life distribution networks, whilst MediWales provides science and healthcare products and services. a valuable access route to partner organisations such as the Association of British Healthcare Policy context Industries, Medilink UK, Knowledge Transfer Network, United Life Sciences, BioIndustry 6.33 In addition to the fit with the Grand Association, One Nucleus, Bionow and Challenge of an ageing population highlighted BioPartner. We are also internationally connected above, our strengths align strongly with the through UK Trade and Investment and the Council Welsh Government’s Economic Action Plan. The for European BioRegions. In addition, we have Plan commits to “develop engagement between international business links with Medicon Valley universities, industry and the NHS and social and Canton de Vaud, Switzerland, and through care to drive economic growth through applied membership of the European Diagnostic Cluster research and innovation”; the Living Health Lab Association.141 is wholly aligned this.140 In addition, the UK Research Councils have identified “lifelong health 6.37 Overall, national and international and wellbeing” and “healthy ageing” as priority engagement is well coordinated within disciplines, research areas. although multi-disciplinary engagement is generally less well developed. 6.34 Both Cardiff and Swansea Universities highlight healthcare within their strategic priorities and the City Deals support “enhanced digital GAPS AND WEAKNESSES infrastructure to accelerate development in the area of life sciences”. For example, the Swansea 6.38 Despite our clear strengths, consultees Bay City Region Internet Coast City Deal is identified some stubborn challenges that constrain further enhancing infrastructure to deliver clinical the growth potential of our Life Sciences sector. innovation through over £300m of investment There is scope for our universities and businesses into a Life science and wellbeing Campuses and to work more collaboratively and so position Villages network. This physical manifestation of themselves as stronger players in the UK. We the Living Health Lab provides a focus for Open also need to consider how we can overcome Access Open Innovation activity within the region. the relatively small amount of Innovate UK funding in Health and Life Sciences received by our organisations, something which is not NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL representative of the critical mass that exists in ENGAGEMENT this sector in Wales.
6.35 Wales has a rich clinical innovation 6.39 This SIA gives us the opportunity to focus on landscape of research facilities, innovation those growth areas of research and innovation in activities and academic leaders that have health where Wales can excel both as a leader international reach. For example, SciVal data and in partnership with others and plan ahead in reveal two thirds of our immunology and order to apply for funding opportunities. There is microbiology publications over the 2014-2017 a need for a more integrated strategic roadmap,
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and consultees also identified a need for from the SIA partnership and the Life Sciences additional support for translational research and Hub Wales - the focal point for the sector – needs multi-disciplinary projects. Welsh organisations to be maintained to stimulate further interaction need to work together more effectively to and collaboration. capitalise on opportunities such as the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Existing momentum Key points are below:
Table 6-2: Identified gaps and opportunities
Issue / Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Interconnectivity An abundance of assets, There is insufficient structure Support network(s) and facilities and networks and support to adopt a coordination/ collaboration activities that support targeted more coordinated approach between expertise areas and niche areas, however (including shared use of encourage national/ international this promotes siloed facilities and talent), leading awareness and connectivity. There working and lack of to sub-optimal connectivity may be an opportunity to enhance platform access. and collaboration. Additional communication and dissemination of collaborations locally, research findings between areas and nationally and internationally niche area initiatives.143 are needed for accelerated innovation progress.142
Leadership With the abundance There is a need for a strategic An overarching strategy and of assets in the region alignment between ambitions roadmap document could be come a myriad of of the multiple local, regional developed with a strategic Steering focus areas, strategies and national strategies and Group which co-ordinates with and priorities creating investment funds.145 existing cross-regional strategies and the potential for ensures interconnected aims and misalignment and ambitions across stakeholders.144 inefficient duplications of effort.
Translational support Insufficient diversity of Increase support for research 1.7% of Innovate UK translational funding for pipeline, innovation and business funding in Health and innovation across expertise growth funding (e.g. accelerator Life Sciences has come clusters. A sustained and programmes). Ensure that the Life in to Wales which is diverse blend of government, Sciences Fund invests into suitable only marginally higher industry, Venture Capital, and businesses that assist with the than the South Wales infrastructure investment is interconnection of assets.147 average of 1.5%. needed to support growth.146
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Issue / Evidence Problem / Opportunity Solution
Skills and people It is important to build a more Need to build and attract capacity New roles such as in diverse, skilled and flexible and capability across different ‘digital health’ which talent pool. However, there is expertise areas by assessing skills combine traditional uncertainty around long-term gaps, and addressing the need for health sector skills sustained investment which more entrepreneurial skills to drive with other transferable impacts the ability to build the translation of innovation. This skills require increased long-term careers and limits can be achieved, in part, through adaptability from industrial investment.148 training provided by educational staff. Within the institutions.149 region ‘digital health’ accounted for only 0.6% of employment as a percentage of UK total, despite it being the fastest growing segment within the sector.
Source: South Wales Crucible
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7. ENABLING COMPETENCY: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
Skills
7.1 Our extensive renewable energy capabilities The traditional top down one-way electrical perform two significant roles. Firstly, the energy distribution network will need to adapt to enable sector is an important employer in its own right a more distributed model of energy generation and contributes to the wealth and prosperity of and consumption. Many low carbon technologies communities across Wales. Secondly, and crucial produce different amounts of electricity depending to this SIA process, our energy relevant innovation on weather conditions and these will require a led capabilities underpin and enable growth in new smarter distribution system if their benefits the rest of our economy, especially in the thematic are to be fully realised. areas of Steel and Smart Manufacturing. 7.5 The increased incorporation of digital 7.2 We have well established strengths in technology and the rapid increase in the scientific research and industrial innovation in availability of data, supported by the introduction the field of energy. The region has a long track of SMART meters, will also fundamentally change record of collaboration with industrial partners as the relationship between suppliers and consumers well as a number of major research facilities that thus enabling significant new innovations in the address many of the technical challenges evident energy sector. For example, technologies such across the sector. as smart thermostats will enable consumers to change their patterns of usage to reduce costs and ensure that the system continues to function NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL securely. TRENDS Energy Market 7.3 Developing sources of renewable, low carbon energy is essential if the UK is to meet 7.6 British households spend around £30bn its commitment to the Paris Climate Change on gas and electricity each year, an average accord, which limits the increase in global of c. £1,120 per household.151 The market is average temperature to well below 2°C above dominated by the “Big Six” firms, but is undergoing pre-industrial levels. Our response to the energy a dramatic transformation, with nearly five million trilemma – the need for affordable, sustainable customers switching supplier in 2016. and secure energy - is a key priority in the UK Industrial Strategy and the Clean Growth Strategy. 7.7 Energy costs are a major challenge for many British industries, which pay on average 7.4 In 2016, 55% of all new generating a third more for electricity than many European capacity added worldwide was from wind, counterparts. For example, the steel industry is solar, geothermal and other renewable estimated to pay an extra £43m in electricity sources.150 The increased incorporation of prices compared to competitors.152 low carbon technologies poses a number of significant technological challenges that require a fundamental step-change in the way energy is produced, distributed and consumed.
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FURTHER SCIENCE AND INNOVATION ASSETS
Universities
7.8 The region has over 100 academics active and SciVal data. SciVal data also highlight our in the field of energy research who have secured strong collaborations with industry – 6.2% of our significant research funding. For example, Welsh ‘Energy’ publications over 2014-2017 involved Universities have secured over £65m153 for international collaboration, compared to a UK energy related projects from the 2014-2020 ERDF. average of 5.6%. Our strong track record of research within the field of Energy is shown by the 2014 REF
Table 7-1: University research strengths
Sci Val data – field weighted citation impact (2014-2017)
ENERGY The South Wales Crucible universities MISCELLANEOUS outperform the UK in Energy, General Energy, Nuclear Energy and Fuel ENERGY ENGINEERING AN GENERAL ENERGY Technology. PO ER TEC NOLOGY The South Wales Crucible universities perform on a par with the UK in RENE ABLE ENERGY NUCLEAR ENERGY AN SUSTAINABILITY AN ENGINEERING Renewable Energy, Sustainability and T E EN IRONMENT the Environment.
Some 6.2% of our ‘Energy’ ENERGY UEL TEC NOLOGY publications over 2014-2017 involved international collaboration,
compared to a UK average of 5.6%. SOUT ALES CRUCIBLE EI U
Research Excellence Framework 2014 (REF) Cardiff Swansea
Civil and Construction Engineering 1st Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences 20th 8th General Engineering 7th 12th Chemistry 9th
Source: SQW analysis of SciVal data, Cardiff University analysis of REF data
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7.9 Key university research capabilities are tackles the global challenges that lie ahead highlighted below, with further detail available in how we continue to generate, distribute in Annex C. The vision of the Energy Safety and utilise energy. Its vision is to establish a Research Institute (ESRI) and Swansea University truly interdisciplinary systems-based research is “building the bridge to a sustainable, affordable culture which encompasses the physical and and secure energy future.” ESRI concentrates the social sciences, drawing on existing research College of Engineering’s strength in the energy excellence from across Cardiff University. It sector. The Institute is supported by industry provides a focal point for energy research across sponsors. It focuses on the safety issues surrounding the University and includes 10 Schools across all the development and expansion of existing energy three academic colleges. It also hosts a number of processes, as well as the safe deployment and major research facilities such as the Gas Turbine integration of new 'green' energy technologies. Research Centre in Port Talbot and the SOLCER The ESRI provides an exceptional environment for demonstration house. delivering cutting edge research across energy and energy safety related disciplines with a focus 7.12 Bangor University is home to the pan- on the following areas: Inter-conversion of waste Wales, Sêr Cymru ‘National Research Network energy and resources, Green hydrocarbon; for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment’. Carbon dioxide, the next generation of energy This supports collaborative research into the distribution – creating an internet of energy to interactions between land, water, food, and allow for local generation and global sharing energy production. It is a network of over 36 that enables everyone to have the potential to be partner organisations made up of research a player in a one world energy scheme. institutions, government bodies, SMEs, industry partners and over 80 researchers. Examples of 7.10 The Centre for Solar Energy Research its research output include the quantification, (CSER) is part of Swansea University’s College of optimisation, and environmental impacts of Engineering and is based at the OpTIC Centre, marine renewable energy and Geo-Carb-Cymru, St. Asaph. CSER is the project lead for the a project which is assessing, characterising, and £7.2M Solar Photovoltaic Academic Research enhancing geothermal energy in Wales. Consortium. Private Sector 7.11 Cardiff University’s Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Generation and Supply is a 7.13 The low carbon and renewable energy sector leading hub for undertaking research into multi- is a major component of the Welsh economy, vector energy systems with a particular focus on employing 13,000 people and generating an gas, intermittent renewables (e.g. wind, solar annual turnover of £2.43bn,154 see Annex D. We and heat, as well as energy infrastructure). Such are therefore particularly well placed to build on research is further complemented by the Advanced our research base to deliver long-term productivity High Voltage Engineering Research Centre which gains in this key sector, which is anticipated to is one of four recognised National Grid centres in grow 11% per year between 2015 and 2030 - the UK focusing on high voltage electrical energy four times faster than the projected growth of the systems. The University’s Understanding Risk economy as a whole.155 group researchers also undertake world leading research on the acceptability of energy supply systems and their impacts upon individuals and communities. In 2015, the University established the Energy Systems Research Institute which
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7.14 There are particularly high concentrations of Electricity Storage and Distribution (SMART employment in Wrexham, Anglesey, and South energy technologies) East Wales – see Annex D. The concentration of activity in Anglesey is related to the Anglesey 7.16 Wales has also been at the forefront of Energy Island Programme and specific nuclear electricity storage and distribution. Ffestiniog assets as detailed in the North West Nuclear Power was the UK's first major pumped storage Arc SIA led by Bangor University. power facility and is capable of achieving a combined output of 360MW of electricity,161 7.15 Wales is a net exporter of electricity. We enough to supply the entire power needs of generated an estimated 38.8 TWh of electricity North Wales for several hours. The region also in 2016, whilst consuming less than half of this. hosts the largest pumped storage hydro-electricity Of the electricity generated in Wales in 2016, scheme of its kind in Europe; the Dinorwig Power 6.9TWh came from renewable sources as shown Station. in Annex D. This includes: 7.17 There are no plans for the development of • Three fully operational off-shore wind farms further large pumped hydro-electricity storage in addition to the 97 wind projects on land, schemes in Wales. Although batteries are giving a total of around 760 turbines.157 A developing fast and there is already a 22MW further 14 onshore projects with combined installation associated with a wind farm (Pen capacity of 175MW are currently under y Cymoedd), they remain expensive. A lower construction, includes the world’s second cost approach is to integrate electricity/gas/ largest offshore wind farm (Gwynt y Môr). heat systems to take advantage of the much This has the potential to power the equivalent cheaper energy storage available in gas and annual needs of approximately 400,000 heat networks. This integration of energy systems households.158 will be essential to provide the energy storage and flexibility needed to accommodate low • The largest onshore wind farm in England carbon electricity generation. The investigation and Wales (Pen y Cymoedd) with the potential of ‘Integrated Energy Systems’ is a major focus to generate enough renewable energy to within the region and includes research within power 400,000 households. The facility also Cardiff University on the use of Ammonia as includes a 22MW battery storage system159 a zero carbon energy carrier and fuel for gas which aims to make the most efficient use of turbines, and the work at the University of South existing renewable and grid infrastructure. Wales on the use of Hydrogen as an energy vector. • The UK’s largest solar PV project at 72.2MW at Shotwick Park in Flintshire.160 Our Electricity Distribution researchers have also developed a number of innovative building projects (such as the Active 7.18 The National Grid are currently converting Classroom, SOLCER house and Solar Heat an existing 400kV substation into an Innovation Energy Demonstrator) which are capable of Centre, which will be a UK hub for bringing exporting more energy to the national electricity technical innovation into the national electricity grid than they use. transmission network. The Centre will be based in Deeside162 and will be the first in Europe to enable assets associated with electricity networks to be tested off-grid, 24 hours a day, seven days a
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week. It will provide a controlled test environment • Homes as Power Stations - supporting that will enable new technologies and operational the development of new industries based practices to be developed and piloted without on innovative energy technologies. Such putting customer supply at risk. The facility will technologies could be applied to new and not only accelerate the development of new existing homes and enable them to produce, technologies, but also optimise interventions that store and use their own energy. extend the life of the £14bn of assets associated with the current transmission grid. • The Pembroke Dock Marine project will create a dedicated site which will be used as a Smart Systems and Heat base by offshore renewable energy developers to progress their devices from an idea to 7.19 The region has worked closely with the a commercial product. The site will allow Energy Systems Catapult on a collaborative developers to test, manufacture and maintain Smart Systems and Heat project163 to develop offshore renewable energy technologies. modelling software that produces local area energy plans. Bridgend Council (along with Greater Manchester and Newcastle) worked GAPS AND WEAKNESSES with the Catapult on the software, which will accelerate the uptake of market innovations that 7.22 Looking forward, the region is seeking to decarbonise the domestic heating market. develop new demonstrator sites which would enable industry to fully capitalise on the latest scientific developments and ensure that new DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE WIDER innovations can be fully integrated with the FUNDING LANDSCAPE national infrastructure. These sites will support UK firms to develop and test individual innovative 7.20 The Research Councils UK Energy Programme energy technologies in-situ in a multi-vector is led by the EPSRC and is commonly known energy systems environment. Such demonstrator as SUPERGEN. Wales has a particularly high sites would also enable industry to develop and percentage of the total funding in the following test new technologies that address key challenges research areas: solar technology; energy storage; and gaps in our understanding such as: smart marine wave and tidal; carbon capture and grid technologies; waste heat recovery with storage; and hydrogen/alternate energy vectors. organic Rankine cycle technology; large-scale In addition, energy research within Wales has energy storage solutions for utility and distributed received significant ERDF support, with €372m power systems; heat pump based technology allocated to projects contributing to climate and ground source heat technologies; aviation change objectives.164 fuel technology that will see waste gases from industrial steel production being converted to 7.21 Energy is one of the four key themes of the jet fuel; and energy storage from low-carbon £1.3bn Swansea City Deal. It aims to place energy sources, and forming a private wire and the region at the forefront of energy innovation heat network to serve adjoining industrial and and establish the region as a globally significant residential developments. player in the production and storage of energy through the support of two flagship projects:
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7.23 The proposed demonstrator sites are being 7.24 South Wales is particularly well placed to developed in conjunction with major energy host an energy demonstrator site and would place users such as TATA Steel UK, Wales & West the region at the forefront of energy research Utilities, Welsh Water, Tarmac, Swansea Bay within the UK and indeed help to position the UK Tidal Lagoon, National Grid, Energy Systems at the vanguard of this exciting agenda globally. Catapult, Siemens, Western Power Distribution, and Toshiba Telecommunications.
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8. ENABLING COMPETENCY: DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES
8.1 As highlighted throughout this report, digital 8.3 The region is also well placed to provide technologies play a critical role as an enabler of leadership in the emerging human impacts of growth within the four themes of our SIA. Through digital technology - especially those related to the SIA process we have identified underpinning big data and AI e.g. bias in decision making, digital capabilities which both enable our thematic and potential job losses. Responsible innovation strengths and provide a strong base for the digital will be an increasingly important international sector in its own right. These capabilities are: Big trend and the region has an extensive track Data and High Performance Computing; Cyber record in ensuring human centred approaches Security and Safety; and Digital Economy and multidisciplinary perspectives in science and and Human-Computer Interaction. Our three innovation. capabilities act as enablers in different ways. For example, as the Made Smarter review notes, 8.4 While the current digital sector currently the digitalisation of value chains of businesses accounts for a relatively small number of jobs, will support significant productivity gains for TechNation sees Cardiff and Swansea as an our manufacturing firms. In addition, innovation important, emerging cluster with almost 17.5k in a range of digital technologies from human digital jobs and potential for significant growth.166 computer interfaces to machine learning will deliver more efficient, effective and human- centred healthcare solutions. NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL TRENDS 8.2 With its focus on steel innovation, smart manufacturing, agri-tech and health innovation, 8.5 Digital is the new material of innovation and the region also provides a unique set of challenging value creation across the world. For example, in contexts to stimulate disruptive and successful most OEDC countries, the ICT sector accounts demand-led digital innovation. For example, by for the largest share of BERD at 24%, whilst ICT considering the strict data privacy requirements technologies accounted for 37% of all patent for healthcare, technology providers will have applications in the World’s five Intellectual to develop new algorithms and approaches that Property Offices (Europe, Japan, Korea, China will be widely applicable in other domains (e.g. and the United States).167 The significance of the banking, law and finance). From the ongoing Digital Revolution to the UK is made clear by the Internet Coast City Deal discussions165 and the Industrial Strategy as digital plays a dominant Cardiff Capital Region’s Public Service’s Testbed role in all of the initial four Grand Challenges: discussions there is evidence that both major from providing the infrastructure for autonomous technology providers and start-ups are being vehicles; to the use of AI and big data for attracted to the region as a result of the test beds early diagnosis and more effective prevention available in the region and city deal funding. of disease; and new forms of human-computer Digital technologies in the region not only enable interfaces and interactions to enable building today’s current regional strengths, but emerge as occupants to understand and adjust their energy a strength and national asset in itself. needs.
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8.6 There is also strong policy commitment to the 8.9 The University Computer Science departments digital sector in the South Wales Crucible area. in Wales boast a significant European leading The Welsh Government highlighted “ICT and the capability in data visualisation, hosting Digital Economy” in the Innovation Wales report international conferences such as Eurovis. This and a Digital Innovation Review was recently capability was recognised and nurtured through announced.168 At the regional level, both the the major pan-Wales Research Institute in Visual Cardiff and Swansea City Region deals have Computing. Cardiff University’s Data Innovation included digital projects as a key component in Research Institute builds on multi-disciplinary their proposals. research excellence and focuses on the aspects of managing, analysing and interpreting massive FURTHER SCIENCE AND INNOVATION volumes of textual and numerical information in ASSETS the medical and biosciences sectors amongst others. The new Cardiff University’s Data Big Data & High Performance Computing (HPC) Innovation Accelerator (DIA) has been part- funded by the European Regional Development 8.7 As described in Section 6, Wales has a distinct Fund (ERDF) through the Welsh Government. health data capability. Data captured by NHS Its aim is to transfer data science and analytics Wales Informatics Service is made available knowledge from Cardiff University to SMEs for research purposes in fully anonymised form in Wales so they can develop and grow their via the Secure Anonymised Data Linkage businesses. The funding will enable researchers Databank which comprises over 20bn records to work on collaborative projects with companies stretching back 20 years from the entire Welsh specialising in ICT and cyber security, advanced population. A recent investment of £8m in Data materials, energy and eco-innovation. This will be Science Swansea brings two exciting Centres of underpinned by the new Data Science Academy Excellence together under one roof – the £9.3m that will be established in 2019 to provide Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research highly skilled data scientists and analyses to the and the new £8m Administrative Data Research workplace. Centre Wales, enabling researchers to work together to unleash the potential of large scale 8.10 Our region also hosts significant UK data to conduct powerful new research. government operations which process vast amounts of data. The DVLA holds over 48 million 8.8 The Computational Foundry based at driver records and over 40 million vehicle records, Swansea University’s Bay Campus led by the whilst Companies House records and the ONS Computer Science Department will transform Data Science Campus explore administrative Swansea, West Wales and the Valleys and the and social data to improve understanding of nation as a global destination for computational UK the economy. In the private sector, there is a scientists. The Foundry will establish an significant cluster of data-driven firms in the online internationally renowned, digital ecosystem for price/insurance comparison sector including world-class computational science research that Money Supermarket, Admiral and Confused. brings together interdisciplinary research and com. addresses grand challenges for the economy and society. The Foundry is designed to allow 8.11 In the past decade, the region has seen a increased collaboration between industry / £60 million-pound investment in high performance academia engagement within an inspirational computing capability through HPC Wales and the space. Super Computing project. This HPC capability houses 12,000 cores in total in 3 “lots” equipped with the latest hardware technology, with a focus on challenges that require large computational
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power or large memory. Typical problems tackled 8.15 Swansea University’s academic strengths include big data analysis, lower TRLs research are exemplified by three major assets. The collaborations, simulation and modelling. This £31.5m Computational Foundry undertakes regional HPC facility is accompanied by a team leading research in human computer interaction, of specialised engineers to support the wide use theoretical computer science, visualisation, and of the capability. fundamentals of data science. One of the UK’s six RCUK funded Digital Economy Centres, the Cyber Security and Safety £7.6m CHERISH Digital Economy Centre focuses on human centred technology design in relation 8.12 The region has a vibrant and growing to health and wellbeing, safety and security, and Cyber Security ecosystem. Activity is largely constrained communities.169 The centre routinely driven via the Wales Cyber cluster, (comprised of collaborates with major industry partners, five sub clusters; two geographic: South Wales including the BBC, Microsoft, IBM, and the DVLA. and North Wales and three subject specific: Swansea is also the home of the £5m Fujitsu GDPR, DevOps and IP Wales). Combined, the Co-creation Centre, built upon collaborations in cluster forms one of the UK’s largest with over fields ranging from High Performance Computing 800 individuals from 500 companies including; to Assisted Living Technologies. nine primes, eight universities, four colleges, two regional organised crime units, four police SKILLS forces and two military cyber units. Cyber Wales is one of 14 leading cyber security ecosystems 8.16 Technopolis has gathered evidence170 of recognised internationally under the Global EPIC a skills challenge in Wales with respect to the initiative. Major international organisations with digital and IT sectors: 24% of jobs advertised operations in this field in South Wales include in Wales require advanced IT skills, compared Airbus, General Dynamics UK, CGI, Alert Logic, to 22% across the UK as a whole171 in a Logicalis, Qinetiq, Cap Gemini and BT. context where 30% of tech specialist openings are classified as ‘hard-to-fill’, with developers 8.13 The Airbus Centre of Excellence in Cyber particularly high in demand.172 Approximately Security Analytics is a collaboration between 1,500 students graduate each year from Welsh Cardiff University and Airbus. Core research universities with a computer science degree. This areas include data science, big data analytics, number has been relatively stable over the past machine learning and artificial intelligence. It has five years for which data is available but with successfully secured over £5m of investment R&D an increase in the number of First degrees and funding since 2012 (£30m 2017-2020). an equivalent decrease in post-graduate taught degrees. To address this challenge, new and 8.14 We also have internationally significant proposed initiatives (overleaf) are in place. academic strengths in this area. Cardiff University’s Crime & Security Research Institute collaborates the ONS, IBM, NHS Wales, the World Health Organisation and the College of Policing. The Institute previously formed part of the Network and Information Sciences International Technology Alliance led by IBM but involving the UK MoD, US DoD and a consortium of leading academic and industry partners. Digital economy and human computer interaction
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High level computational skills Proposed skills initiatives
8.17 The Computational Foundry at Swansea 8.18 National Data Academy, an initiative by University, hosts over 900 FTE computer science Cardiff University to create further capacity of undergraduate and taught Masters Students, employment ready graduates in Data Science at any one time, and is predicated to grow and Artificial Intelligence. Cardiff Metropolitan to over 1,150 by 2020. Cardiff University is University’s Strategic Plan to 2023, has the leading The National Software Academy and ambition to develop a new School of Technologies University of South Wales the National Cyber with 2,000 students. Swansea University’s Security Academy: both of these initiatives Doctoral Training Centre in Enhancing Human are in partnership with Welsh Government Interactions and Collaborations with Data and and have a delivery model for training that is Intelligence Driven Systems will offer a unique closely aligned with industry engagement. Both research outlook that will nurture researchers who Cardiff and Swansea Universities are members can ensure applications of big data and machine of the Institute of Coding; a £40M national intelligence are underpinned by innovations Institute helping to fill the UK’s digital skills that prioritise human values, experience and shortage, as well as attracting individuals from capabilities. underrepresented groups into the sector. The Centre for Doctoral Training in data intensive science (CDT) (hosted in Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol Universities) has been created as part of a £10m UK-wide investment from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and will analyse data from astrophysics, accelerator science, nuclear and particle physics research. Technocamps is an initiative that has provided computing workshops in every school in Wales to inspire the next generation into the computing HE and job roles.
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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH STRENGTHS
Table 8-1: University research strengths
SciVal data – field weighted citation impact (2014-2017)
The South Wales Crucible universities IN O MATION SYSTEMS outperform the UK in Information
Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, COMP TE ISION H MAN COMP TE PATTE N ECOGNITION INTE ACTION and Computational Theory.
The South Wales Crucible universities perform on a par with the UK COMP TATIONAL THEO Y A TI ICIAL INTELLIGENCE on Computer Science, Signals MATHEMATICS Processing, and Computer Graphics.
COMP TE G APHICS COMP TE SCIENCE COMP TE AIDED DESIGN
SIGNAL P OCESSING
SO TH ALES C CIBLE HEI
Research Excellence Framework 2014 (REF)
UK ranking by research power UK ranking by quality (GPA)
Computer Science: Aberystwyth University (31st), Computer Science: Swansea University Swansea University (36th) (18th), Cardiff University (25th)
UK ranking by impact
Computer Science: Cardiff University (17th)
Source: SQW analysis of SciVal and REF
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Industry
8.19 The Welsh Government has supported the meet-ups and providing much needed co- development of several tech focused workspaces working opportunities. The Alacrity Graduate across South Wales, including ICE in Caerphilly, Entrepreneurship Programme has been Tramshed in central Cardiff, TechHub in Swansea, operating in Wales since 2011. The Programme TEC Marina in Penarth, together with Innovation delivers mentoring and support to graduates Point in Newport. These hubs are providing a in emerging technologies and in running a vital focal point for tech entrepreneurs, hosting successful business, with the aim of establishing regular events and new technology start-up companies.173
Gofore Gofore are an international service design and software production agency. Headquartered in Finland, Gofore set up their UK operations by starting a design studio and software development centre in Swansea in 2014. Swansea University, together with Welsh Government played a crucial role for their decision on the location for the centre. Swansea provided the company an easy access to talent from the University as well as good networks of local decision makers that encouraged the business to set up in the area.
Gofore focuses on bespoke digital transformation and new product development projects that create direct value for their clients. Their core approach is to understand and translate user needs into tangible, feasible outcomes - and then implement the solutions in incremental agile manner. They have capability to lead, design and build lucrative and appealing solutions for complex environments. They apply trust-based and transparent work culture – and share their best practises openly with the clients.
Through their collaboration with South Wales universities and anchor companies, Gofore has provided the bridge for high quality academic research to be transferred for valued and commercially feasible solutions. Through human centred design they have helped industrial and health care organisations to productise research, making complex solutions understandable and appealing for target user groups regardless of their digital capabilities.
Gofore supports students and collaborates with various academic institutions in South Wales. They actively offer direct employment opportunities for the graduating students (BSc, MSc, PhD).
Harri Mansikkamäki, Director.
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8.20 The Swansea Bay City Deal was signed employment and enhance performance and in 2017 and is worth £1.3bn over 15 years. global competitiveness of the established It is focused on using next generation digital regional sectors. Early deliverables are based infrastructure and technologies to accelerate on key projects, including Llanelli Health Village, growth in key regional industrial sectors of Swansea Waterfront and Interactive Media manufacturing, energy and life science and Arena, Yr Egin Welsh Language media hub, well-being. In order to achieve this the Deal Milford Haven offshore power generation centre includes a dedicated Digital Infrastructure project of excellence, Swansea University collaboration which will work with and support the other ten on Advanced Engineering and Robotics (part of City Deal projects to develop and maximise EU programme ASTUTE), Steel Industry Science their digital capability. The City Deal, through Centre and a residential mass photovoltaic focus on next generation digital infrastructure, generation project “Homes as Power Stations”. will transform public services, raise skill levels in digital industries, create new high value
Llanelli Health Village Deltalakes
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9. CONCLUSIONS
9.1 Through this SIA process we have identified key industries across the UK, which are heavily existing and emerging areas of international reliant on steel products e.g. automotive and science and innovation excellence with the construction. potential to boost productivity - both for South Wales and the UK as a whole. We have impressive • Smart Manufacturing – Our academic foundations to build on, including research strengths in computational engineering and intensive universities, a high concentration of materials science are complemented by well- incubators and accelerators, world-class global established strengths across manufacturing anchor firms, and strong policy support through systems in industry and academia. When the Welsh Government. these are combined with our well-developed capabilities in the two enabling technology 9.2 This final section summarises our key strengths areas of digital and sustainable energy, we and challenges, and concludes with headline have the ability to raise the productivity and proposals on how to use the positive findings from long-term competitiveness of our broad base of this audit to help improve the UK’s productivity manufacturing companies through development performance through six exciting emerging action and exploitation of smart manufacturing and areas. digital twin technologies. However, in order to realise these productivity gains, we must support We have significant strengths across four our SMEs, supply chains and multinationals to thematic areas, with exciting productivity continue to invest for the long-term in leading growth prospects… edge technologies and advanced skills.
9.3 Through a mix of desk based research and • Agri-Food Tech – We have globally significant stakeholder consultation we have identified strengths in agri-food tech related scientific specific thematic areas where we have nationally research, specifically on crop improvement, and internationally significant capabilities, and a animal health and managing agri-food waste strong portfolio of leading science and innovation streams. By translating these innovative process assets. These key strengths are summarised below: and technology developments into practice, our primary producers can improve their productivity • Steel Innovation – We have a renowned substantially. This both increases their exporting cluster of steel and metal processing industries, potential and also provides higher quality inputs customers and suppliers, which have the for our food and drink processing industry, potential to be innovation leaders and adapt to thus boosting its long-term competitiveness new technologies, co-located within a mature and protecting large numbers of employment innovation ecosystem, which is supported by opportunities across the UK. strong scientific research base. The creation of a hub for steel innovation will build on and expand • Health Innovation – We have identified our existing strengths in advanced materials, distinctive strengths and critical mass in health new applications for steel in novel/high value informatics, neuroscience and clinical/medical products, and energy in steelmaking. A more technology innovation. Too often however, the productive, less energy intensive steel industry key assets underpinning these strengths do not will enhance our international competitiveness work on a cross-disciplinary collaborative basis. greatly, thus making the UK steel industry more Our research base, assets, innovation landscape sustainable and importantly, strengthening other – including the Welsh NHS - and patient
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population provide a uniquely diverse sample both innovation funding and growth finance, to trial new innovations before wider release. including having a relatively low share of UK By combining and integrating our assets more business R&D expenditure. intelligently, new industry developed products and health service developments can be 9.7 Although there is a diverse set of challenges rapidly piloted and commercialised within the within and across our four core themes, there are Welsh Living Health Lab. Our companies and also some important commonalities. For example, health research charities will benefit from faster connectivity across parts of our geography is poor access to more comprehensive data on drug/ and too many barriers exist around some elements device performance than is currently available, of our key translation or commercialisation thus accelerating and de-risking their future pathways. For instance, within our ecosystem at R&D activities. Taken in the round, this makes present, it is still difficult for early stage innovative Wales a very attractive proposition for FDI and life science firms to access the right clinicians high value job creation. within the NHS and suitable regulatory support, whilst many of our manufacturing SMEs do not … enabled by excellence in digital have the requisite digital and data science skills technologies and energy… needed to embrace the industrial digitalisation agenda. Addressing these challenges effectively 9.4 Cutting across these thematic areas of and quickly will be essential if we are to close strength, our SIA has also consistently highlighted our productivity gap and maintain our existing the importance of our competencies in the areas of excellence. underpinning areas of digital technologies and sustainable energy. For example, by exploiting MOVING FORWARD – OUR EMERGING synergies in relation to our big data and health PRIORITIES FOR ACTION informatics capabilities, as well as lowering the energy input costs for our major steel producers 9.8 The South Wales Crucible has brought many and advanced manufacturers. different academic, industrial and government partners from across Wales together to create 9.5 By fostering stronger linkages across and a powerful new economic grouping to compete between our areas of excellence, we will ensure internationally and accelerate the growth of our that our economy is ‘more than the sum of its local economies. We already work together parts’ and thus we will be able to maximise our effectively, but the audit has brought a sharper productivity growth opportunities. In addition, the focus to our partnership working and this will be four core themes provide digital and sustainable maintained over the coming years as we seek energy innovators with powerful and disruptive to tackle those important grand challenge areas drivers to create new technologies (demand-led discussed above. By addressing these gaps in innovation) that will be applicable in products, our offer and seizing some of the exciting growth services and sector domains beyond these opportunities that have emerged through this SIA focuses. process, we can make positive and lasting steps to help unlock our, and by extension, the UK’s, …although some key challenges remain full innovation-led growth potential.
9.6 Whilst this audit has identified an impressive suite of science and innovation strengths, it has also highlighted some key areas for improvement, notably around our persistent productivity gap. We also face challenges on access to skills and
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9.9 To do so, we will need to make best use 9.10 We are aware of, and have spoken with, a of emerging funding opportunities to build on number of existing audits that have synergies with our current strengths. Potential funding sources our audit, including North West Coastal Arc. include the Strength in Places Fund, relevant calls Moving forward, we will be pursuing options for under the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, integration to mutually maximise the outputs of our and the Growth Deals for both Mid and North audits for the benefit of the region and the UK. Wales, which are currently in development. We are also mindful of the Reid Review and the 9.11 Table 9-1 shows some of the key ambitions identified need to give wider access to Welsh and proposals emerging from this SIA process. innovation funding, partly though potential new Two of these are expansions to projects which innovation hubs across Wales, where different have been approved in principle, but have not parts of the innovation ecosystem can interact yet started delivery (The National Steel Innovation and complement one another. Centre and the Factory of the Future), whilst the others are ambitious new proposals which will be further honed and refined over the coming months.
Table 9-1: Key ambitions/proposals
The National Steel Innovation Centre (NSIC)
First Minister Carwyn Jones opened the Steel and Metals Institute (SaMI) at Swansea University in early 2018. The proposed National Steel Innovation Centre (NSIC) would expand on this project to tackle the emerging need for next-generation steels for applications such as hybrid and electric cars, energy-efficient homes and buildings, and innovative food packaging. Rationale Given the importance of reducing energy consumption – for both cost and environmental reasons - one of the key objectives of the proposed NSIC facility would be to work with industry to reduce its carbon impact and place the region at the cutting edge of low carbon steel production globally.
• Build on regional excellence to address the current and future challenges of sustaining steel-making capacity in the region and the wider UK. • Create a vibrant multidisciplinary environment equipped with state of the art research equipment to deliver innovative solutions to industry defined demand-led Objectives problems across the UK. • Help safeguard around 11,000 steel industry jobs in Wales and a further 20,000 in the UK steel sector, with the potential to create a further 1,000 jobs in the Swansea Bay City Region. • Help to maintain the international competitiveness of the some of the UK’s most important industries, which are heavily reliant on steel products e.g. automotive and construction.
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The National Steel Innovation Centre (NSIC)
Building on SaMI, and the underpinning regional impact role of the cluster of businesses and innovation assets within the region, the NSIC will provide research excellence at Technology Readiness Levels 4-9 in both processing methods and product development. Specific areas of expertise will be in low carbon steel making technologies, carbon capture and utilisation/storage, Description materials processing and characterisation; process and product innovation (e.g. late stage product diversification and construction innovation); energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, all underpinned by the circular economy and data science management (Factory 4.0). Steel technologists will be co-located with academic and research staff from Swansea and key UK partner universities supporting knowledge exchange. Initially 60 staff will be employed within SaMI by March 2019 (35 Tata Steel and 25 Swansea University) growing to 200 staff by 2025 in the NSIC, including Engineering Doctorates and apprentices. A £23m capital investment has been confirmed for a state of the art new Innovation Centre and specialist equipment, which will be enabled by a £20m investment from the Swansea Bay City Deal, along with £3m from HEFCW. Consultation with industrial and academic partners identifies a requirement for an additional £10m capital investment to be raised to support this project for new equipment and existing equipment upgrades. Resource for future core funding via project grants and competitive RCUK/UKRI mechanisms will also be required to help sustain the centre and support future new staff and research project costs.
Leads: Neath Port Talbot CBC and Swansea University Partners: Industrial partners including Tata, Imperial College London, Cambridge, Cardiff, and Warwick Universities, WMG High Value Manufacturing Catapult, Henry Royce and the Materials Processing Institute Key partners
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The Factory of the Future
South Wales has a rich history of manufacturing activity, supported by academic strengths. However, in order to close our productivity gap with the rest of the UK and leading nations worldwide, our rapidly developing smart manufacturing ecosystem with the Bay Campus anchored ASTUTE university partnership at its Rationale core led by Swansea requires additional investment to tackle the challenges of: low levels of adoption of industrial digitalisation technologies, particularly among SMEs; under-leveraged innovation assets on the Bay Campus to support SMEs; and skills shortages in high level technical skills and innovation leadership. Providing a fully digitally transparent supply chain from MNEs to SMEs informed by relevant industrial digital technologies and supported by active and intelligent digital twins will allow our firms to competitively engage with the global economy in a more efficient manner.
• Building on the Bay Campus investment (ASTUTE, IMPACT, Computational Foundry) and the pioneering landscape of the Swansea Bay City Deal Internet Coast to establish The Factory of the Future as a regionally anchored Centre of Excellence for smart manufacturing with a national and global ambition Objectives driving forward convergence of advanced manufacturing with industrial digital technologies. • Establish a multidisciplinary team of engineers and computer scientists in a fully equipped open innovation environment to work on industrial digital technologies such as digital twins, associated computational engineering, data centric engineering and data analytics as main drivers for competitiveness, productivity and regionalisation of innovation in smart manufacturing. • Create an ecosystem capable of manufacturing the innovative products developed within the region through accelerated process innovation at the product, factory or systems level, and also attract inward-investing manufacturing demand and establishment of company R&D groups in the region from the UK and globally. • Continue to build the region’s strong manufacturing base and support local manufacturing businesses to increase their competitiveness, thus boosting the regional economy and reducing the productivity gap. • Facilitate the establishment of an Active and Intelligent Digital Twin Institute to de-risk and accelerate the uptake of industrial digitalisation technologies using the SBCD Smart Manufacturing Pillar as seed facility and the driver to roll out across the Nation. • Safeguard 158,000 jobs in the wider manufacturing sector in Wales, including 86,000 highly skilled jobs in advanced manufacturing and materials, and maintain or better the c.3%p.a. average GVA growth rate achieved during the 2006-2015 period.
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The Factory of the Future
The Factory of the Future and an aligned Active and Intelligent Digital Twin Institute are proposed to be an academia-industry R&D&I hub operating out of Swansea University using next generation technologies to provide technical solutions for smart manufacturing businesses with state of the art facilities and a Description multidisciplinary team of experts, hereby building on existing investment in the Bay Campus, IMPACT, the Computational Foundry. Informed by industry 4.0 principles, and collaborating with world class industrial innovators, the project will put the region at the forefront of the digital and data based manufacturing movement, creating a regional integrated manufacturing ecosystem capable of delivering innovative products/processes/technologies. It will also create opportunities for exporting this expertise, increasing national and international competitiveness for Welsh companies. The Swansea Bay City Deal will enable a £10m mainly capital investment to be made into the Factory of the Future as seed funding for the basic infrastructure, limited purchase of equipment, and employment of an essential team of staff. To enhance the potential for impact, additional capital and revenue funding is required to build on these investments. Securing additional capital funding would enable infrastructure enhancement and future proofing (c.£5m), and the purchase of additional equipment (£2m for an additional first fit-out, and c.£500k per annum thereafter) to add required function. To carry out collaborative projects with industrial and academic partners, revenue funding will be required to form a highly effective multidisciplinary delivery support team. Roll out of industrial digital technologies through the Factory of the Future and the Institute for Active and Intelligent Digital Twins will adhere to the successful ASTUTE delivery mechanism. For effective knowledge exchange and innovation leadership in companies the inclusion of an Engineering Doctoral programmes is critical. The overall revenue element with a complete team is estimated to be c.£4m per annum.
Lead: Neath Port Talbot CBC, Swansea University, Industry Wales and a strong industry consortium. Potential Partners: Kuka, Mazak, ABB, Renishaw, BT, Huawei, Three, Siemens, Bosch, Fujitsu, IBM, Cisco, Toyota, Tata, Sandvik Ospreys, BAE Systems. Key partners
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Compound Semiconductor Cluster – CS Connected and Integrative Semiconductor Materials
Compound Semiconductor (CS) materials are key enablers and they sit at the very heart of various new developments highlighted in the UK Industrial Strategy: 5G wireless infrastructure for global data transfer; ultra-high speed optical fibre connectivity; LIDAR for enabling autonomous drive vehicles; high efficiency power Rationale conversion for electric vehicles; low power sensors for IoT and autonomous systems etc. Consequently, there is a massive market opportunity for CS materials and devices. South Wales is already home to a leading cluster of globally significant activities in the CS technology boom. It also has a co-ordinated and comprehensive expertise base in the Integrative Semiconductor space including Compound Semiconductor on Silicon. The vision of the cluster was first defined in 2015, to build on existing academic and industrial assets, capabilities and manufacturing excellence in the South Wales region to create Europe’s 5th semiconductor cluster – the first dedicated to Compound Semiconductor technologies. To date the cluster has secured commitments of over £500m private and public investment, with a suite of innovation assets and critical manufacturing infrastructure. The cluster is now underpinned by ten formal partners and in excess of 1,200 high value manufacturing jobs in the core industrial partners (IQE, NWF, SPTS, Microsemi), with the potential to grow to 2,000 jobs by 2020. Cardiff and Swansea Universities are fully integrated into the cluster model and provide support across TRL levels 1-6. Exciting growth plans to drive the expansion of the cluster include: a Local Skills Partnership Survey to identify skills demand in the region; multiple Centre for Doctoral Training applications from Cardiff and Swansea; a bid for a new Centre for Integrated Semiconductors (a £90m project application to Research England); and three ISCF Wave 3 EoIs led by Cluster members. This action area is broad and is designed to accelerate the growth and development of the high tech cluster for the benefit of South Wales and the wider UK.
• Establish the cluster on the international stage – increasing FDI flows • Expand the cluster and create incubation and acceleration space across the region to support indigenous business growth. • Provision of training to enhance skills across all levels from NVQ to PhD Objectives • Demonstration platforms to showcase the innovation and manufacturing elements of the cluster via a series of CS Accelerator centres in areas such as 5G, Automotive, Data-communications, Power, Energy and Healthcare.
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Compound Semiconductor Cluster – CS Connected and Integrative Semiconductor Materials
The future focus will be to firmly establish the CS cluster on the international stage. This requires concerted effort to land multiple FDI projects from major international players in the CS supply chain. Currently there are in excess of ten FDI opportunities in play, but there are significant gaps in the collective Description infrastructure to facilitate customised, persistent FDI projects that critically engage the existing supply chain, and promote indigenous spin out activity derived from the CRD investment. Meeting the objectives defined above will facilitate increased FDI, as well as addressing the skills gap.
CS Connected Consortia (Cardiff University, Swansea University, IQE, SPTS, NWF, Microsemi, CSC, CSA Catapult, WG Innovation Team, Cardiff City Deal CSC Foundry)
Key partners
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Agri-tech commercialisation: The Agricultural Futures Innovation Platform (AFI)
Food production systems are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of intensification, climate change and policy. In the UK post-BREXIT, sustainable farming systems will require urgent and long term interventions to reduce the risk of the collapse of primary livestock production and to build an assurance of economic growth through diversification. Wales has unique, world class agri- Rationale food expertise and land assets and is therefore well placed to host a substantive agricultural innovation platform to enable UK supply chains to aim towards stability and growth in the sector. As noted in the Reid Review, new innovation hubs will be needed across Wales to connect different actors in the innovation ecosystem. The AFI Platform will build on the research and innovation excellence at Aberystwyth University in the agri- sciences, world class AI and remote sensing capabilities (REF 2014) and utilise the unique natural capital of Mid Wales.
• Create unique test beds for product and service development from lowland and upland holdings. • Enable economically viable diversification of land use to alternative, post carbon products and services. • Successfully integrate digital, big data and cyber security technologies into Objectives agricultural product and service developments of the future. • Train and inspire the next generation of producers and suppliers to adopt step change technological advances into agricultural practices and enable knowledge exchange.
The AFI Platform will be co-located with Aberystwyth University and the extensive agri-food assets in Wales, to deliver innovation-led growth in Mid Wales using an interdisciplinary approach to the agricultural challenges facing our dispersed but sizeable industry cluster across the counties of Ceredigion and Powys. It will bring together interdisciplinary experts from agriculture, biosciences, veterinary Description sciences, artificial intelligence and remote sensing/earth observation disciplines to enable food, energy, and chemical supply chains to develop more competitive products and services from agricultural land. This world-leading innovation hub will require c£8 million in capital investment and c.£12 million in revenue.
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Agri-tech commercialisation: The Agricultural Futures Innovation Platform (AFI)
Through the Platform, existing jobs will be safeguarded, new jobs will be created through diversification of products and services, and new export opportunities of expertise and zero carbon footprint services (e.g. in digital and remote sensing) will be established. The Platform will have wider impacts for livestock health and welfare. It will also enable the development of responsible and informed ecosystem services and land management, and enable the productive use of marginal land. Economic growth would positively benefit via an overall uplift in the exceptionally low Gross Value Added (£17,000 per annum per capita) in ‘Agriculture, forestry and fisheries’ for Ceredigion and Powys with the project offering value for money, clear additionality and no displacement.
Lead: Aberystwyth University with Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus Partners: Early phase discussions under the way with food, bioenergy and ecosystems services supply chains; digital/cyber technology developers and public sector and membership partners Key partners
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Centre of Excellence for Integrated Diagnostics
The Welsh Government has committed to making Wales the best possible environment for Life Science innovation and business growth. In particular, clinical innovation in integrated diagnostics is underpinned by world-leading research, innovative companies and health boards that together are capable of bringing new products to a global market worth >$100 billion annually Rationale (2018). The area is primed for expansion and the Medical Research Council (MRC) concluded that the direction of diagnostic testing must involve integration of patient clinical information with the results from multiple technology platforms. The UK Government has embedded the themes "data to early diagnosis and precision medicine" and “healthy ageing” in its Industrial Strategy White Paper and Innovate UK/UKRI, in its Industrial Strategy Challenge. The implementation of the principles of these themes is crucially dependent on the development and adoption of integrated diagnostic platforms that would be facilitated through a regional centre of excellence. Translation of SIA research strengths to health technology adoption in Wales’ “living laboratory” is already attracting indigenous and inward investment. The Clinical Innovation Corridor from the Cardiff Capital Region to the Swansea Bay City Region levers the region’s research, industrial and clinical assets.
• Interconnecting disciplines: Build on excellent multidisciplinary capabilities by facilitating novel step-change advances in a ‘connect the dots’ approach. • Collaboration culture: Create capacity for collaboration along the Clinical Innovation Corridor, bringing together industrial (indigenous and inward- investing), academic and clinical researchers and innovators. Objectives • Research pipeline and translational support: Improve the translational efficiency and success rates of transferring and integrating devices, technologies and services into clinical settings. • Skills: Improve the interdisciplinary interactions between disciplines • People: Improve the interaction with end-users to create a more informed development pathway.
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Centre of Excellence for Integrated Diagnostics
Integrated diagnostics are vital to the future of healthcare in underpinning precision medicine and prudent healthcare. SIA assets relevant to these and other health disciplines will support the “living laboratory” across the South Wales Clinical Innovation Corridor to address healthcare needs and create commercial opportunity. Within this framework the Centre of Excellence for Description Integrated Diagnostics will consist of a physical centre and virtual network model to maximise flexible engagement opportunities and expand national and international reach. Specific areas of expertise would be supported in measurement technologies, imaging, molecular diagnostics, medical and wearable devices, AI and data driven diagnostics. As with other health innovations developed within the Clinical Innovation Corridor, end-user, NHS and industrial interaction will be key to the Centre’s long-term translational research aims and so involvement will be integrated at strategic, operational and research levels to ensure that end-user demand and commercially viable prospects are supported. The establishment of a flagship Centre of Excellence within the Clinical Innovation Corridor and close interaction with the unique NHS Wales structure as a nationally facing test-bed will stimulate further collaboration with industry to deliver economic growth and income as well as delivering patient, health economic and socio-economic benefit.
Lead: Swansea University, Cardiff University Partners: A consortium approach with wide ranging engagement with NHS, industry, government, charity sector plus existing innovation assets with cross- disciplinary interests in the area. This centre will work in close cooperation with NHS Wales, CUBRIC, PETIC and various industry partners Key partners
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Energy Systems Commercialisation Demonstrator
The importance of decarbonisation and low carbon energy systems has been identified as an important driver of future economic growth by the UK Government and forms a key component of the Industrial Strategy Clean Growth Strategy.
Rationale The South Wales energy system demonstrator will: de-risk the decarbonisation challenges associated with the transition to a new energy system based on an integrated multi-vector approach; enable the commercial viability of new and innovative energy systems technologies to be demonstrated; and create a centre of excellence recognised internationally.
• Create interlinked demonstrator sites that will support the development of fully integrated multi-vector energy systems to address the challenges of decarbonising energy generation, storage, distribution and consumption. • Build on regional excellence in energy research to address the current and future challenges of the low carbon economy. Objectives • Support the upskilling and training needs of the rapidly expanding energy sector.
Building on the FLEXIS consortium of world-leading energy research capability in South Wales, the development of integrated demonstrator sites across South Wales will provide the specialist technical and innovation capacity to maximise the exploitation of a variety of new technologies.
Description The proposed facility will consist of a multi-vector digital twin of the energy system, and a series of interlinked practical demonstrators that will enable the technical and commercial potential of novel technologies to be evaluated. Once tested and de-risked, such technologies can be scaled up to maximise their societal, economic and environmental impact.
Lead: Neath Port Talbot CBC, Cardiff Capital Region, Cardiff University Partners: Swansea University, University of South Wales, Siemens, Energy Systems Catapult, Toshiba, TATA, Wales & West Utilities, Welsh Water
Key partners
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NEXT STEPS FOR THE CONSORTIUM
9.12 In keeping with the SIA ethos that this report address the gaps and weaknesses identified in our should be viewed as the “end of the beginning, report. To ensure that our SIA maintains momentum not the beginning of the end”, we are committed and acts as a powerful catalyst for change we to improving regional and national productivity, in have a number of activities planned to enable collaboration with our partners, by building on our Universities, Industry and Welsh Government to strengths and developing innovative solutions to come together to take forward actions:
Timescale Activity
Forming strategic regional and national links on initiatives with other 0 – 3 months relevant SIA consortia to improve linkages that will ultimately help the UK to deliver increased productivity and prosperity.
Ensuring that the SIA report remains a relevant document and is used to help shape regional policy and investment. This may include for example, drawing on evidence from the audit in the Research and Innovation 0 – 3 months Strategies of our universities, as well as by adding the SIA to the agenda of high-level strategic meetings in Wales e.g. meetings of the Pro Vice Chancellors for Research.
Establishing a Steering Group to carry forward our action ideas and to monitor and evaluate their progress and economic value. Further partners 0 – 3 months will be recruited to our consortium to maximise its potential to improve productivity and prosperity in the region.
Maintain an up to date website and social media presence for the South 0 – 3 Months Wales Crucible to publicise our SIA report and the Consortium’s activities.
Form an SIA Taskforce to continue its legacy and adopt further partners to the consortium. The overarching aim of this ambition is to act as an 3 – 6 months influencer to increase investment in research and innovation in Wales, in line with the Reid Review recommendations, to improve things for the future.
Hold a post-SIA publication event to promote the work of the South Wales 3 – 6 Months Crucible more widely, strengthen our partnership and maintain momentum in delivering on SIA’s priority actions.
All activities will make the South Wales Crucible region an exemplar of research and innovation driven economic growth, advancing Welsh ambitions to increase the visibility and influence of research supporting the UK’s Industrial Strategy.
106 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE ANNEX A
ANNEX A: SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE DELIVERY STRUCTURE AND CONTRIBUTORS
A.1 The diagram below shows the delivery structure of the South Wales Crucible SIA consortium.
Figure A-1: SIA delivery structure diagram
Source: South Wales Crucible
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A.2 The table below lists the organisations who have formally contributed to this SIA process.
Table A-1: Contributors to the South Wales Crucible SIA process
Organisation Theme AA International Agri-food-tech AGL Energy Agri-food-tech British Oat and Barley Millers Association Agri-food-tech Biscuit Straw Agri-food-tech Castell Howell Foods Agri-food-tech Fog Farms Agri-food-tech Food and Farming Futures Agri-food-tech Germinal Holdings Ltd. Agri-food-tech International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Agri-food-tech Pennotec Agri-food-tech PhytoQuest Agri-food-tech Phytorigins/Equibiome Agri-food-tech Senova Agri-food-tech Shire Meadery Agri-food-tech Tech Farm Agri-food-tech Waitrose Agri-food-tech Wynnstay Plc Agri-food-tech Ceredigion County Council Agri-food-tech Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus Ltd Agri-food-tech Indoor Biotech Health Innovation Velindre NHS University Trust Health Innovation Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Health Innovation Direct Health Care Group Health Innovation Welsh Life Science Bridging Fund Health Innovation MediWales Health Innovation BBI Group Health Innovation Medaphor Health Innovation Calon Cardio-Technology Ltd. Smart Manufacturing Uni-Pol Group Smart Manufacturing Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd & University of Strathclyde Smart Manufacturing VortexIoT Ltd Smart Manufacturing Schaeffler UK Ltd Smart Manufacturing Carapace Slate Ltd Smart Manufacturing Sony Smart Manufacturing
108 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE ANNEX A
Qioptiq Smart Manufacturing Electroimpact UK Smart Manufacturing Airbus Smart Manufacturing Industry Wales Smart Manufacturing Hi-Lex Cable System Co., Ltd Smart Manufacturing EEF The Manufacturers' Organisation Smart Manufacturing/Steel Innovation Tata Steel UK Steel Innovation Tata Steel - Port Talbot & Llanwern Steel Innovation Tata Packgaging - Trostre Steel Innovation Crown Packaging Steel Innovation Celsa Steel UK Steel Innovation Sandvik Osprey Steel Innovation Liberty Steel Newport Steel Innovation Waretech Steel Innovation Royal Mint Steel Innovation Timet Steel Innovation Wall Colmonoy Steel Innovation Cogent Electrical Steels Steel Innovation Doncasters Blaenavon Steel Innovation Darlow Lloyd Steel Innovation Vale Steel Innovation TWI Steel Innovation Texturing Technology Ltd Steel Innovation ICA Industrial Communities Alliance Steel Innovation TATA Steel Steel Innovation DLSONS Steel Innovation TATA Steel Sustainable Energy Welsh Government Cross Theme FLEXIS Sustainable Energy
A Science and Innovation Audit Report Sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 109 ANNEX B
ANNEX B: SIA CORE GEOGRAPHY
B.1 The core geography for the SIA is shown on the map below and the 14 local authority areas this covers are listed in the table underneath. As explained in Section 1, each theme has a slightly different spatial footprint to reflect the underlying distribution of science and innovation assets.
Figure B-1: The geography of the South Wales Crucible
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SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE
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Source: Produced by SQW 2018. Licence 100030994. Contains OS data © Crown copyright [and database right] [2018]
Table B-1: Local authorities included in the core SIA geography
Blaenau Gwent Neath Port Talbot Bridgend Newport Caerphilly Pembrokeshire Cardiff Rhondda Cynon Taff Carmarthenshire Swansea Merthyr Tydfil The Vale of Glamorgan Monmouthshire Torfaen
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ANNEX C: SECTOR SIC CODE DEFINITIONS
C.1 The tables below provide the SIC code definitions for the employment estimates used in the SIA report.
Table C-1: SIC code definition used for Thematic areas
Steel 24100 : Manufacture of basic iron and steel and of ferro-alloys 24200 : Manufacture of tubes, pipes, hollow profiles and related fittings, of steel 24310 : Cold drawing of bars 24320 : Cold rolling of narrow strip 24330 : Cold forming or folding 24340 : Cold drawing of wire 24450 : Other non-ferrous metal production 24510 : Casting of iron 24520 : Casting of steel 24530 : Casting of light metals 24540 : Casting of other non-ferrous metals 25110 : Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures 25500 : Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal; powder metallurgy 25610 : Treatment and coating of metals 25620 : Machining 25920 : Manufacture of light metal packaging 25990 : Manufacture of other fabricated metal products nec 32110 : Striking of coins 46720 : Wholesale of metals and metal ores 29201 : Manufacture of bodies (coachwork) for motor vehicles (except caravans) 71121 : Engineering design activities for industrial process and production 71122 : Engineering related scientific and technical consulting activities 71200 : Technical testing and analysis 72190 : Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
Smart Manufacturing 1310 : Preparation and spinning of textile fibres 1320 : Weaving of textiles 1330 : Finishing of textiles 1392 : Manufacture of made-up textile articles, except apparel 1395 : Manufacture of non-wovens and articles made from non-wovens, except apparel 1396 : Manufacture of other technical and industrial textiles 1712 : Manufacture of paper and paperboard
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Smart Manufacturing 2011 : Manufacture of industrial gases 2012 : Manufacture of dyes and pigments 2013 : Manufacture of other inorganic basic chemicals 2014 : Manufacture of other organic basic chemicals 2015 : Manufacture of fertilisers and nitrogen compounds 2016 : Manufacture of plastics in primary forms 2017 : Manufacture of synthetic rubber in primary forms 2020 : Manufacture of pesticides and other agrochemical products 2030 : Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics 2041 : Manufacture of soap and detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations 2042 : Manufacture of perfumes and toilet preparations 2051 : Manufacture of explosives 2052 : Manufacture of glues 2053 : Manufacture of essential oils 2059 : Manufacture of other chemical products n.e.c. 2060 : Manufacture of man-made fibres 2211 : Manufacture of rubber tyres and tubes; retreading and rebuilding of rubber tyres 2219 : Manufacture of other rubber products 2221 : Manufacture of plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles 2222 : Manufacture of plastic packing goods 2229 : Manufacture of other plastic products 2311 : Manufacture of flat glass 2313 : Manufacture of hollow glass 2314 : Manufacture of glass fibres 2319 : Manufacture and processing of other glass, including technical glassware 2343 : Manufacture of ceramic insulators and insulating fittings 2344 : Manufacture of other technical ceramic products 2349 : Manufacture of other ceramic products 2365 : Manufacture of fibre cement 2391 : Production of abrasive products 2399 : Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products n.e.c. 2410 : Manufacture of basic iron and steel and of ferro-alloys 2420 : Manufacture of tubes, pipes, hollow profiles and related fittings, of steel 2431 : Cold drawing of bars 2432 : Cold rolling of narrow strip 2433 : Cold forming or folding 2434 : Cold drawing of wire 2441 : Precious metals production 2442 : Aluminium production
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Smart Manufacturing 2451 : Casting of iron 2452 : Casting of steel 2453 : Casting of light metals 2454 : Casting of other non-ferrous metals 2511 : Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures 2521 : Manufacture of central heating radiators and boilers 2530 : Manufacture of steam generators, except central heating hot water boilers 2540 : Manufacture of weapons and ammunition 2550 : Forging, pressing, stamping and roll-forming of metal; powder metallurgy 2561 : Treatment and coating of metals 2562 : Machining 2571 : Manufacture of cutlery 2573 : Manufacture of tools 2592 : Manufacture of light metal packaging 2593 : Manufacture of wire products, chain and springs 2594 : Manufacture of fasteners and screw machine products 2611 : Manufacture of electronic components 2612 : Manufacture of loaded electronic boards 2620 : Manufacture of computers and peripheral equipment 2630 : Manufacture of communication equipment 2640 : Manufacture of consumer electronics 2651 : Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, testing and navigation 2670 : Manufacture of optical instruments and photographic equipment 2711 : Manufacture of electric motors, generators and transformers 2720 : Manufacture of batteries and accumulators 2731 : Manufacture of fibre optic cables 2732 : Manufacture of other electronic and electric wires and cables 2740 : Manufacture of electric lighting equipment 2751 : Manufacture of electric domestic appliances 2790 : Manufacture of other electrical equipment 2811 : Manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines 2812 : Manufacture of fluid power equipment 2813 : Manufacture of other pumps and compressors 2814 : Manufacture of other taps and valves 2815 : Manufacture of bearings, gears, gearing and driving elements 2821 : Manufacture of ovens, furnaces and furnace burners 2822 : Manufacture of lifting and handling equipment 2823 : Manufacture of office machinery and equipment (except computers and peripheral equipment) 2824 : Manufacture of power-driven hand tools
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Smart Manufacturing 2825 : Manufacture of non-domestic cooling and ventilation equipment 2829 : Manufacture of other general-purpose machinery n.e.c. 2830 : Manufacture of agricultural and forestry machinery 2841 : Manufacture of metal forming machinery 2849 : Manufacture of other machine tools 2891 : Manufacture of machinery for metallurgy 2892 : Manufacture of machinery for mining, quarrying and construction 2893 : Manufacture of machinery for food, beverage and tobacco processing 2894 : Manufacture of machinery for textile, apparel and leather production 2895 : Manufacture of machinery for paper and paperboard production 2896 : Manufacture of plastics and rubber machinery 2899 : Manufacture of other special-purpose machinery n.e.c. 2910 : Manufacture of motor vehicles 2920 : Manufacture of bodies (coachwork) for motor vehicles; manufacture of trailers and semi-trailers 2931 : Manufacture of electrical and electronic equipment for motor vehicles 2932 : Manufacture of other parts and accessories for motor vehicles 3011 : Building of ships and floating structures 3012 : Building of pleasure and sporting boats 3020 : Manufacture of railway locomotives and rolling stock 3030 : Manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery 3040 : Manufacture of military fighting vehicles 3091 : Manufacture of motorcycles 3092 : Manufacture of bicycles and invalid carriages 3099 : Manufacture of other transport equipment n.e.c. 3211 : Striking of coins 3220 : Manufacture of musical instruments 3312 : Repair of machinery 3313 : Repair of electronic and optical equipment 3314 : Repair of electrical equipment 3315 : Repair and maintenance of ships and boats 3316 : Repair and maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft 3317 : Repair and maintenance of transport equipment n.e.c. 5122 : Space transport
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Agri-Tech 0111 : Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds 0113 : Growing of vegetables and melons, roots and tubers 0116 : Growing of fibre crops 0121 : Growing of grapes 0124 : Growing of pome fruits and stone fruits 0125 : Growing of other tree and bush fruits and nuts 0127 : Growing of beverage crops 0128 : Growing of spices, aromatic, drug and pharmaceutical crops 0129 : Growing of other perennial crops 0130 : Plant propagation 0141 : Raising of dairy cattle 0142 : Raising of other cattle and buffaloes 0143 : Raising of horses and other equines 0145 : Raising of sheep and goats 0146 : Raising of swine/pigs 0147 : Raising of poultry 0149 : Raising of other animals 0150 : Mixed farming 0161 : Support activities for crop production 0162 : Support activities for animal production 01621 : Farm animal boarding and care 01629 : Support activities for animal production (other than farm animal boarding and care) nec 0163 : Post-harvest crop activities 0164 : Seed processing for propagation 0210 : Silviculture and other forestry activities 0220 : Logging 0230 : Gathering of wild growing non-wood products 0240 : Support services to forestry 0311 : Marine fishing 0312 : Freshwater fishing 0321 : Marine aquaculture 0322 : Freshwater aquaculture 1011 : Processing and preserving of meat 1012 : Processing and preserving of poultry meat 1013 : Production of meat and poultry meat products 1020 : Processing and preserving of fish, crustaceans and molluscs 1031 : Processing and preserving of potatoes 1032 : Manufacture of fruit and vegetable juice 1039 : Other processing and preserving of fruit and vegetables
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Agri-Tech 1041 : Manufacture of oils and fats 1042 : Manufacture of margarine and similar edible fats 1051 : Operation of dairies and cheese making 10511 : Liquid milk and cream production 10512 : Butter and cheese production 10519 : Manufacture of milk products (other than liquid milk and cream, butter, cheese) nec 1052 : Manufacture of ice cream 1061 : Manufacture of grain mill products 10611 : Grain milling 10612 : Manufacture of breakfast cereals and cereals-based foods 1062 : Manufacture of starches and starch products 1071 : Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes 1072 : Manufacture of rusks and biscuits; manufacture of preserved pastry goods and cakes 1073 : Manufacture of macaroni, noodles, couscous and similar farinaceous products 1082 : Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery 10821 : Manufacture of cocoa, and chocolate confectionery 10822 : Manufacture of sugar confectionery 1083 : Processing of tea and coffee 10831 : Tea processing 1086 : Manufacture of homogenised food preparations and dietetic food 1089 : Manufacture of other food products n.e.c. 1091 : Manufacture of prepared feeds for farm animals 1092 : Manufacture of prepared pet foods 1101 : Distilling, rectifying and blending of spirits 1102 : Manufacture of wine from grape 1103 : Manufacture of cider and other fruit wines 1104 : Manufacture of other non-distilled fermented beverages 1105 : Manufacture of beer 1106 : Manufacture of malt 1107 : Manufacture of soft drinks; production of mineral waters and other bottled waters 2222 : Manufacture of plastic packing goods 7211 : Research and experimental development on biotechnology 7219 : Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering
Health 211 : Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products 212 : Manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations 266 : Manufacture of irradiation, electromedical and electrotherapeutic equipment 26701 : Manufacture of optical precision instruments 325 : Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and supplies 7211 : Research and experimental development on biotechnology 8610 : Hospital activities 8621 : General medical practice activities 8622 : Specialist medical practice activities 8623 : Dental practice activities 8690 : Other human health activities Source: South Wales Crucible SIA consortium
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Table C 2: SIC code definition used for enabling competencies
Energy
271 : Manufacture of electric motors, generators, transformers and electricity distribution and control apparatus 2711 : Manufacture of electric motors, generators and transformers 2712 : Manufacture of electricity distribution and control apparatus 272 : Manufacture of batteries and accumulators 2720 : Manufacture of batteries and accumulators 351 : Electric power generation, transmission and distribution 3511 : Production of electricity 3512 : Transmission of electricity 3513 : Distribution of electricity 3514 : Trade of electricity 352 : Manufacture of gas; distribution of gaseous fuels through mains 3521 : Manufacture of gas 3522 : Distribution of gaseous fuels through mains 3523 : Trade of gas through mains 353 : Steam and air conditioning supply 3530 : Steam and air conditioning supply 721 : Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering 7219 : Other research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering Digital 6201 : Computer programming activities 62012 : Business and domestic software development 6202 : Computer consultancy activities 6203 : Computer facilities management activities 6209 : Other information technology and computer service activities 6311 : Data processing, hosting and related activities 6312 : Web portals
Source: South Wales Crucible SIA consortium
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ANNEX D: SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
SECTORAL STRENGTHS
D.1 The table below shows employment in manufacturing sub-sectors with an LQ greater than 1.5 for the South Wales Crucible.
Table D-1: Employment in manufacturing sub-sectors in the South Wales Crucible (2016)
LQ Employment Paper and paper products 1.6 2,500 Coke and refined petroleum products 2.5 600 Basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations 1.6 1,750 Basic metals 3.9 8,000 Fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment 1.8 16,000 Furniture 2.7 7,000 Other manufacturing 1.6 3,500
Source: SQW analysis of BRES data
D.2 Science and (technology employment as defined by the ONS) can be found across our geography, with particular concentrations highlighted on the map below.
Figure D-1: Percentage of science and technology employment at LSOA level (2016)
S
S W C
CAR ARTHEN OBS
Source: Produced by SQW 2018. Licence 100030994. Contains OS data © Crown copyright [and database right] [2018]
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Business base whilst our number of accelerators per 1,000 new business (0.74) is behind only Scotland D.3 Analysis of the latest Business Counts and and London.174 These have been presented as Business Demography datasets reveals that: supporting a vibrant ecosystem,175 supporting a wide range of commercialisation activities.176 • Our business density is lower than the UK average; 354 businesses per 10,000 working D.6 Makerspaces and co-working centres are age population in the South Wales Crucible becoming increasingly important, especially area compared to the UK average of 459 for early stage computing and technology rich businesses.177 There are six makerspaces in the • Our number of business has grown by 16% South Wales Crucible SIA geography, whilst since 2012, but this is lower than the UK the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise in average growth rate of 20% Caerphilly is the largest co-working centre of its kind outside of London.178 • Our business birth rate (births as a percentage of all active enterprises) is 14%, just below the D.7 Digital connectivity is important for all UK average of 15% businesses. Some 94% of Wales has access to superfast broadbandxiii similar to the UK average, • Our five year survival rate is also lower than although ultrafast broadband penetration in the UK average; 42% v 44%. Wales is lower than the national average (33%, compared to 53%).179 Initiatives such as the SCIENCE AND INNOVATION Internet Coast City Deal for the Swansea Bay City ECOSYSTEM Region are further enhancing this infrastructure to exploit science and innovation assets throughout A competitive land and property offer… the region.
D.4 Five of the eight Welsh Enterprise Zones … enhanced by a highly supportive policy are located in South Wales: Cardiff Airport and landscape… St Athan, Central Cardiff, Ebbw Vale, Haven Waterway, and Port Talbot Waterfront. With each D.8 The Welsh government is highly supportive zone dedicated to specific sectors, companies of business growth and launched two significant can choose to locate in the right zone for them. initiatives in 2017. The first, the Development They also benefit from superior supporting Bank of Wales, offers loans from £1,000 to £5m infrastructure; the delivery of the Next Generation for to support the growth of Welsh businesses Broadband Network across Wales will prioritise and inward investors. The Bank aims to have an Enterprise Zones. impact of more than £1bn on the Welsh economy over the next five years.180 D.5 Wales also benefits from a well-developed network of business incubators and accelerators D.9 Secondly, the Welsh Government’s which offer support to early-stage firms. Our number Economic Action Plan ‘Prosperity for All’ sets out of incubators per 1,000 new businesses (1.48) a new approach to economic developmentxiv It is behind only Scotland and Northern Ireland, consolidates existing business support into a
xiiiSuperfast broadband is defined as speeds of 30Megabit per second (mbps) or faster, with ultrafast broadband at 100mbps or faster. xiv Business must demonstrate Growth potential, Fair work, Promotion of health, skills and learning, and Progression in reducing their carbon footprint.
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new Economy Futures Fund worth £100m a D.12 The port of Milford Haven is the UK’s fourth year. Businesses must enter into an ‘economic busiest and is an important international shipping contract’and deliver against at least one ‘call gateway;183 it handles the majority of UK liquefied to action’, for example innovation, R&D or gas (c.54%).184 Other key ports are Port Talbot exporting. The Plan also defines three national and Newport, both handling over 2 million tonnes thematic sectors: Tradeable Services, (including of freight in 2016.185 International air connectivity financial technology (fintec), online insurance and is provided by Cardiff Airport which served 1.4m creative industries); High Value Manufacturing, passengers in 2017.186 covering products, processes and services; and the enablers of digital, energy efficiency and … but we have clear challenges around access renewables. Support will also be provided for to growth finance and skills four foundation sectors: tourism, food, retail and care. D.13 The latest data from the Enterprise Investment Scheme, Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme D.10 More recently, there have been calls to build (EIS and SEIS) and the British Venture Capital on this new approach by developing a New Association (BVCA) reveal that firms in Wales National Innovation Compact involving a “grand attract less growth finance than those elsewhere. alliance of policy makers, officials, educators, Welsh companies raised 1.1% of the UK EIS and business people” to build a forward looking total and 1.3% of the SEIS total in 2015/16, knowledge economy.181 and 1% of BVCA tracked investment in 2016. Encouragingly however, BVCA data show that ... and good connectivity… 0.41 companies per 1,000 VAT registered local units received BVCA investment; higher than any D.11 The South Wales Crucible is well served other UK region. by both internal and external road, rail, sea and air links. The M4 links our major urban centres D.14 70,000 students were enrolled across and, with the tolls on the Severn Bridges being the four South Wales Crucible partner HEIs in removed, connections to England will be better 2016/17. Overall however, a lower percentage than ever. Improvements to the Brynglas Tunnels in of our population is qualified at the highest skills Newport and the proposed South Wales Metro levels compared to the UK average. Similarly, a will further enhance connectivity. Slightly further larger percentage of our population lack formal north, the A465 (Heads of the Valleys road) is qualifications compared to the UK average.xv another key east-west strategic link both within Wales and also to the Midlands. The South Wales valleys are linked to Cardiff by rail, and the line between Cardiff and London is currently being electrified which will cut journey times to just 100 minutes.182 However, transport links between South and North Wales remain problematic, as does connectivity with mid-Wales.
xv35.6% of the South Wales Crucible population are qualified to NVQ4+, compared to 38% for the UK total. Some 10.2% of our population lack formal qualifications, compared to 8.3% for the UK. Source: SQW analysis of Annual Population Survey data.
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STEEL INNOVATION
A competitive land and property offer… • Advanced steels are intrinsic to realising new aircraft components such as landing D.15 In general, the latest evidence points gears and also in power generation sectors towards an increased demand for high strength from wind to nuclear power. and toughness, high corrosion resistance, and high-performance steels.187 As steel is used in • There is sustained demand from the most if not all industrial sectors, total demand is construction sector, with growing awareness driven by specific changes in these sectors. For of the potential for buildings to use steel example: facades to generate their own energy (see for example, details of the SPECIFIC project • The transition to electric vehicles will require below). higher performance motors (driven by electrical steels), and high strength, low weight D.16 The table below shows employment in the affordable structures with a low CO2 impact steel industry in 2016, with key locations also across their lifecycle. This can be delivered highlighted on the map. by steel’s high production efficiency and recyclability.188
Table D 2: Total employment and selected sub-sector employment (2016)
Employment Location Quotient Manufacture of basic iron and steel and of ferro-alloys 8,000 11.8 Cold forming or folding 600 9.3 Other non-ferrous metal production 500 5.1 Machining 5,000 1.6 Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures 4,000 2.3 Striking of coins 800 30.9 Theme total 34,000 1.6
Source: SQW analysis of BRES data, Nomis
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Table D-3: The concentration of the steel and metals industrial landscape of South Wales
Tata Steel Activity
Tata Steel Strip Products UK, Port Talbot – generating steel slab, hot and cold rolled coil for a variety of different end uses. Tata Steel Strip Products UK, Llanwern – hot and cold rolled strip steel, metallic coated strip and galvanised coil, produced for UK and European markets. Construction, Shotton – manufacturing organic coated sheet metals for roofing and cladding systems and pre-finished steels at Tata Steel Colours. Tata Steel Packaging, Trostre – leading manufacturer of high quality packaging steels, supplying the can-making industry worldwide and also producing steel for non-packaging applications. Cogent Power, Orb, Newport – manufacturer of a variety of specialist products ranging from the production of grain orientated electrical steels used in power transformers (in EV’s) to silicon steels for all sizes of rotating machines.
Sexton Materials Research - Mark Sexton, Managing Director “Sexton Materials Research Ltd is a new start-up company aiming to provide advice, consultation and research into technical developments, with the objective of assisting manufacturing organisations, particularly the steel industry. Our technology is built using leading edge research. As a start-up company, we would not be able to afford to do this research on our own or indeed have the expert capability or facilities to do so. Due to the fact that there are strong links between business and research intensive Universities in South West Wales, we established our research team in the region. We have a great working relationship with Swansea University which enables us to stay ahead of the competition and be more productive as a company. An early example of this is the award of a joint collaboration, funded by Innovate UK for the recovery of value from Ferrous Byproducts, which has both economic and environmental benefits.”
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SMART MANUFACTURING
D.17 The maps below show the distribution of companies in the four Welsh Government defined sub-sectors of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing: High value manufacturing, Aerospace, Automotive, and Foundation Industries.
Table D-4: Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Subsector Maps 2017-18
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Source: Welsh Government
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Science and innovation assets
The table below provides a headline mapping of our science and innovation assets. Their nationally significant strengths are explained in more detail in the tables which follow.
Table D-5: Science and innovation assets
Manufacturing Materials Computational Systems Science Engineering Engineering Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies (ASTUTE), Swansea University (lead), Cardiff, Aberystwyth, South Wales and UWTSD The Factory of the Future, Swansea University (in development) Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering (ZCCE), Swansea University Materials Research Centre (MRC), Swansea University Future Interaction Technology Lab (FIT), Swansea University National Steel Innovation Centre (NSIC), Swansea University (in development) Systems and Process Engineering Centre (SPEC), Swansea University Computational Foundry, Swansea University Innovative Materials Processing and Numerical Technologies (IMPACT), Swansea University Theme Mechanics, materials and advanced manufacturing, Cardiff University Theme Energy and environment, Cardiff University Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Systems at Cardiff (CAMSAC), Cardiff University Panalpina Centre for Manufacturing and Logistics Research), Cardiff University Skill Hubs (listed in Appendix D) Network and Innovation Hubs (listed in Appendix D) Industry Wales, Bridgend EEF the manufacturers’ organisation, Bridgend Celsa Manufacturing UK, Cardiff Tata Steel Europe, Port Talbot Nidec Control Techniques Academy, Newtown GE Aircraft Engine Services Global Centre of Excellence for wide bodied jet engines, Nantgarw
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Manufacturing Materials Computational Systems Science Engineering Engineering Meritor Centre of Excellence for vehicle breaking systems, Cwmbran Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK Lean Manufacturing Centre, Deeside Calsonic Kansei Europe head office and technology centre, Llanelli Raytheon Centre of Excellence for design and programme management, Broughton Schaeffler UK Technology Centre, Llanelli Solvay centre of excellence for composites product development and application research and engineering, Wrexham Tritech Engineering Solutions centre of excellence for the manufacture of precision, machined components, Wrexham Triumph Actuations Systems specialist aerospace centre of excellence, Deeside TWI Technology Centre, Port Talbot Renishaw Healthcare Centre of Excellence, Miskin Purolite-BroTech Corporation European head office and centre of excellence in ion exchange resins and advanced polymers for life sciences, Llantrisant General Dynamics UK Armoured Fighting Vehicle Assembly, Integration and Testing centre of excellence, Merthyr SONY UK Technology Centre, Pencoed
Source: Swansea University Note: includes anchor and regionally important companies with an R&D Centre in Wales; denotes key asset
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Figure D-2: Smart manufacturing science and innovation assets
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Table D-6: Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering (ZCCE), Swansea University hosts the following research groups and networks.
Computational Solids, Structures and Coupled Systems Computational Methods in Engineering group research group research interests: interests:
• Fundamental contributions to the numerical • Algorithm development treatment of elasto-plastic/elasto-viscoplastic problems • Solid mechanics involving finite strains and deformations • Fluid dynamics • Contributed prominently to the computational • Electromagnetics modelling of frictional contact problems and to the • Landmine detection simulation of progressively damaging solids • Higher order methods • Significant contributions to research into • Multiscale simulation adaptive mesh refinement procedures for elasto- • Petroleum engineering plastic materials with evolving geometries, and the • High speed flows development of iterative equation solution procedures • Supersonic car for large-scale engineering problems • Unstructured and hybrid mesh generation • Recent significant research contributions • Fluid-structure interaction include novel computational strategies for fluid-structure • Membrane processes interaction and fluid flows with free surfaces and • Upscaling interfaces incorporating surface tension • Actively involved in research on multiscale modelling of materials and structures
Computational Aerospace and Structures group Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational research interests: Sciences (WIMCS) group research interests:
• Aeroelasticity • Analysis • Condition monitoring • Stochastic Processes • Structural dynamics • Mathematical Physics • Uncertainty quantification • Computational Modelling • Structural vibration • Statistics and Operational Research • Method development • Morphing wings • Optimization • Stochastic modelling
Advanced Manufacturing group research interests:
• Process Simulation • Active Digital Twin technologies • Computer Modelling • Manufacturing Analytics • Process optimisation • Robotics and Automation • Collaborative Robotics • Decision Making • Machine Learning • Manufacturing Informatics • Machining strategies • Additive Manufacturing • Tooling • Micro manufacturing • Polymer processing • Lean manufacture • Process design • Smart Manufacturing
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Table D-7: Materials Research Centre (MRC), Swansea University hosts the following research groups and networks
Institute of Structural Materials (Rolls-Royce University • Advanced Imaging of Materials (AIM) Technology Centre) group research interests: provide a fully-coupled micro/nano-analysis workflow via a state-of-the-art advanced correlative imaging • Mechanical testing of structural materials for the gas (combining different data sets across length scales) turbine engine with capability in transmission electron microscopy • Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue (TMF) (TEM); scanning electron microscopy (SEM); Ion • Joining Technology and Repairs beam nanofabrication; X-ray Diffraction (XRD); X-ray • Single Crystal Turbine Blades Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS); Energy-Dispersive • Fan Blade Titanium Alloys X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS); and micro and nano X-ray • Vision 20 Alloys computed tomography (microCT). • UHS Steel Shafts • Abradable Seals • Ceramic Matrix Composites • TBC Coatings • High Temperature Nickel Alloys • Creep-Fatigue Modelling
Materials Advanced Characterisation Centre (MACH1) Corrosion and Functional Coatings group research offers a wide range material and measurement interests: capabilities to deliver multi-sample, high-throughput testing of advanced materials to industry equipped with • Corrosion mechanisms Preparation machines – Automated benchtop cutter • Electrochemistry and moulder; Multi-sample polishers; Multi-throughput • Scanning Kelvin Probe benchtop SEM with EDS; Multi-sample automated • Scanning vibrating electrode technique hardness indenter; Multi-sample laser flash system for measurement of Thermal Diffusivity; Multi-sample Thermogravimetry (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC); Multi-material pushrod dilatometer; Small –Disk punch tester for high speed small sample tensile testing.
Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovation Steels and Metals Institute (SaMI) research interests: in Functional Industrial Coatings Innovation and Knowledge Centre (SPECIFIC IKC) research interests: • Process and product innovation • Alloy development and optimisation via vacuum • Printed Photovoltaics induction melting and hot rolling • Solarthermal Heat Generation and Storage • Circular economy and waste utilisation • Batteries • Data science management • Water Treatment • Resource efficiency • Resistive Heating Coatings • Materials characterisation • Technology integration and performance modelling • Zero carbon steelmaking
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Table D-8: Research groups and networks at the Systems and Process Engineering Centre (SPEC), Swansea University
Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC) research National Research Network in Advanced Engineering interests: and Materials (Sêr-Cymru/Stars Wales Initiative) is a • Graphics and packaging transformative alliance that will enhance fundamental • Printed Electronics and applied research in Wales, seeking to address the • Medical and Biotechnology challenges articulated in ‘Science for Wales’ and resulting in:
• Increased critical mass of world class researchers through strategic collaboration • Greater grant capture from competitive sources • Improved engagement with research users • More effective knowledge transfer and outreach activities
Table D-9: Research groups and networks at Cardiff University
Applied and Computational Mechanics High Value Manufacturing Group • Computational models for advanced smart materials • Additive Layer Manufacturing • Computational models for advanced structures and • Autonomous Systems and Robotics meta-structures • Design and Manufacturing • Intelligent and Knowledge-based Systems • Micro/Nano Manufacturing • Smart Systems • Systems Engineering • Sustainable Manufacturing
Materials for Life Mechanical and Structural Performance • Developing a new generation of unique, versatile • Acoustic emission and guided waves and robust self-healing construction materials. • Energy harvesting • Quality control and management • Material Development • Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
D.19 The Panalpina Centre for Manufacturing specialises in research related to supply chain and Logistics Research is a joint industry- forecasting, inventory control, transportation university initiative that aims to achieve world- science, supply chain modelling, logistics business class research with impact in the fields of logistics modelling and freight economics to tackle and manufacturing management. We bridge the important contemporary problems in logistics and gap between theory and practice in these areas manufacturing management, creating business for the benefit of the economy, environment and insights and commercially viable solutions. society. The Centre hosts a collaborative mix of experts from Cardiff University and Panalpina and
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Table D-10: Skills Hubs:
Materials and Manufacturing Academy (M2A), Centre Of Advanced Training for Engineering Swansea University provides industry led postgraduate Doctorates (COATED & COATED2), Swansea University research training based at Swansea University's new Bay EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Industrial Campus. M2A is part funded by the European Social Functional Coatings Fund through the Welsh Government.
Materials and Manufacturing Education Training and Manufacturing Advances Through Training Engineering Learning Scheme (METaL/METaL2), Swansea University Researchers (EDT MATTER), Swansea University work based learning project that focusses on technical EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in high technology training modules offers a series of Credit Qualifications advanced manufacturing underpinned by computational, that can be used towards professional development and materials and nanotechnology. further education if desired.
Airbus Group training and R&D in Aerospace Non- Cambria Engineering University Centre, Coleg Destructive Testing, Newport Cambria/Swansea University bespoke NDT training, research testing of new foundation and bachelor degrees in Applied Business aerostructure composites, and expert aerospace NDT Management and Advanced Manufacturing consultancy services for engineering and manufacturing companies.
Table D-11: Networks and Innovation Hubs:
Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies The Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult, (ASTUTE/ASTUTE2020/ASTUTE EAST), Swansea Cardiff University (lead), Cardiff University, Aberystwyth University, University of South Wales, University of Wales Trinity Saint David
The Alacrity Foundation, Newport General Dynamics EDGE UK initiative, Oakdale
EEF the manufacturers’ organisation, Bridgend Airbus Group Endeavr Wales, Newport SONY Technology Centre, manufacturing centre of Industry Wales, Bridgend excellence, Pencoed
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Table D-12: Industry centres of excellence based in Wales (indicative, non-exhaustive list):
Celsa (UK) Manufacturing Ltd Steel and Metals Institute, Nidec Control Techniques Academy, Newtown Swansea University GE Aircraft Engine Services Global Centre of Excellence Meritor Ltd Centre of Excellence for vehicle breaking for wide bodied jet engines, Nantgarw systems, Cwmbran Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK Lean Manufacturing Calsonic Kansei Europe head office and technology Centre, Deeside centre, Llanelli Raytheon Centre of Excellence for design and Schaeffler UK Technology Centre, Llanelli programme management, Broughton
Solvay centre of excellence for composites product Tritech Engineering Solutions centre of excellence for development and application research and engineering, the manufacture of precision, machined components, Wrexham Wrexham Triumph Actuations Systems specialist aerospace centre TWI Technology Centre, Port Talbot of excellence, Deeside Renishaw Healthcare Centre of Excellence, Miskin Purolite-BroTech Corporation European head office and centre of excellence in ion exchange resins and advanced polymers for life sciences, Llantrisant General Dynamics UK Armoured Fighting Vehicle SONY UK Technology Centre, Manufacturing Centre of Assembly, Integration and Testing centre of excellence, Excellence, Pencoed Merthyr Tata Steel Europe, Port Talbot
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D.20 A selection of case studies demonstrating our strengths are provided below.
Table D-13: Smart manufacturing case studies
ADVANCED MANUFACTURING RESEARCH from apprenticeship, masters and doctoral INSTITUTE (AMRI), BROUGHTON qualifications. Training will be split into three areas of delivery; automation, advanced manufacturing An AMRI facility is being built adjacent to the and machining and will be designed to meet Airbus facility, Broughton. This will support future manufacturing requirements emerging from industry to adapt to modern techniques and initiatives such as Industry 4.0. The offer will understanding the potential opportunities of be reviewed periodically to ensure it continues Industry 4.0. The Advanced Manufacturing to meet the needs of Welsh businesses and Research Institute (AMRI) will act as a conduit specifically provides skills directly aligned to for advanced manufacturing in Wales and will needs of employers in the region. contribute to future UK growth across many sectors. Stage 1 will focus on R&D and will be • Collaborative R&D – the AMRI’s focus on the home for the Airbus ‘Wing of Tomorrow, R&D is critical to the branding and unique and other research projects supporting the offer of the facility. The AMRI will support R&D automotive, construction, nuclear and food & programmes developing specialised advanced drink industries. Stage 2 will focus on skills. manufacturing and engineering innovations, provide solutions to known current and future The AMRI is a proposed two site establishment manufacturing problems and exploit emerging with the first being delivered at Broughton. It opportunities. The AMRI will introduce new will cater for the needs of small, medium and technologies to SMEs and facilitate integration of large businesses across the region including these with existing manufacturing processes and those designated by the Welsh Government as workforce training and skills development. The Anchor and Regionally Important companies. AMRI will also provide a central focal point with It will operate on a two site location, with one innovation stakeholders, such as Innovate UK, in site at Broughton and the other on the Deeside order to attract an increased level of funding and Enterprise Zone. activity to the advanced manufacturing sector in Wales. The AMRI will create a collaborative The AMRI will connect advanced manufacturing environment, establishing a key productivity research expertise with business needs and support hub for the advanced manufacturing higher and further education institutions. It will sector. be a private and public sector led relationship, the initial operator is AMRC Sheffield who • Services to promote and develop the will operate the site as a spoke of High Value advanced manufacturing sector in Wales - the Manufacturing Catapult based on a proven AMRI will support businesses with a membership successful model in Sheffield (est. 2002) with service, hosting networking and collaboration skills training and research and development events and raising the profile of manufacturing activity led by the AMRC, and involving Welsh in the region. and other academic institutions and the private sector. The AMRI has the potential to secure at least the safeguarding of 6,000 jobs, the creation The AMRI offer encompasses: of 2,850 jobs and an additional £1billion per annum in GVA. The facilities that will house the • Training & Skills Delivery – the AMRI AMRI will be built and owned by the Welsh will focus on delivering engineering Government and leased back to the operator. and advanced manufacturing skills at all levels
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CALON CARDIO
Calon Cardio was formed in 2007 by Early generation pumps were large, heavy, academics from the universities of Swansea required highly invasive surgery and had and Oxford. It is based at Swansea’s Institute limited reliability and durability. More recent of Life Science 2 because of the combination technology has allowed VADs to become of world class expertise in Computational smaller and easier to implant, however, over Engineering and Advanced Materials time the adverse effects of these pumps on Technology that Swansea offers. blood have become apparent, with evidence of haemolysis and a significant incidence of Calon Cardio is developing, in collaboration thrombus formation resulting in adverse medical with Swansea University and extensively events. The technology being developed by supported by the ASTUTE team, affordable, Calon Cardio aims to address these problems. implantable micro blood pumps – commonly Calon is developing a pump, the MiniVADTM known as ventricular assist devices, or VADs – to be implanted directly into the failing heart, for the treatment of chronic heart failure, which driven by an embedded electric motor and is a significant and rapidly growing global powered by a compact battery pack worn by health problem. the user. Calon Cardio’s intent is to develop and commercialise a pump that can boost the output of the failing heart to improve quality of life, and slow or halt the progress of the condition.
QIOPTIQ
Qioptiq, an Excelitas Technologies Company, The St Asaph operation was successful in designs and manufactures photonic products winning a major contract from the UK MOD and solutions that serve a wide range to supply and maintain a large range of of markets and applications in the areas Surveillance and Target Acquisition of medical and life sciences, industrial equipment over 6 years worth £82 million manufacturing, defence and aerospace, and (March 2017). This contract content includes research and development. In 2013 Qioptiq night vision systems and night weapon sights. was acquired by Excelitas Technologies, a The Welsh Government has constructed a global technology leader focused on delivering 24,900 sq ft facility investing in a purpose- innovative, customised solutions to meet the built facility at St Asaph. A further investment lighting, detection and other high-performance was made by Qioptiq in fitting out and IT technology needs of OEM customers. systems.
The ASTUTE team is engaged with Qioptiq in collaborative research around materials science and additive manufacture.
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ELECTROIMPACT UK
Electroimpact UK was established in 2000 Electroimpact UK has grown as a company over from their Seattle based HQ. Electroimpact UK the last 16 years and in 2011 the company is involved with the research, design, prototype, moved into their current premises next to manufacture, installation, commissioning and Broughton. This resulted in the creation of the maintenance of automated assembly equipment Electroimpact Technology Park, with the long term and tooling for the Aerospace and Defence goal of creating similar university campus style industry. The business’s main historic focus has facilities and investments to those that have been been within Airbus UK in support of their many created in Seattle. aircraft programmes. The automation technology is now encompassing complex composite In 2016 the Welsh Government supported the assembly technology. building of a new high-bay assembly building. This investment will give EI UK the opportunity There has been significant interest and growth to secure very high end technology aerospace from the US space rocket and military sectors engineering projects. These Wales based facilities over very recent years with contracts awarded will also become the European/Asia regional from NASA and SpaceX. They are actively trying head office. A collaborative project with the to secure some of this additional workload to the College of Engineering at Swansea developed Wales-based facilities. pioneering composite repair technology from TRL 2 to TRL 5, and it is now commercially offered by another project partner.
AIRBUS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN CYBER SECURITY ANALYTICS
This Centre is working across industry, A significant focus of the work is the interpretation academia and government to provide a focus and effective communication of automated for cyber security analytics in the UK. As the algorithmic data analytics to support decision first centre of its kind in Europe, this Centre making and policy surrounding cyber security aims to strategically position the UK as a issues of national importance. leader in cyber security analytics. Cyber security is a priority research area at Cardiff It is addressing emerging challenges to University, supported with strategic investment. cyber security by combining computational Since 2012 the university has established an and mathematical methods, drawing on interdisciplinary research team of technical and technical expertise in machine learning, social researchers. The collaborative projects artificial intelligence and big data analytics, have received more than £5m in funding from criminological expertise in cyber crime, UK Research Councils (EPSRC, ESRC), Welsh and international relations expertise in Government (Endeavr Wales) and Industry communication and governance. (Airbus).
This collaboration covers areas of mutual Participation in the collaborative program is interest to the Cyber Operations Team at not limited by organisational affiliation, but is Airbus and Cardiff University, including data determined by scientists’ ability to contribute science, big data analytics, machine learning to the mutual objectives of the participating and artificial intelligence. organisations.
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HI-LEX CABLE SYSTEM CO., LTD
Hi-Lex Cable System Co. Ltd is a leading the ASTUTE team at Swansea University. We supplier of window regulators, door modules did not have the correct skill sets at the time and mechanical control cables for the within Hi-Lex to solve a particular issue with automotive industry. Founded in 1946 in a component used on handbrake cables for Takarazuka, Japan, Hi-Lex has more than an automotive OEM. ASTUTE were able to 16,000 employees worldwide in over 50 support and subsequently resolve the issue. The facilities. best advert for their work is that the component design has been in use on all vehicles using Adam Glaznieks, Managing Director, Hi- this platform produced in Europe since 2013 Lex Cable System Co. Ltd, Port Talbot: “Hi- with zero warranty concerns.” Lex has had a very positive experience with
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AGRI-FOOD TECH countries are predicted to be responsible for the largest increases in GHG emissions in the D.21 Key trends and drivers of change include: coming decades.199
• Rising demand and sustainable • Managing waste streams: An estimated intensification: 30-50% of all food produced globally is wasted As mentioned earlier, demand for food, before or after reaching the consumer.200 fuel and fibre will increase as the global Companies have signed up to the Courtauld population continues to grow. It is estimated Commitment 2025 that aims to generate a that the demand for water, energy and food 20% reduction in food and drink waste arising will rise by 55%, 37% and 60% respectively in the UK by 2025, as part of the delivery of by 2050.189 Applying innovations in agri-tech the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. and agricultural practices will allow further UK businesses saved £100m between 2012- productivity and yield improvements, whilst 2015, by reducing food waste under phase 3 managing the strain on natural resources.190 of this Commitment.201 In addition to reducing For example improvements in productivity may waste generation, the valorisation of waste in part be addressed through closing yield through anaerobic digestion or conversion/ gaps (percentage of potential yield achieved). extraction of valuable components will be As biotechnology increases in importance, increasingly important for managing agri- food the yield gap is likely to be enhanced in low- waste streams. income countries where technology integration is reduced compared to high income countries. • Supply chain resilience relates to the ability Yet the low income countries tend to have of the supply chain to respond to “shocks” the highest yield gaps (>50%) and therefore such as: climatic effects, biological and have the greatest potential to benefit from environmental risks (such as pest and disease yield improvements.191 Improvements must or contamination issues), market related risks,202 be achieved whilst protecting biodiversity logistics and infrastructure issues, management and managing the other demands on land, and operational issues, public policy risks and including flood management.192 It is estimated political risks and has implications for food that by 2050, there will be a 10% reduction security. Modelling of climatic risk to agricultural in global biodiversity, with Asia, Europe and production demonstrated effects on global Southern Africa worst affected,193 which can financial sector, government stability, food have implications for agricultural productivity,194 security and human health.203 It is predicted ecosystem services195 and human social system that risks to the agri-food chain are increasing, and well-being.196 There are also significant and due to the globalisation of food, events issues regarding soil quality, water extraction for occurring outside of the UK can have substantial irrigation and reliance on fossil fuels for energy impacts on the UK food system.204 Five areas to produce nitrogen fertilisers and pesticides.197 for action have been identified to improve the UK’s food supply chain resilience; “understand • Climate change: Agriculture directly the risks better”, “explore opportunities for contributes 12-14% of greenhouse gas coordinated risk management”, “improve the emissions, rising to 30% when post farm gate functioning of international market”, “bolster processes are included.198 As demands on the national resilience to market shocks” and “adapt environment rise with the growing population agriculture for a changing climate”. Innovation in there is an opportunity to support the clean growth the agri-food sector may assist with developing agenda by reducing emissions. Developing some of the solutions to increase supply chain countries will need support through technology resilience and will need to have a cross sector transfer and international co-operation, as these approach. Wales is well placed to respond
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to this challenge through its membership of processing and environmental impacts209 Many the Global Food Security Programme and the agri-tech companies lack the digital skills to “Towards Sustainable Growth: An Action Plan take advantage of opportunities offered by the for the Food and Drink Industry 2014-2020” Internet of Things.210 which forms part of the approach to improve food security in Wales.205 • Brexit: impacts are anticipated through changes to imports and export regulations, • Value-added foods: A rise in food related leaving the Common Agricultural Policy, changes health issues, e.g. obesity and type 2 diabetes, to funding streams for R&D, and changes is creating an opportunity for the production of to environmental regulations.211 Uncertainty functional (sometimes referred to as nutraceuticals) around Brexit represents significant area of and affordable healthy foods.206 There are concern for the sector. It will be important to challenges regarding regulatory approval of drive innovation in the agri-food sector to such foods, for example in substantiating health enable companies to maximise the potential of claims, which positively serve to protect the new markets and products during the transition consumer. However the associated R&D costs period. and time-frames can represent a barrier to companies seeking to develop these foods.207 • Novel Farming Approaches: Vertical farming, Personalised nutrition and a rising interest in hydroponics, aeroponics and insect protein are vegetarianism and veganism208 along with food examples of new techniques that may change provenance schemes are further examples of current farming approaches and open up new value-added foods. market opportunities. Continued innovation in this area is likely to expand the farming • Technology: Has the potential to assist at approaches available, and be important for all levels of the supply chain from genetic improving sustainability of agriculture. selection through to precision agriculture, A.I. and robotics, and the monitoring of food
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Figure D-3: Agri-food industry
Source: South Wales Crucible analysis of: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-statistics- pocketbook-2017/food-statistics-in-your-pocket-2017-food-chain and Welsh figures: MID-TERM Executive Report The Value of Welsh Food and Drink 2017; https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Business-Economy-and-Labour-Market/Regional- Accounts/Gross-Value-Added-GDP/gvainwales-by-industry Biocontrol and Natural Products (BANP)
The Biocontrol and Natural Products Group
• The Biocontrol and Natural Products (BANP) faster than then chemical pesticide sector and group at Swansea University focusses on two regulatory bodies are trying to get these fast broad areas: tracked for registration due to the lack of safe alternatives and increasing reports of resistance - Biocontrol: focussing on developing being developed in pest populations to natural agents for the control of invertebrate conventional chemical pesticides. The research pests which impact on food security and aims to develop sustainable, environmentally human and animal. friendly products and strategies for the control of arthropod pests of global socio-economic - Natural Products: focussing on exploiting importance. Products under development agents or their by-products for use in at Swansea University in collaboration with disparate biotechnologies that contribute companies UK wide include: to protecting the environment and the generation of new therapeutics for 1. entomopathogenic fungi as alternatives to healthcare. conventional chemical pesticides 2. novel fumigants based on microbial • There is considerable interest in development volatiles - Certis Europe BV has licensed this of new pesticides based on environmentally technology from Swansea University friendly natural products. The biological 3. semiochemicals (plant based kairomones, pesticide (biopesticide) sector is growing insect pheromones) as lures and repellents
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D.23 The table below shows the value of UK funding. Values presented represent the sum total research council funding to the SIA universities of project value where the university in question between 2010 – 2017. Topics were identified as is the lead partner (NB this value may be which being theme relevant, and all projects with at least may be split among project partners). It does not one of the listed research topics funded between include funding received where the university in 2010-2017 led by one of the SIA universities were question was a project partner (but not lead). included in the table. Additionally, 76 projects that had an unclassified research topic were identified (worth c.£37 million), and included intramural
Table D-14: UK research council funding to the SIA universities (2010 – 2017)
Aberystwyth Bangor Cardiff Swansea Research Area Grand Total University University University University Agri-environment 2,921,297 3,472,096 5,288,332 1,126,565 12,808,290 Animal science 4,336,098 894,618 4,595,172 1,373,621 11,199,509 Bioengineering 4,587,514 426,493 1,494,358 2,550,506 9,058,871 Climate & climate 417,348 725,526 3,973,522 1,663,831 6,780,227 change Food and nutrition 3,261,926 712,068 977,556 0 4,951,550 Marine science 2,008,626 7,958,991 2,821,525 2,703,664 15,492,806 Plant and crop science 26,410,092 983,697 2,938,578 400,363 30,732,730 Grand Total 43,942,901 15,173,489 22,089,043 9,818,550 91,023,983
Source: Aberystwyth University analysis of Gateway to Research data
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Table D-15: Research Topics included in Gateway to Research analysis
Agricultural systems Diet & health Animal & human physiology Ecosystem Scale Processes Animal behaviour Food microbiology Animal developmental biology Food processing Animal Diseases Plant cell biology Animal organisms Plant developmental biology Animal reproduction Plant organisms Animal Welfare Plant physiology Bioenergy Plant reproductive biology Biogeochemical Cycles Plant responses to environment Climate & Climate Change Soil science Community Ecology Waste Management Crop protection Waste Minimisation Crop science -
Source: Aberystwyth University
D.24 Circa £117m of European Rural Development Fund (ERDF) funding awarded to support agri- food and environment theme in Wales included approved projects in East Wales and West Wales and the Valleys between 2014-2020:212
Sêr Cymru II SEACAMS 2 FLEXIS SMARTAQUA Centre for Environmental SMART Expertise Biotechnology Aberystwyth Innovation and Enterprise Campus Vet Hub 1 BEACON plus
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D.25 A selection of case studies demonstrating our strengths are included below.
Table D-16: Agri-food tech case studies
PHYTOQUEST - VALUE ADDED WASTE “Our agriculture teams at Waitrose have worked STREAMS with university researchers for many years. In particular over the last eight years, IBERS The table below shows the value of UK research Aberystwyth have collaborated with us on a council funding to the SIA universities between number of important projects in the field of 2010 – 2017. Topics were identified as being sustainable agricultural production and enhanced theme relevant, and all projects with at least one of quality foods. In addition we have been the listed research topics funded between 2010- enthusiastic supporters of the Food & Farming 2017 led by one of the SIA universities were Futures platform. These initiatives are important included in the table. Additionally, 76 projects to our supply-chain partnerships and have helped that had an unclassified research topic were deliver new products, like the Waitrose Omega identified (worth c.£37 million), and included 3 chicken, but also to build greater resilience intramural funding. Values presented represent the into our beef, dairy and lamb supply chains by sum total of project value where the university in growing a greater proportion of their protein question is the lead partner (NB this value may requirements for their livestock. be which may be split among project partners). It does not include funding received where the We expect to continue our work with university in question was a project partner (but IBERS and hope that the new researchers not lead). there will continue to help build the trust and understanding that is necessary for CELTIC PRIDE PREMIUM BEEF SUPPLY CHAIN collaborative research and important to our business.” A collaboration between IBERS, independent Duncan Sinclair, Agriculture Manager, wholesaler Castell Howell Foods, Waitrose Wynnstay and farmer cooperative the Welsh Meat Company led to the development of high quality Welsh beef brand Celtic Pride. It is estimated that Celtic Pride beef has an indirect BETTER BEER SUPPLY CHAIN GVA contribution to the Welsh economy of 213 £12m. IBERS supported the collaboration by Where research and innovation within Wales providing specialist food science expertise. provided improved processes for international companies. Collaborative research by IBERS “The quality of the work done has provided and Aber Instruments, a spin-out company us with a quality premium beef brand from Aberystwyth University, has led to the which is highly respected. The fact that development of a fermentation monitoring system, the University was involved from the outset of which >1000 have been supplied worldwide, and has remained a key partner in further to improve quality and reduce cost. Large quality based programmes which we have breweries including Anheuser Busch, SABMiller, undertaken, underpins the technical and Inbev, Coors, Diageo, Heineken, Suntory and scientific validity of the protocol.” San Miguel utilise the Yeast Monitor system. The Nigel Williams, Finance Director, same technology has led to the development Castell Howell Foods Ltd, March 2018 of the Futura instrument, used by Genetech, COLLABORATION WITH WAITROSE Novo, Biogen Idec, GlaxoSmithKline, Centocor, Sandoz, Eli Lilly and Genzyme to monitor biomass fermentation.
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The information and tables below outline the whereas Transport and Machine Operatives current skills status of the agri-food tech sector, (group 8) will continue to account for more than based on analysis prepared by Technopolis 50% of employment in food production (Table (2018). The agri-food tech sector has increasing D-17). The number of graduates with university demand for highly qualified employees. UKCES degrees has increased since 2012/13, however projects that employment of highly qualified staff whilst the number of undergraduate qualifications (QCF4-8) will have more than doubled by 2024, represents much of this increase, the number of relative to 2004, and the employment of staff with postgraduate qualifications has fallen (Table D19). no qualifications is projected to be reduced to less than a fifth over the same time period (Table D-17). Skills Trades (group 5) is expected to remain the dominant occupation in the agricultural sector,
Table D-17. Industry Employment, Wales 1994 to 2024, by Qualification Level: Agriculture, etc, Food products, and Beverages and tobacco
2024 Change Qualification categories 1994 2004 2014 (projected 2014-24 QCF8 Doctorate 1,047 165 261 196 -65 QCF7 Other higher degree 2,525 988 2,215 2,009 -205 QCF6 First degree 3,269 2,912 6,438 8,098 1,660 QCF5 Foundation degree; Nursing; 1,716 1,001 2,515 3,598 1,083 Teaching QCF4 HE below degree level 3,705 2,456 4,653 5,962 1,309 QCF3 A level & equivalent 10,171 8,060 11,229 8,656 -2,573 QCF2 GCSE(A-C) & equivalent 14,440 11,014 14,132 12,352 -1,780 QCF1 GCSE(below grade C) & 14,735 12,206 11,507 7,866 -3,641 equivalent No Qualification 12,945 13,106 8,259 2,137 -6,122 Total high-skilled (QCF4-8) 12,261 7,522 16,082 19,864 3,781 Total (all qualifications) 64,552 51,908 61,209 50,874 -10,335
Source: UKCES (2016), Data for 75 industries – Wales, Table 7.1.1, Table 7.3.1, and Table 7.4.1.
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Table D-18: Industry Employment, 1994 to 2024, by Qualification Level: Agriculture, etc, Food products, and Beverages and tobacco
2014-2024
Net Change Replacement Total SOC2010 Major Groups 1994 2004 2014 2024 (expansion) demands requirement 1. Managers and 5,599 3,526 3,855 3,296 -559 1,402 843 Senior Officials 2. Professional 2,084 1,490 2,196 2,096 -100 772 671 Occupations 3. Associate Professional and 2,206 1,837 2,705 2,608 -96 939 842 Technical Occupations 4. Administrative, Clerical and Secretarial 2,423 1,051 2,785 2,070 -714 997 282 Occupations 5. Skilled Trades 27,332 22,013 23,485 17,705 -5,780 10,370 4,589 Occupations 6. Personal Service 1,382 733 1,336 1,229 -107 436 329 Occupations 7. Sales and Customer 847 537 1,112 937 -175 316 141 Service Occupations 8. Transport and 12,985 14,041 15,587 14,350 -1,237 5,118 3,880 Machine Operatives 9. Elementary 9,694 6,681 8,148 6,583 -1,565 2,598 1,033 Occupations Total 64,552 51,908 61,209 50,874 -10,335 22,947 12,612
Source: UKCES (2016), Data for 75 industries – Wales, Table 6.1.4, Table 6.3.4, and Table 6.4.4.
HEALTH INNOVATION
D.26 The table on the next page maps our key science and innovation strengths against our three core areas of strength.
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Table D-19: Key local science and innovation assets
Clinical and medical Health Neuroscience technology informatics innovation Dementia Research Institute Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute Brain Research Imaging Centre Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) Unit MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research Community brain injury service Centre for Innovative Ageing Welsh Wound Innovation Centre (WWIC) Institute of Life Science (ILS) Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Centre (PETIC) European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute Medicines Discovery Institute Cardiff Medicentre Clinical Research Facility (CRF) and (J-CRF) Centre for Trials Research Centre for Improvement in Population Health through E-records Research Health Data Research UK collaboration Centre for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement Secure Anonymised Data Linkage (SAIL) Databank Data Science Centre Computational Foundry Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research Data and Methods Swansea Centre for Health Economics Swansea Centre for Improvement and Innovation in Health and Social Care Life Sciences Hub Wales ACCELERATE
Source: South Wales Crucible
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D.27 The table below presents employment figures for 2016.
Table D-20: Theme employment in South Wales (2016)
Employment Location Quotient Hospital activities 59,000 1.3 Other human health activities 12,000 1.0 General medical practice activities 9,000 1.1 Dental practice activities 4,000 1.2 Specialist medical practice activities 600 0.8 Manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations 1,500 1.7 Manufacture of medical and dental instruments and supplies 1,500 1.4 Manufacture of irradiation, electromedical and 500 3.3 electrotherapeutic equipment Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products 300 2.0 Manufacture of optical precision instruments 100 0.8 Theme total 89,000 1.2
Source: SQW analysis of BRES data
Table D-21: Private sector employment in key life sciences sectors
Employment in Wales Employment as % of UK total Biopharma 4,379 3.9% ‘Core’ biopharma 1,847 3.0% Service and supply chain 2,532 5.0% Medical Technologies 7,436 6.2% ‘Core’ Med Tech 6,136 6.6% Service and supply chain 1,300 4.9% Digital Health 61 0.6% All Life Sciences 11,815 5.1%
Source: Analysis of Bioscience and health technology database: annual report 2016
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Table D-22: Industry Employment, Wales 1994 to 2024, by Qualification Level: Health
1994 2004 2014 2024 Change (projected) 2014-24 QCF8 Doctorate 657 1,528 3,170 3,518 348 QCF7 Other higher degree 5,189 6,658 12,108 12,250 141 QCF6 First degree 5,614 15,008 26,697 42,842 16,144 QCF5 Foundation degree; Nursing; 20,682 21,468 19,341 14,473 -4,868 Teaching QCF4 HE below degree level 3,004 3,676 4,476 5,951 1,475 QCF3 A level & equivalent 6,701 15,028 22,829 24,381 1,553 QCF2 GCSE (A-C) & equivalent 13,540 21,466 20,753 18,361 -2,392 QCF1 GCSE (below grade C) & 15,238 16,509 7,001 2,034 -4,967 equivalent No Qualification 7,432 8,479 2,043 358 -1,685 Total high-skilled (QCF4-8) 35,147 48,339 65,793 79,033 13,240 Total (all qualifications) 78,057 109,821 118,418 124,168 5,750
Source: Technopolis analysis of UKCES (2016), Data for 75 industries – Wales, Table 7.66.1
Table D-23: Research funding awarded to organisations in South Wales
Research Council funding for research grants and fellowships (by research area) % UK funding 2010-18 Value of funding (£m) Microbial sciences 4.1% £1.4 Cell biology 3.4% £0.5 Biomolecules & biochemistry 2.9% £1.2 Psychology 2.7% £0.5 Medical & health interface 1.9% £3.8 Bioengineering 1.8% £0.5 Omic sciences & technologies 0.8% £0.5 Genetics & development 0.7% £0.5 Innovate UK Funding £12.7m of grants offered over 2010/11-17/18 in the Health and life sciences sector, 1.7% of UK total
Source: SQW analysis of Technopolis compiled data
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Welsh Wound Innovation Centre (WWIC)
WWIC was launched at the end of 2014 with financial support from NHS Wales and Welsh Government. WWIC is a limited company, and Cardiff University has coordinated joint venture agreements with Swansea University, Cardiff & Vale UHB and Cwm Taf UHB.
WWIC is designed to integrate academic activities with clinical service development and evaluation and economic activities in wound prevention, treatment of acute and chronic wounds, alongside initiatives to promote skin health. Academic achievements include developing the world’s first Masters course on Wound Healing and Tissue Repair and the development and validation of the first disease specific quality of life tool for patients with chronic leg wounds. Cardiff University has patented technology on wound diagnostics and wound therapy with WWIC as a partner for patient samples. Researchers at Cardiff have obtained funding, including from the MRC and The Wellcome Trust, to further develop work on biomarker discovery in wound healing.
To compliment the clinical component of the research, a National Wound Registry is being set up with support from Welsh Government. WWIC associated researchers have published work on the cost of wounds in Wales and undertaken a National in-patient audit across 66 Welsh hospitals. An educational and training regime for care homes has been developed and piloted, and researchers are in discussion with NHS Wales on a value-based model of wound service provision.
WWIC has helped bring around 100 new jobs into Wales via existing companies expanding their work force in the wound space. This is in addition to helping protect around 2,000 jobs in the wound area. Demonstrating potential future economic impacts, WWIC researchers are now in discussions with Australian, American, German and Chinese companies who are considering setting up operations in Wales.
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ENERGY
Figure D-4: Distribution of employment in the Welsh sustainable energy sector
Source: Produced by SQW 2018. Licence 100030994. Contains OS data © Crown copyright [and database right] [2018]
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ANNEX E: REFERENCES
1 Population estimates - local authority based by single year of age, Nomis 2 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-building-a-britain-fit-for-the-future 3 Jobs density, Nomis 4 Subregional Productivity: Labour Productivity (GVA per hour worked and GVA per filled job) indices by UK NUTS2 and NUTS3 subregions, ONS 5 https://www.elsevier.com/research-intelligence/research-initiatives/international-comparative-performance-of-the- welsh-research-base-2016 6 HE student enrolments by HE provider: 2016/17, HESA 7 https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/news/what-tef-results-teaching-excellence-framework 8 http://www.learnedsociety.wales/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/REF15186-Times-Higher-Publication-Online-PDF.pdf 9 https://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/reid-review-en.pdf 10 Welsh Government, Unpublished, Excellence in Science and Research 11 SQW analysis of Gateway to Research data 12 SQW analysis of Gateway to Research data 13 http://www.eib.org/en/infocentre/press/releases/all/2016/2016-155-eib-confirms-gbp-60-million-new-backing- to-transform-swansea-university-singleton-park-campus.htm 14 Swansea University analysis of http://gov.wales/docs/wefo/publications/160917-erdf-operational-programme.pdf and http://gov.wales/docs/wefo/publications/150323eastwaleserdfen.pdf 15 Data compiled by Technopolis based on EU framework programme reference data in the European Commission’s Open Data portal (FP7 data snapshot from the concluded programme from December 2016, ongoing Horizon 2020 data snapshot from May 2017) 16 Analysis conducted by Cardiff University of Horizon 2020 data 17 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/dashboard/sense/app/93297a69-09fd-4ef5-889f-b83c4e21d33e/sheet/ erUXRa/state/analysis 18 The Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), Nomis 19 https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/businessinnovation/datasets/ scienceandtechnologyclassification 20 The Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), Nomis 21 SQW analysis of UK Business Counts - local units by industry and employment size band, and analysis of UK Regional Trade in Goods Statistics, Quarter 1, 2018 22 SQW analysis of ONS Business Demography data, UK Business Counts, and Population estimates - local authority based by single year of age 23 SQW analysis of HEBCI data 24 https://ec.europa.eu/docsroom/documents/23881/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/native 25 UK Business Counts - local units by industry and employment size band, Nomis 26 The Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), Nomis 27 Swansea University (2016) “Developing a sustainable steel industry in the UK” 28 National Steel Innovation Centre Business Case (unpublished) 29 National Steel Innovation Centre (2018) Business Case, under development 30 OECD (2015) “Steel Market Developments” 31 https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/energy-commodities/china-to-reduce-total-steel-capacity-to-below-1b-tonnes-by-2025 32 https://www.posri.re.kr/files/file_pdf/59/334/6789/59_334_6789_file_pdf_1499150038.pdf 33 Census of Employment (1971-1991), the Annual Employment Survey (1991-1998), the Annual Business Inquiry (1998-2008) and the Business Register and Employment Survey (2009-2014) 34 https://www.accenture.com/us-en/blogs/blogs-five-global-steel-industry 35 https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-tata-steel-uk/uk-steel-industry-vulnerable-despite-post-crisis-recovery-tata-steel- idUKKCN1G42KT 36 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/668088/ UK_Steel_Capabilities_-_Executive_Summary_-_FINAL_141217.pdf 37 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/668089/ UK_Steel_Capabilities_-_Summary_-_FINAL_141217.pdf 38 European legislation on chemical substances, see https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/legislation 39 The Times Good University Guide, 2019 40 Academic Ranking of World Universities - Shanghai Global Rankings, 2017 41 Cardiff University, Welsh Economic Research Unit (2012) “The Economic Impact of Tata Steel in Wales” 42 https://www.tatasteeleurope.com/en/news/joint-venture/press-release 43 https://www.thyssenkrupp.com/en/way-forward-for-steel/ 44 Data compiled by Technopolis, based on UCKES employment projections 45 Future Capacities and Capabilities of the UK steel industry, BEIS, 2017 46 Data compiled by Technopolis 150 THE SOUTH WALES CRUCIBLE ANNEX E: REFERENCES
47 SQW analysis of data compiled by Technopolis based on EU framework programme reference data in the European Commission’s Open Data portal (FP7 data snapshot from the concluded programme from December 2016, ongoing Horizon 2020 data snapshot from May 2017) 48 https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2017-12-19/debates/305FE1FD-7C0A-4231-8062-3CC7A1D7323D/ SectorDealForSteel 49 Swansea Bay City Region Deal 50 Review of the Catapult Network, Dr H. Hauser, 2014 51 http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/ceo-of-thyssen-krupp-we-are-not-driving-the-price-hike-a-566257-2.html 52 Technopolis group Regional Innovation Report Wales (Advanced materials and nanotechnology) 2016 53 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/made-smarter-review 54 Made Smarter: Government’s white paper that aims to set an agenda that can drive productivity and growth in UK industry - independent industrial digitalisation review. Prof. Juergen Maier, Chief Executive, Siemens plc 55 McKinsey Digital Manufacturing Global Expert Survey 2017 56 QS World University Rankings and Shanghai Global Rankings 57 WG presentation to ASTUTE 2020 Jan 2018 58 The independent Final Evaluation of ASTUTE 59 https://gov.wales/docs/wefo/publications/151012astutefinalreport.pdf 60 http://www.sonypencoed.co.uk/tenant-portfolio/ 61 'Engineering a future outside the EU’ report (The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2016) 62 https://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/research-resources/research-hub/2015-research/the-case-for-growing-stemm-research- capacity-in-wales.cfm 63 Data compiled by Technopolis based on EU framework programme reference data in the European Commission’s Open Data portal (FP7 data snapshot from the concluded programme from December 2016, ongoing Horizon 2020 data snapshot from May 2017) 64 UKCES (2015), Sector insights: skills and performance challenges in the advanced manufacturing sector, Evidence Report 93 65 Future of manufacturing: a new era of opportunity and challenge for the UK - summary report 66 Personal Communication from NPPC data manger, Max Friedersdorff, June 2018 67 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/24/food-fraud-in-the-uk-toxic-vodka-and-pet-food-meat-given-to-huma/ 68 https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/agri-food-technology-leadership-council-membership 69 https://www.forbes.com/2007/11/11/growth-agriculture-business-forbeslife-food07-cx_sm_1113bigfood. html#4e25a153373e 70 Government Office for Science, Foresight. The Future of Food and Farming, 2011 71 The future of food and agriculture. Trends and challenges: FAO, 2017 72 https://www.fdf.org.uk/statsataglance.aspx, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-statistics- pocketbook-2017/food-statistics-in-your-pocket-2017-food-chain 73 Value of Welsh Food and Drink 2017’ mid-term executive report, from Food & Drink Wales 74 BiGGAR Economics, Economic Impact of IBERS, 2014 75 Stapledon, R.G., Obituary; Sir Julien Cahn, Bart., 1944: Nature. p. 508 76 https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2018/agriculture-forestry 77 BiGGAR Economics, Economic Impact of IBERS, 2014 78 Welsh Government, Welsh Agriculture Statistics 2016, 2018 79 https://www.fdf.org.uk/exports/ukexports-2017-full.aspx 80 Statswales, Welsh agriculture, forestry and fishing employment figures for 2016 by region 81 Brookdale Consulting, Economic Appraisal of the Welsh Food and Drink sector, 2017 82 Welsh Government, Towards Sustainable Growth: An Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry 2014–2020, 2014 83 Brookdale Consulting, Economic Appraisal of the Welsh Food and Drink sector, 2017 84 http://senedd.assembly.wales/documents/s56758/IOB%2022%20Food%20and%20Drink%20Federation%20 and%20the%20British%20Soft%20Drinks%20Association.html?CT=2 85 BiGGAR Economics, Economic Impact of IBERS, 2014 86 https://businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/sites/foodanddrink/files/documents/170602%20ap%20 issue1%20Updated%20NutriWales%20E%20LOW%20RES%20130907.pdf 87 https://www.farminguk.com/news/Eight-innovative-farm-projects-receive-major-funding_48203.html 88 https://www.fdf.org.uk/statsataglance.aspx 89 Food and Drink Wales, Transforming Skills in the Welsh Food and Drink Industry, 2017 90 Spittle, M., BioInnovation Wales Survey Results, 2017 91 OECD, OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2016, 2016 92 UKCES (2016), Employer Skills Survey 2015: Wales Slide Pack, May 2016 93 Ibid. HM Government (2013) A UK Strategy for Agriculture Technology, p. 25. Inmerset (2017) NCUB (2015), Leading Food 4.0: Growing University-Business Collaboration for the UK’s Food Economy, London: National Centre for Universities and Business
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93 https://businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/sites/foodanddrink/files/documents/171012_fd_board_strategic_ plan_eng05.pdf 94 https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Education-and-Skills/Post-16-Education-and-Training/Further-Education-and- Work-Based-Learning/Learners/Work-Based-Learning/learningprogrammesapprenticeships 95 JACS D4 data for 2016/17 96 AgriFood Training Partnership. Providing specialist training across the entire agrifood supply chain. 2018 97 Analysis of Gateway to Research data, based upon Gateway to Research Topics (refer to Annex D for full list of considered topics) where the university in question is the lead partner, and the values represent the sum total of the project value. Projects were counted if at least one of the selected research topics were recorded, and then assigned to a research area. Where multiple research topics were applied to a single project, the project was only counted once. Additionally, 76 projects (worth c.£37 million) that had an unclassified research topic were identified as being theme relevant. Where these unclassified projects were classed as intramural funding (c.£23 mil), project value was recorded as “expenditure” rather than “award” in GtR, and is included in the table shown here. 98 Reference: https://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/2014-2020/approved-projects/?lang=en European Structural Funds 2014-2020, Approved projects 2018 99 http://www.assembly.wales/en/bus-home/pages/rop.aspx?meetingid=4006&assembly=5&c=Record%20of%20 Proceedings&startDt=22/11/2016&endDt=22/11/2016#C441937 100 Warren-Thomas, E. and E. Henderson, The food and drink industry in Wales, 2017 101 https://gov.wales/topics/environmentcountryside/farmingandcountryside/cap/ruraldevelopment/wales-rural- development-programme-2014-2020/food-business-investment-scheme/?lang=en 102 http://gov.wales/funding/regional-investment-in-wales-after-brexit/ 103 https://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/?lang=en 104 Towards Sustainable Growth: An Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry 2014 – 2020 105 Data compiled by Technopolis based on EU framework programme reference data in the European Commission’s Open Data portal (FP7 data snapshot from the concluded programme from December 2016, ongoing Horizon 2020 data snapshot from May 2017). Available at: http://data.europa.eu/euodp/en/home 106 http://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=BB%2FR021856%2F1 107 IBERS, Biology That Delivers Volume 1, 2015 108 BiGGAR Economics, Economic Impact of IBERS, 2014 109 IBERS, Biology That Delivers Volume 2 2015 110 Welsh Government. This is Wales. This is Harvest. 2018 111 https://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/reid-review-en.pdf 112 Business incentives https://tradeandinvest.wales/why-wales/10-reasons; accessed May 2018, author: Welsh Government 2018. 113 Hayward R, Discussions relating to the “Economic Action plan roundtable discussions by industry stakeholders”, March 2018, Mackintosh SB 114 https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-speech-on-science-and-modern-industrial-strategy-21-may-2018 115 The Pharmaceutical Industry in Figures, EFPIA, 2017 116 The Pharmaceutical Industry in Figures, EFPIA, 2017 117 2017 Global Life Sciences Outlook, Deloitte, 2017 118 2016 Global life sciences outlook, Deloitte, 2016 119 2017 Global Life Sciences Outlook, Deloitte, 2017 120 2017 Global Life Sciences Outlook, Deloitte, 2017 121 2017 Global Life Sciences Outlook, Deloitte, 2017 122 http://www.ncub.co.uk/reports/making-the-connection-a-new-national-innovation-compact-for-wales 123 https://www.pfizer.co.uk/joint-working-project-between-swansea-university-and-pfizer-ltd 124 http://www.ukspa.org.uk/sites/default/files/UKSPA%20AWARDS%202017_SHORTLIST_FINAL.pdf 125 Davies et al., G. (2018). Life Sciences & Health in south west Wales: A Sub-regional Innovation System In J. James, J. Preece, & R. Valdes-Cotera (Eds.), Entrepreneurial Learning City Regions (pp. p267-295): Springer. 126 http://www.cardiffmedicentre.co.uk/start-ups/success-stories 127 https://www.lifescienceshubwales.com/ 128 https://businesswales.gov.wales/lifescienceshubwales/about 129 Abbey, J., Davies, G., & Mainwaring, L. (2008). Vorsprung durch Technium: Towards a system of Innovation in South-west Wales. Regional Studies, 42(2), 281-293. 130 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-sciences-industrial-strategy 131 Data compiled by Technopolis based on EPO - PATSTAT. Worldwide Patent Statistical Database (Spring 2017 version). Available at: https://www.epo.org/searching-for-patents/business/patstat.html 132 Data compiled by Technopolis based on Digital Science's GRID (Global Research Identified Database, accessed September 2017). Available at http://grid.ac/
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133 http://www.lsrnw.ac.uk/ 134 Davies, G, Roderick, S., & Huxtable-Thomas, L. (2018). Social commerce Open Innovation in healthcare management: an exploration from a novel technology transfer approach. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-12. 135 See also: Welsh Government (2017), Aligning the Apprenticeship model to the needs of the Welsh economy, p. 13. 136 Employer Skills Survey 2015, Wales Slide pack. 137 Science Industry Partnership (2016), Skills strategy 2025 138 ABPI (2015), Bridging the skills gap in the biopharmaceutical industry: Maintaining the UK’s leading position in life sciences, p. 31. 139 https://arthurianlifesciences.co.uk/fund/ 140 http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/171213-economic-action-plan-en.pdf 141 http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/140930-life-sciences-sector-performance-en.pdf 142 The Academy of Medical Sciences, Geographical clusters: a vision for the future 143 http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/130125deliveryplanen.pdf 144 The Academy of Medical Sciences, Geographical clusters: a vision for the future 145 http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/130125deliveryplanen.pdf 146 The Academy of Medical Sciences, Geographical clusters: a vision for the future 147 http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/130125deliveryplanen.pdf 148 http://gov.wales/docs/det/publications/130125deliveryplanen.pdf 149 The Academy of Medical Sciences, Geographical clusters: a vision for the future 150 Global trends in renewable energy investment 2017, Frankfurt School-UNEP Centre/BNEF 151 https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2017/10/state_of_the_market_report_2017_web_1.pdf 152 https://www.ft.com/content/2ffd8d62-0828-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5
153 https://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/2014-2020/approved-projects/?lang=en 154 UK Environmental Accounts: Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy Survey: 2016 final estimates, Office for National Statistics 155 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-growth-strategy/clean-growth-strategy-executive-summary 156 https://www.energy-uk.org.uk/files/docs/Research%20and%20reports/Energy_in_the_UK/EnergyintheUK2017.pdf 157 https://gov.wales/docs/desh/publications/171207-energy-generation-in-wales-en.pdf 158 Cardiff University analysis of Renewable Wales database 159 https://corporate.vattenfall.co.uk/projects/operational-wind-farms/pen-y-cymoedd/renewable-energy-park/ 160 http://britishrenewables.com/shotwick/ 161 http://www.electricmountain.co.uk/Ffestiniog-Power-Station 162 https://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/investment-and-innovation/innovation/electricity-transmission-innovation/deeside-project 163 https://es.catapult.org.uk/news/catapult-to-deliver-the-etis-smart-systems-and-heat-programme-as-its-first-major-project- for-the-energy-industry/ 164 Cardiff University analysis of WEFO data 165 http://www.swanseabaycitydeal.wales 166 Tech City (2017), Tech Nation 2017: At the Forefront of Global Digital Innovation, pp. 60-61. 167 http://www.oecd.org/internet/oecd-digital-economy-outlook-2017-9789264276284-en.htm 168 https://gov.wales/newsroom/businessandeconomy/2018/180316-economy-secretary-announces-digital- innovation-review/?lang=en 169 Including communities in developing countries with limited electricity access and people living with cognitive impairments 170 Technopolis: South Wales Crucible – note on skills in key sectors (pp19-22) 171 Barclays UK Digital Development Index 2017, p. 12. 172 Tech Partnership (2015) Employer Insights: skills survey 2015. 173 http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/21501 174 Bone, J., Allen, O. & Haley, C. (2017) Business incubators and accelerators: the national picture, BEIS 175 Abbey, J., Davies, G., & Mainwaring, L. (2008). Vorsprung durch Technium: Towards a system of Innovation in South-west Wales. Regional Studies, 42(2), 281-293. 176 Davies, G, Roderick, S., & Huxtable-Thomas, L. (2018). Social commerce Open Innovation in healthcare management: an exploration from a novel technology transfer approach. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 1-12. 177 https://www.nesta.org.uk/archive-pages/uk-makerspaces-the-data/ 178 https://welshice.org/about-us 179 http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/wales 180 https://developmentbank.wales/news-and-events/new-development-bank-wales-wrexham-hq-unveiled 181 http://www.ncub.co.uk/reports/making-the-connection-a-new-national-innovation-compact-for-wales 182 https://businesswales.gov.wales/enterprisezones/zones/central-cardiff/business-ready-infrastructure-central- cardiff#broadband-data-ict 183 UK ports and traffic (PORT01): Table PORT0101, Department for Transport
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184 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/646188/port-freight-statistics- 2016-revised.pdf 185 UK ports and traffic (PORT01): Table PORT0101, Department for Transport 186 https://www.caa.co.uk/uploadedFiles/CAA/Content/Standard_Content/Data_and_analysis/Datasets/Airport_ stats/Airport_data_2017_annual/Table_01_Size_of_UK_Airports.pdf 187 https://www.posri.re.kr/files/file_pdf/59/334/6789/59_334_6789_file_pdf_1499150038.pdf 188 Tata Steel Europe Ltd (2017) “Charging towards a sustainable future?” 189 OECD report Megatrends affecting science, technology and innovation 190 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The future of food and agriculture. Trends and challenges, 2017 191 The future of food and agriculture trends and challenges,FAO 192 The Future of Food and Farming: Challenges and choices for global sustainability, Foresight, Gov. Office for Science 193 OECD report Megatrends affecting science, technology and innovation 194 https://www.nature.com/articles/nature04742 195 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320712002856 196 https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-and-data/research-and-reports/the-state-of-natural-resources-report- assessment-of-the-sustainable-management-of-natural-resources/?lang=en 197 The Future of Food and Farming: Challenges and choices for global sustainability, Foresight, Gov. Office for Science 198 Government Office for Science, Foresight. The Future of Food and Farming, 2011 199 OECD, OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2016. Megatrends affecting science, technology and innovation.2016, Paris: OECD Publishing. 200 The Future of Food and Farming: Challenges and choices for global sustainability reference (ref 64) 201 http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/courtauld-commitment-3-delivers-over-%C2%A3100-million-business-savings- reducing-food-waste-over- 202 Rapid Agricultural Supply Chain Risk Assessment: A Conceptual Framework, The World bank, Agriculture and Rural Development Discussion Paper 47, The World Bank, S Jaffee, P Siegel, C Andrews 203 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212096316300080 Vulnerabilities to agricultural production shocks: An extreme, plausible scenario for assessment of risk for the insurance sector, T Lunt, A W Jones, W S Mulhern, D P M Lezaks and M M Jahn 2016, Climate Risk Management, Vol 13, p1-9 204 https://www.foodsecurity.ac.uk/blog/future-shocks-how-resilient-is-uk-food-system/ 205 http://businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/about-us/action-plan/food-security 206 Welsh Government, Towards Sustainable Growth: An Action Plan for the Food and Drink Industry 2014–2020, 2014 207 Sectoral Innovation Watch. Food and Drinks Sector, Final Sector Report, EUROPE INNOVA, 2011. Leis, M, Gijsbers G and van der Zee, F And: An integrated systems-based model for substantiation of health claims in functional food development, Trends in Food Science & Technology, vol 41 (1) 2015, p95-100. Younesi, E. & Ayseli M.T. 208 https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/vegans-uk-rise-popularity-plant-based-diets-veganism-figures- survey-compare-the-market-a8286471.html https://businesswales.gov.wales/foodanddrink/how-we-can-help/protected-food-names 209 OECD, OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2016. Megatrends affecting science, technology and innovation. 2016 210 Technopolis review of Inmerset (2017) 211 Welsh Government, Securing Wales' Future, 2017 212 https://gov.wales/funding/eu-funds/2014-2020/approved-projects/?lang=en European structural funds, approved projects 2018 213 BiGGAR Economics, Economic Impact of IBERS, 2014
General References used for Health Innovation • Science Industry Partnership (2016), Skills strategy 2025, available at: www.scienceindustrypartnership.com/skills- issues/skills-strategy • Bioscience and health technology database: annual report 2016, available at: https://www.gov.uk/ government/ publications/bioscience-and-health-technology-database-annual-report-2016 • Bell, J. (2017). Life Sciences Industrial Strategy - A report to the Government from the life sciences sector. • UKCES (2016), Employer Skills Survey 2015: Wales Slide Pack, May 2016, available at: https://www.gov.uk/ government/publications/ukces-employer-skills-survey-2015-wales-toolkit
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ANNEX F: INNOVATION ASSETS
Primary Innovation Asset Asset Description Theme Area Welsh Agriculture Statistics (Statistics for Wales, Welsh Government 2016) identified that there is 1.8m hectares 1.8 million of agricultural land in Wales, of which 247,000 hectares Hectares of is arable, c.1 million hectares is permanent grass and Land used for Agri-food-tech 440,000 hectares is rough grazing. The predominance of Agriculture and grass within Welsh agricultural land reflects the importance Forestry in Wales of ruminant production systems within Wales, for example approximately one quarter of the UK sheep flock is in Wales. A Centre of Excellence for A newly appointed Sêr Cymru Star has been successfully Interdisciplinary awarded and approved. This will provide a hub for national Agri-food-tech Research and international interdisciplinary research on bovine on Bovine tuberculosis. Tuberculosis The overall aim of the AIEC is to serve as a platform to develop and evaluate new plant, microbial and animal production systems and increase research and innovation Aberystwyth capacity in Wales. The infrastructure, facilities, advanced Innovation and technology expertise will also help businesses translate Agri-food-tech Enterprise Campus innovations and investments in basic plant science, food (AIEC) supply chain, nutrition and environmental research into new products, processes and services. This £35.5 m project is part financed by the ERDF. Interdisciplinary centre of research in to Helminth-related Barrett Centre for infections that cause agricultural, veterinary and biomedical Agri-food-tech Helminth Control diseases. Aberystwyth University, partnered with Bangor University & Swansea University Beacon will harness the capacity of bio- refining (the process of transforming plants into products via physical, chemical and biological means) to add value to BEACON Welsh natural resources. By undertaking collaborative R&D Agri-food-tech with business Beacon+ will translate academic knowledge into product innovation, thereby giving Welsh companies’ competitive advantage to achieve sustainable growth. This is a £12m project part financed by the ERDF. Provides business support programmes and consultancy BIC innovation service to support UK companies to help translate innovation Agri-food-tech into companies BioComposite Research centre developing sustainable biobased Agri-food-tech Centre technologies to reduce environmental impacts of materials.
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This initiative will offer bespoke qualifications and industry BioInnovation accredited skills to technicians, consultants, researchers and Agri-food-tech Wales managers working in the food and biotechnology supply chain. It will be supported with over £3m from EU funding. 1000 hectares of land spread across 5 sites within Ceredigion, c.1000 hectares of the farms support a 350 head dairy herd, sheep production University Farms including performance-recorded pedigree Texel, Suffolk, Agri-food-tech at Aberystwyth Bluefaced Leicester and Beulah Speckled Face flocks. The farms University lay host a range of specialist research facilities for crop and livestock research, and includes a 50-point rotary parlour. Sustainable Places Research Institute began in 2010 and brings together over 100 researchers to develop responses and solutions to issues including climate change and resource Cardiff University depletion. The institute operates across Cardiff University Sustainable Places colleges and with a broad range of organisations to focus on Agri-food-tech Research Institute the complex and dynamic interrelations between ecosystems, society and economy at different spatial scales. The institute’s six research programmes have a strong track record of impacting on policy development, public debate and innovative practice. The Water Research Institute has been set up to address 'the grand challenge of water', focusing on management of water supply and demand to keep pace with developing needs. It aims to empower governments, businesses and communities to resolve these issues by developing efficient, equitable systems Cardiff University for water use and management, built on resilient ecosystem Water Research Agri-food-tech services includes cutting-edge fields such as water ecosystem Institute services, smart water technologies and catalytic water treatments. Collaboration with Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water, is underpinned by a strategic joint working agreement. Specific activities and interactions include embedding innovation and a GW4/NERC director Professor Isabelle Durance. Education and visitor centre focussed on environmental and sustainability solutions. The visitor acts as a demonstration Centre for centre, and hosts a number of training courses - including Alternative Agri-food-tech a graduate school. CAT is involved in a number of projects Technology including ZeroCarbonBritain, COED Gwern and the Dyfi Biosphere. Centre of Ecology Based in the Environment Centre Wales, undertaking world Agri-food-tech and Hydrology class research into terrestrial and fresh-water science.
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The Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research, CSAR, is a centre of excellence at Swansea University founded in 2003 with support from the European Union, Welsh Government, and Swansea University. Equipped with modern, fully programmable Centre of Excellence recirculating aquaculture systems, CSAR is designed for applied for Sustainable Agri-food-tech research on a diverse range of aquatic organisms. The CSAR Aquatic Research team also provides information and advice to industry and governments, such as developing the aquaculture section of the Wales Fisheries Strategy (2008). Areas of specialty include food and fuel security. Based at Coleg Sir Gâr Provides technology transfer service and market intelligence to the dairy industry. The DDC, in Dairy Development partnership with DairyCo, is involved in the Improving the Agri-food-tech Centre Welsh Dairy Supply Chain project, which has received support through Supply Chain Efficiencies Scheme (SCES) of the Rural Development Plan (RDP). UNESCO Biosphere reserve, incorporating 840 sq km spanning land and sea, and includes 3 protected habitats which are all Special Areas of Conservation, and 2 are also Dyfi Biosphere classed as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. A number of Agri-food-tech projects, education and research activities are hosted, and it is the only Biosphere to encompass a university (Aberystwyth University) within it. Operating from within IBERS at Aberystwyth University, and financed by Welsh Government, the FBS surveys c.600 farms Farm Business each year, collecting financial and physical data. The published Survey (FBS) in Agri-food-tech data informs policy at regional, national and EU level, but also Wales provides a benchmark for farmers and farm economic data for researchers. A knowledge transfer and innovation programme to support Farming Connect Agri-food-tech farmers and foresters in Wales, delivered by Menter a Busnes. Welsh Government programme to drive economic growth Food and Drinks within the food and drink sector through creation of 6 Agri-food-tech Wales Clusters specialised platforms for networking and gaining support. With seed-funding from Waitrose in 2010, this National platform to facilitate access to research and technology transfer, providing an internet-based library and social-network Food and Farming ecosystem, focussed on land-based industries to support industry Agri-food-tech Futures and students. This a platform is formed by the leading agri- food universities, AHDB and the NFU, to accelerate innovation uptake across the UK. Provides technical support for the Welsh Food Industry. Set up by Ceredigion County Council and supported by funding from Food Centre Wales the National Assembly for Wales, the centre works with the Agri-food-tech Welsh Government Food Directorate. Part of Food Innovation Wales.
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The FSLRA was launched in October 2011, using world class inter-disciplinary research to tackle the global challenges associated with developing sustainable food security. The FSLRA partnership between the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff Food Security Land and Exeter and Rothamsted Research brings together expertise Agri-food-tech Research Alliance across a range of disciplines from biosciences and agricultural sciences to economics and social sciences, establishing the South West as a centre of global research excellence in food security research and land management. Provides technical support and advice to food businesses to Food Technology support business growth. Offers a range of facilities including a Agri-food-tech Centre test kitchen and processing hall, but also training courses. Part of Food Innovation Wales. Agricultural union that exclusively supports farmers within Wales. The service offers a range of support services for FUW Agri-food-tech members through the network of offices spread across Wales and works with government to advise on agricultural policies. A partnership of Ceredigion and Powys County Council regions to unite local business, academic leaders and national and Growing Mid local government to overcome the economic challenges of Agri-food-tech Wales Partnership presented by the rural nature of the regions in addition to the preponderance of SMEs and facilitate growth. An industry-led organisation that drives the development, promotion and marketing of red meat in Wales, supporting Hig Cig Cymru - high quality and cost-effective red meat production. Services Meat Promotion provided by HCC include training, facilitating business export Agri-food-tech Wales opportunities and support for businesses to establish Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status of Welsh Lamb and Beef products. A specialised team focussed on driving knowledge exchange High Level from within IBERS. The KE team work with other organisations Knowledge and projects including Farming Connect Knowledge exchange Agri-food-tech Exchange Team at hub, Farming Connect E-ffarm, AgriFood Training Partnership IBERS (AFTP) but also delivering projects such as Welsh BioInnovation and IBERS Distance Learning. IBERS is the biggest university agricultural and bioscience department in the UK, with 358 staff and 1600+ students. Institute of IBERS delivers research into food security, bioenergy and Biological, sustainability, climate change impacts. Its teaching was ranked Environmental in the UK top 10 University for teaching quality in the subject Agri-food-tech and Rural Science area of agriculture and forestry and top 5 in the UK for research (IBERS) quality by The Complete University Guide in the Times & Sunday Times. IBERS is the only Welsh university institute to receive strategic funding from BBSRC. A nationwide training organisation offering a range of qualifications related to the environment and land-based sector. Lantra Agri-food-tech The courses are recognised by Ofqual, SQA and Qualification Wales.
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Consultancy service for the food and drink industry to support Levercliff businesses in accessing market opportunities and increase Agri-food-tech sales. A Welsh company supporting business growth within Wales. It provides key services to the agri-food-tech and environment theme within Wales, for example Farming Connect and European Innovation Partnerships (EIP). Farming connect is a knowledge transfer, innovation and advisory service under the Rural Development Programme (2014-2020) [32]. The EIP Menter a Busnes Wales service connects primary industry (at producer level) to Agri-food-tech scientific researchers to find solutions to common agricultural and forestry issues within Wales, allowing the creation of projects with up to £40,000/project funding [33]. The EIP Wales project is linked to IBERS researchers, and provides an example of farmer-led research, supported by specialised scientists, to help translate innovation into practice. A charity undertaking plant science research, conservation National Botanical of biodiversity and providing life long learning through its Agri-food-tech Gardens Wales education services. It incorporates a visitor centre and maintains the garden and other botanical collections. A bespoke research facility based at IBERS, to study the response of plant phenomes (the physical and biochemical traits of plants) to environmental and genetic influences. It provides high-through put analysis of plant phenomes to assist with crop improvements. It has received support from Welsh Government, BBSRC and Innovate UK. Other partners and collaborators include the European PLant Phenotyping Network, National Phenomics The International PLant Phenotyping Network, National Agri-food-tech Centre Science Foundation, China-UK PLant Phenomics Centre, UK Space Agency, Innovate UK, Latin-American Conference on Plant Phenotyping and Phenomics for Plant Breeding, Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI), Environment Systems Evidence and Management and Aberystwyth Centre for Space and Earth Monitoring (ACSEM). Welsh Government sponsored body, with 1900 employees across Wales. Provides a host of advisory, regulatory, Natural Resources monitoring, research and management services relating to the Agri-food-tech Wales environment and natural resources, including marine, forest and waste industries. Agricultural union providing support for farmers in Wales. The service offers a range of support service for members, and NFU Cymru Agri-food-tech works with government and supply chain representative to ensure the future of Welsh agriculture.
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Centre of research for upland farmed ecosystems, based in the Cambrian Mountains, including the only publicly owned upland research farm in England and Wales. With 80% of Welsh agricultural land being categorised as least favoured area Pwllpeiran Upland (LFA) and 60% of each the UK breeding flock and UK suckler Agri-food-tech Research Platform herd reared in the uplands, the research work undertaken at Pwllpeiran is highly relevant to UK agriculture. The facility offers a wide array of vegetation types which can be subjected to a range of management strategies whilst measuring the environmental and climatic impacts. Agricultural society that has formed in 1904, that supports businesses, social welfare and education in rural communities. It offers a range of promotional and supportive activities related Royal Welsh to agriculture, the environment, livestock production and land- Agri-food-tech Agricultural Society based activities, including increasing sustainable practice in Wales and promotion of agricultural science, research and education for the agricultural sector. Aberystwyth, Bangor and Swansea universities each have dedicated research capacity in the field of marine science supported by a total of 5 sea-going research vessels (RV) Seagoing Research providing coverage of the entire Welsh coastline. Two sea- Agri-food-tech Vessels going RVs (the Idris and the Taliesin) are based at Aberystwyth University, Bangor University has a 35m vessel (RV Prince Madog) plus 3 inshore vessels, and Swansea university has the Noctiluca but also the RV Calypso. Small Ruminant Platform, Centre Specialist facilities to monitoring animal behaviour, feed intake, of Innovation metabolism, and measuring the impact of climate on animal Agri-food-tech Excellence in performance. Livestock (CIEL) Wales’ first containment level 3 lab available for industry, will support our animal health research, making a valuable contribution to the rural economy and to the livestock industry Vet Hub 1 Agri-food-tech in Wales and farther afield, working in collaboration on this project are the Growing Mid Wales Partnership and the Wales Veterinary Science Centre with other partners. Six stations around the Aberystwyth region that monitor soil moisture in situ and near real time, operating since 2009. It operates as part of the International Soil Moisture Network Wales Soil Moisture (https://ismn.geo.tuwien.ac.at/ismn/) to inform the global soil Agri-food-tech Network moisture database which can be used for a range of associated applications including agricultural drought assessment, water resource management and greenhouse gas accounting. Wales Veterinary Service to support veterinary businesses in Mid and North Agri-food-tech Science Centre Wales.
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Water Informatics: Science and Engineering (WISE) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) offers PhD- level research facility along with taught courses. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) awarded WISE CDT £5.2M Water Informatics: to facilitate graduate training. WISE CDT is a partnership Science and between University of Bristol, University of Bath, Cardiff Engineering (WISE) University and University of Exeter. Additionally it works with Agri-food-tech Centre for Doctoral its industrial partners: Arup Group Ltd, Bristol Water, CH2M, Training (CDT) HPC Wales, HR Wallingford, i20 Water, IBM, Innovyze, JBA Trust, Northumbrian Water, OSIsoft UK Ltd, RMS, RPS Group, South West Water, Syrinix, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd., United States Geological Survey, United Utilities, Welsh Water, Wessex Water Services Ltd. A research unit focussed on research into health and well- Well-being and being to translate dietary and physical activity guidelines into Health Assessment the population. The Research Unit works with the Hywel Dda Agri-food-tech Research Unit University Health Board and the Centre for Excellence in Rural (WARU) Health Research. An agricultural co-operative for Welsh Lamb and Beef producers, that provides a range of services including Farm Assured Welsh Livestock Scheme (FAWL) accreditation that Welsh Lamb and is recognised by Assured Food Standards and compliant Agri-food-tech Beef Producers with the Red Tractor Scheme, promotes good environmental practices and animal health and welfare, as well as monitoring agricultural issues that are of relevance to consumers, government and stakeholders. A farming network aimed at the younger generation, to provide a range of services including training, competitions and events to help develop successful farmers. The YFC also Young Farmers have a manifesto that, in part, seeks to improve supply chain Agri-food-tech Clubs (Wales) integration and efficiency within the agri-food sector. The YFC promote innovation and CPD training, working with a host of organisations - for example Welsh Government, Farming Connect, universities and Lantra to achieve these aims. Based at Cardiff Metropolitan University, ZERO2FIVE Food ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre provides technical, operational and commercial Agri-food-tech Industry Centre support to the food and drinks sector, and is part of Food Innovation Wales. Working across industry, academia and government the centre, Europe’s first, provides a focus for cyber security analytics in the UK. A collaboration between Cardiff University and Airbus, the research areas include data science, big data analytics, Airbus Centre of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Cyber security is Digital Excellence in Cyber a priority research area at Cardiff University, supported with Technologies Security Analytics strategic investment. Since 2012 the University has established an interdisciplinary research team of technical and social researchers. Collaborative projects have received more than £5m in funding from UK Research Councils (EPSRC, ESRC), Welsh Government (Endeavr Wales) and Industry (Airbus).
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The collaborative project between Welsh Government, industry and private investors, has been operating in Wales since Alacrity Graduate 2011. The Programme delivers mentoring and support to Digital Entrepreneurship graduates in emerging technologies and in running a successful Technologies Programme business, with the aim of establishing new technology start-up companies in Wales. Welsh Government has supported the development of several tech focussed workspaces across South Wales, including Annual Digital ICE in Caerphilly, Tramshed in central Cardiff, TechHub in events and Digital Swansea, TEC Marina in Penarth, together with Innovation Digital Tuesday Technologies Point in Newport. These hubs are providing a vital focal point networking events for tech entrepreneurs, hosting regular events and meet-ups and providing much needed co-working opportunities. Supports the Council’s connection voucher scheme, (funded by UK Government) which provides vouchers of up to £3,000 made available to small and medium sized businesses to cover the costs of installed better quality high speed broadband. Cardiff Key companies include: Accelero, Alacrity Foundation, BBC Digital Council Digital R&D, BT, Blurrt, NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS), Technologies Demonstrator Hub DVLA, Fram3, GPC Solutions, Hewlett Packard, Google, IBM Research, Gofore, Intel McAfee, Microsoft Research Ltd, Protect 2020, South Wales Cyber Crime Unit, Spider/FYI, Vequoo, Tech Hub Swansea, Unit4, We Predict. Included in Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Strategic Plan 2017/18 to 2022/23, is the ambition to develop a new School of Technologies, due to open in 2021 and be fully operational by 2022 with 2,000 students. The proposed new school is focused on education, research, Cardiff School of innovation and higher-level skills in digital media and smart Digital Technologies technology, data science and informatics, and systems Technologies engineering and design technology. Aligned to the employment needs of South Wales' growing tech sector, the School will partner with technology-focused companies across the Cardiff Capital Region to support their growth plans with ‘work ready’ graduates. The Centre for Doctoral Training in data intensive science (CDT) has been created as part of a £10m UK-wide investment from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). Students Cardiff University enrolled into the CDT will embark on a four-year PhD designed Digital Centre for Doctoral to analyse data from astrophysics, accelerator science, nuclear Technologies Training and particle physics research. The creation of the centre is in response to the growing issue of trying to sift through the mountains of data created by modern observational and experimental science facilities
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Multi-disciplinary research institute focusing on the aspects of managing, analysing and interpreting massive volumes of textual and numerical information. Builds on existing research Cardiff University excellence into big data that affect the medical, biosciences, Digital Data Research social sciences, physical sciences and engineering sectors. Technologies Institute Strong collaborative relationships with range of external partners such as Airbus, Google, Welsh Government, ONS and Admiral. The institute has attracted significant funding from UKRI and industry. Cardiff University Plans underway to develop new academy to help address the Digital Data Science and gap between skills and demand. Technologies Analytics Academy The Institute’s multi-disciplinary approach combines existing academic excellence from within Cardiff University’s Police Science Institute, the Violence Research Group and the Informatics and Visual Computing Research Groups. Cardiff University’s Conducting research on a local and global scale, collaborative Digital Crime & Security partners include ONS, IBM, NHS Wales, the World Health Technologies Research Institute Organisation and the College of Policing. The Institute forms part of the Network and Information Sciences International Technology Alliance led by IBM but involving the UK MoD, US DoD and a consortium of leading academic and industry partners. The CHERISH-DE £7.6M Centre is one of six national Digital Economy Centres funded by EPSRC and a range of research users until October 2020. Each centres is focused on a specific area of digital innovation. The Digital Economy network will drive forward the UK’s Digital Economy research, knowledge and skills, helping position the country as a world leader in this field. Researchers are encouraged to reach out across centres CHERISH Digital to collaborate. Digital Economy Centre The CHERISH-DE Centre at Swansea University celebrates Technologies £7.6M the importance of the little things in life, seeing them as an important driver of big technology and service innovation. We work to make sure people feel empowered by the coming digital revolution. We want a digital economy that serves and understands our individual, family and community values, allowing them to evolve through meaningful engagement with digital systems and services. Swansea University has an ambitious vision that will transform Swansea, the region and Wales as a global hub for computer scientists and computer science. The Computational Foundry will provide a building housing high-end research facilities Computational Digital and researchers to support our aspiration to scale up the effort Foundry Technologies and impact of our work to that of our competitors, giving us the critical mass to deliver a step change for the region in developing an internationally competitive regional ICT cluster. This £31.1 m project is part financed by ERDF.
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Cyber Wales is an umbrella brand capturing the vibrant and growing Welsh Cyber Security eco-system. The activity is largely driven via the Wales Cyber cluster, (comprised of 5 sub cluster; 2 geographic: South Wales & North Wales and 3 subject specific: GDPR, DevOps & IP Wales). Combined the cluster forms the UK’s largest with over 800 individuals from 500 companies including; 9 Primes, 8 Universities, 4 Colleges, 2 Regional Organised Crime Units, 4 Police Forces and 2 Military Cyber Units. Cyber Wales is one of 14 leading cyber security ecosystems recognised internationally under the Global EPIC initiative. Digital Cyber Wales The Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) City Deal is currently actively Technologies exploring opportunities to support the growing cyber ecosystem in Wales. Are one of the founding members of Global EPIC, the Global Ecosystem of Ecosystems Partnership in Innovation and Cybersecurity, formed to enable the future securely through the development and sharing of new knowledge in the field of cyber security. Made up of 14 eco-systems - including Wales, the USA, Canada and Israel amongst others - they bring together academia, industry and government to respond to cybersecurity threats and enable economic development opportunities.
South Wales is home to a number of major international Security and Cyber Security blue chip organisations. These include Airbus Defence and Space, General Dynamics UK, Digital Technologies CGI, Alert Logic, Logicalis, Qinetiq, Cap Gemini and BT. These Digital Industry Expertise businesses employ thousands of security professionals and drive Technologies innovative product commercialisation and provide a focal point for SMEs through supply chain opportunities, smart contracts and their engagement with the Cyber Security Cluster.
A unique and timely training context and research outlook that Enhancing Human will nurture 50 PhD researchers who can ensure applications Interactions and of big data and machine intelligence are underpinned by Collaborations innovations that prioritise human values, experience and Digital with Data and capabilities. We will invert the science-first convention—which Technologies Intelligence Driven moves from fundamentals to applications—to a people-first Systems approach that starts with challenging contexts to disrupt and direct new, adventurous and exciting computational science. High Performance Computing Wales (HPC Wales) was a £44million five-year project (2010–2015) to provide Wales with a world class facility in High Performance Computing, Digital HPC Wales accessible to both academic and commercial organisations Technologies based in Wales. The project aimed to give Wales a supercomputing capacity and network at a scale not attempted anywhere else in the UK or Europe.
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Focusing on digital transformation and technology development, Innovation Point, support partnership collaborations to secure the funding needed to transform business ideas into commercial reality. Funded by Welsh Government, Innovation Point connect all sizes of private, academic and public sector partners, to understand the capability, identify opportunities and increase Digital Innovation Point investment supporting innovation in Wales. The Internet of Technologies Things Accelerator (IoTA) Wales is an example between Innovation Point, The Accelerator Network, Barclays Eagle Labs, Inspire Wales and the Development Bank of Wales to provide financial and business support to promising start up organisations around IoT. The GW4 Alliance (which includes Cardiff University), together with Cray Inc. and the Met Office, has been awarded £3m by EPSRC to deliver a new Tier 2 high performance computing (HPC) service for UK-based scientists. This unique new service, named ‘Isambard’ after the renowned Victorian engineer Digital Isambard Isambard Kingdom Brunel, will provide multiple advanced Technologies architectures within the same system in order to enable evaluation and comparison across a diverse range of hardware platforms. This facility provides a first of its kind alternative high performance computing architectures for simulation purposes. The launch of the AI Centre of Competence sees the IBM M7 UK Centre POWER Platform with NVIDIA GPUs (Minsky), hosted at the of Competence M7 Headquarters in Cardiff. This facility provides a platform Digital for Artificial for Data Scientists, Software Developers and IT specialists to Technologies Intelligence design, test and deploy proof of concept solutions prior to their wider roll out. A partnership between University of South Wales, Welsh Government and industry leaders to address the shortage of cyber skills cyber security skills and develop the next generation National Cyber Digital of cyber security experts. The National Cyber Security Academy Security Academy Technologies (NCSA), the first of its kind in Wales and a major UK initiative, which offers a practical course where students work on ‘live’ briefs from industry. A partnership between Cardiff University, Welsh Government, and industry leaders to create a centre of excellence for software engineering teaching in Wales. NSA addresses the shortfall of qualified, industry-ready software engineers by providing innovative industry-focused degrees in software National Software Digital engineering. Key features of the Academy include leadership Academy Technologies from tutors still highly active in industry, a series of guest lecture programmes from experts and practitioners working in related companies and ‘live’ briefs provided by the wealth of external partners including Admiral, Lang O’Rourke, Renishaw, Microsoft, BT, Alacrity Foundation, local councils and Talkative.
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The ONS Data Science Campus provides an opportunity for the UK public and private sectors to gain practical advantage from the increased investment in data science research and capability building. Working in collaboration with academia, industry and Government the campus builds world-leading expertise in the innovative application of data Office of National science. The Campus has been created to respond to the Digital Statistics challenge of measuring fast evolving forms of economic Technologies activity and the opportunity to exploit huge amounts of new data and information to help policymakers, researchers and businesses. The Campus will act as a hub for the whole of the UK public and private sectors to gain practical advantage from the increased investment in data science research and capability building. A Cardiff Business School partnership with the global logistics and freight-forwarding company who have developed a Panalpina & Centre software tool that can forecast demand and decide minimum for Advanced inventories. This partnership forms part of the Centre for Digital Manufacturing Advanced Manufacturing Systems at Cardiff (CAMSAC), which Technologies Systems at Cardiff takes an holistic, multidisciplinary view of manufacturing systems (CAMSAC) that takes into account the whole manufacturing value chain, encompassing the complete product and process lifecycle. Supercomputing Wales is a new £15 million supercomputing programme of investment. Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, Supercomputing Wales will enable the country to compete globally for research and innovation that requires state-of-the- Supercomputing Digital art computing facilities to simulate and solve complex scientific Wales £15M Technologies problems. The five-year project will be led by Cardiff University, with the other university partners including Aberystwyth University, Bangor University and Swansea University. A total of £9 million will be committed by the European Regional Development Opened in 2014, which enables local routing of information, The Cardiff Internet thereby increasing speeds and reducing costs by enabling Digital Exchange peering across internet services provides: http://www. Technologies digitalcardiff.net/cardiff-internet-exchange/ The emerging ACEELERATE Health and Clinical Innovation accelerator, with leadership from Swansea and Cardiff Health ACCELERATE Universities, represent ~£40m of co-investment into a pipeline Innovation of opportunities developed indigenously and inward-investing.
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The Centre brings together a strong team of economic and social science researchers from across Wales, and leading data scientists with strengths in privacy protection, information governance and data technology platforms. ADRC Wales Administrative Data is led by Professor David Ford at Swansea University in Research Centre Health partnership with Cardiff University. ADRC Wales builds on Wales (ADRC Innovation existing expertise and an acknowledged reputation for the safe Wales) and trustworthy use of complex social data to create a Centre that uses cutting-edge technology to efficiently link and analyse de-identified administrative data that has the ability to inform social, economic and health related research in the UK. The AgorIP Open Access Open Innovation commercialisation platform-AgorIP is £13.5million EU-supported Swansea University project which brings together academics, NHS staff Health AgorIP and businesses to realise the potential of new technologies, Innovation develop ideas and research and help make them a commercial success. Hosted at the School of Management with Dr Gerry Ronan as Project Director. Combined University Health Boards of Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Hywel Dda, in partnership with Swansea University representing one of the largest groupings by patient population and activity, engaged in collaborative research, enterprise and innovation. A Joint Clinical Research Facility (J-CRF) leads this agenda across health, academic and industrial partners. ARCH’s vision is for an integrated, open, collaborative medical and life sciences ecosystem, developing ARCH (A Regional doctors, healthcare professionals and life scientists working Health Collaboration for globally to drive research capacity, enterprise and innovation, Innovation Health) and skills for the sustainable benefit of the health, wellbeing and wealth of the region and beyond. Aligning developments of the College of Medicine with those led by Colleges of Human & Health Science, Engineering and Science, and those of the NHS through the ABMU, Partner Colleges and the wider community, the portfolio provides for a quantum leap in research capacity, skills development and innovation for the University and wider region. BioWales is one of the UK’s largest life sciences conferences and brokerage events held outside of London. In total, 550 Health BioWales delegates attended the two day event. The conference focused Innovation on the links between NHS, industry and academia in delivering tomorrow’s health solutions.
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The Cardiff University led Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) Unit aims to be a UK centre of excellence for delivering novel cell, drug and growth factor Brain Repair therapies to patients with currently untreatable neurological and Intracranial and neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease, Health Neurotherapeutics epilepsy, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The Innovation (BRAIN) Unit BRAIN Unit has significant strengths in supporting pre-clinical laboratory and imaging validation to drive novel therapies towards clinical practice. The Unit has attracted considerable investment from Renishaw Plc. Cardiff Medicentre, based in the grounds of the University Hospital of Wales is a business incubator for biotech and medtech startups and is joint venture between Cardiff University and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. It provides space Health Cardiff Medicentre and supports new businesses in these biomedical sectors. The Innovation tenants rely on this close proximity to the hub of Welsh biotech and medtech academic research and clinical practise and is part of Cardiff University Innovation System. The Research Institute's vision is to be an internationally- recognised centre of excellence in the field of neuroscience as applied to mental health. This £30m pound investment houses Cardiff University’s neuroscientists from the Research Institute, the MRC Centre for Neuroscience and Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics and the National Health Mental Health Centre for Mental Health bringing genetics, neuroscience Innovation Research Institute and clinical research together on a single site. In total, the Research Institute comprises over 100 neuroscientists and researchers from other disciplines who are actively engaged in neuroscience research. Cardiff University’s £44M Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC) brings together world-leading expertise in brain mapping with the very latest in brain imaging and stimulation Cardiff University's to better understand the causes of neurological and psychiatric Brain Research Health conditions. An agreement with Siemens Healthcare has seen Imaging Centre Innovation the delivery of a combination of leading MR systems, including (CUBRIC) the second Connectom 3T in the world, to support the facility. This will allow us to build on our extensive set of collaborations and make CUBRIC an epicentre for European Neuroimaging. Central Biotechnology Services (CBS) is a central “core” facility, dedicated to furthering the research and educational needs of Cardiff University and its surrounding community. CBS offers contract research options and managed services from a team Central of technologists with additional key inputs from internationally Health Biotechnology recognised researchers. It can host companies, provides Innovation Services laboratory facilities and can facilitate access to other University resources. The facilities available are wide-ranging and include genomics, protein analysis and cell analysis/imaging platforms. CBS has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 certification by BSI.
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Building on existing internationally recognised and transformative research networks the Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research (CADR) is a world class research centre addressing key internationally important questions in ageing and dementia. The Centre integrates multi-disciplinary activity and develops areas of expertise from biological, through psycho-social and environmental, to social policy in ageing and dementia. Led by Prof. Vanessa Burholt - Swansea University, Centre for Ageing Prof. Bob Woods - Bangor University, Prof. Julie Williams - Health and Dementia Cardiff University. Provide essential infrastructure enabling Innovation Research (CADR) researchers in ageing and dementia to compete globally by developing critical research strengths and collaborations. Develops and builds capacity underpinning future increased grant capture, establishing essential research resources, novel skills and technologies. CADR is funded by Health and Care Research Wales, Welsh Government, and is a national, multi- faceted virtual organisation comprising several distinct elements. The Centre is led by Swansea University, in partnership with Cardiff University and Bangor University. This one of five UKCRC Public Health Research Centres of Excellence coordinated by the Medical Research Council. DECIPHer is a strategic partnership between Cardiff, Bristol and Swansea Universities. The Centre is led by Professor Simon Murphy (Cardiff University) & co-directed by Professor Rona Centre for the Campbell (University of Bristol) and Professor Ronan Lyons Development (Swansea University). DECIPHer develops, tests, evaluates and and Evaluation implements complex interventions and policies that achieve of Complex sustainable improvements in health and wellbeing, and address Health Interventions for health inequalities. Our research has a particular focus on the Innovation Public Health health of children and young people. DECIPHer is a leading Improvement centre of methodologically innovative multidisciplinary public (DECIPHer) health research. The Centre has a strong track record of working with partners from public health policy and practice, and of public involvement in research. The research focuses on three broad priority areas relating to the health of children and young people: (1) Tobacco, alcohol and drugs, (2) Obesity, physical activity and diet, (3) Mental health and wellbeing. The largest group of academic clinical trials staff in Wales, we tackle the big diseases and health concerns of our time by forming partnerships with researchers and building lasting Centre for Trials Health relationships with the public. Our portfolio of work includes Research Innovation drugs trials and complex interventions, mechanisms of disease and treatments, cohort studies and informing policy and practice. The agreement between Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and Cardiff University strengthens a commitment to Clinical Innovation Health deliver better patient healthcare and boost the economy in Partnership Innovation Wales. It aims to accelerate the translation of clinical innovation into improvements in health and clinical services.
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The Clinical Research Facility (CRF) is a component of a successful Wellcome/Joint Infrastructure Fund bid. It provides a crucial facility for the translation of basic biomedical science developments into clinical practice, and a high quality Clinical Research clinical environment in which patients can undergo research Health Facility (CRF) programmes safely and effectively according to scientifically Innovation robust, ethically approved studies, including both clinical trials and other forms of clinical investigation. Research carried out in the CRF is a balance of commercial and non-commercial studies in accordance with the terms of the Wellcome Trust bequest. The Data Science building, is an addition to the Medicine School's Institute of Life Science 1 and 2 buildings. It opened in summer 2015 and brings two exciting Centres of Excellence together under one roof – the £9.3 million Farr Institute of Health Informatics Research and the new £8 million Administrative Data Research Centre Wales (ADRC Wales), enabling researchers to work together to unleash the potential Data Science of large scale data to conduct powerful new research. The Health Centre (Swansea 2900sqm research facility is made possible by the funding Innovation University) from the Medical Research Council (MRC), Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Welsh Government. The vision behind the Data Science building is to create a world-class centre in eHealth and administrative data research. This preeminent interdisciplinary building will act as a hive of innovation, allowing researchers and staff from the NHS and industry to work together on cutting edge data science, whilst protecting privacy. The £13m Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University is designed to address this significant health challenge. As one of six UK centres, the research centre in Wales will be a significant section of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) - a £250m initiative, funded by the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, to find new ways to diagnose, treat, prevent and care for people with Dementia Research dementia. The UK DRI at Cardiff University is set to become Health Institute (DRI) the biggest investment Wales has ever received for scientific Innovation study into dementia. Bringing together our leading experts in genetics, neurobiology, immunology, brain imaging, cognition and population health, we seek to understand the causes of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease. This research is helping develop new therapies designed to delay disease progression, reduce dementia risk and enhance quality of life in individuals with dementia. The European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute European Cancer establishes Cardiff University as an international leader in Health Stem Cell Research the field of cancer stem cell research. The Institute fosters Innovation Institute new collaborations across the University and with UK and international partners in industry and academia.
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The six HDR UK sites, comprising 22 universities and research institutes have been awarded £30 million funding to address challenging healthcare issues through use of data Health Data science. A further £24million will be invested in upcoming Research UK (HDR Health activities, including a Future Talent Programme and work to UK) - Swansea Innovation address targeted data research challenges through additional University partnership sites. The HDR UK will work together and with NHS and industry partners to the highest ethical standards, to harness data science on a national scale. GE Healthcare, Biomet UK, Norigine, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, PCI Pharma, PCI Pharmaceutical Services (changed from Penn Pharmaceuticals), Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, Calon Cardio, Haemair, Leadin, SymlConnect, Health Innovation Porvair plc, Innoture, BTG Protherics UK Ltd (pharmaceuticals) Theme Relevant – Ceredigion, Convatec Ltd (wound healing) – Tredegar, Health Life Sciences Convatec Ltd (manufacturing) – Deeside, Nice-Pak International Innovation Companies Ltd (biotechnology) - Flint. Industrial links include a strategic partnership with Proton Partners International (Newport). Other relevant companies: Huntleigh Healthcare, Direct Healthcare Services, Renishaw, Neem Biotech, Jelagen, Cotton Mouton Diagnostics, Indoor Biotechnologies, BBI, Biocatalysts, EKF Bevan Commission, Health Technology Wales - Medical Technology Adoption Hub, CEDAR, Clinical Research Facility (Cardiff/Swansea), Compound Semiconductor Catapult/IQE Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre, Agor IP, ASTUTE2020 and ASTUTE East, PDR (International Centre for Design and Health Innovation Research, Cardiff Met), HEART (CU, C&V, Cardiff Council, Vale Health Theme Relevant of Glamorgan Council), Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Innovation Organisations Centre, ICE (Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise), Velindre Cancer Centre, Swansea Institute of Health Economics, USW – School of Health Sciences, Clinical Simulation Centre – ITU simulation etc., Stroke Hub Wales (Cardiff Met), Rutherford Cancer Centre (change from Proton Partners). This is the primary mechanism for raising awareness and will Health HealthWise Wales provide direct and proactive engagement for the public with Innovation research. Human Factors Excellence (HuFEx) based at Cardiff University’s world-leading School of Psychology (Rated 2nd overall in UK REF 2014) builds on the long history of successful human factors research. Combining interdisciplinary research expertise from Human Factors areas such as Psychology, Engineering and Computer Science, Health Excellence (HuFEx) HuFEx, works closely with key industry partners including MOD, Innovation BAE, Qinetiq to conduct hugely influential research projects in areas such as: design of human-machine interfaces, offices, workstations and command and control centres, air-traffic management, and developing immersive research environments.
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The Institute of Life Science (ILS) is Wales’ premier purpose-built medical research facility. It is a collaboration between Swansea University and the Welsh Government, together with Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board, IBM and industry partners. It is the single largest investment ever made by the Welsh Government on any university campus. ILS is Institute of Life advancing medical science through multi- and interdisciplinary Science 1 & research and innovation for the benefit of human health, linking Health 2 (Swansea those benefits to the economy by encouraging interaction with Innovation University) other organisations in a spirit of Open Innovation. The Institute is the centre of a vibrant community of tenant and affiliate partner companies, including spin-outs, inward-investors and other organisations. It also hosts BHF Cymru Research Centre and the Centre for NanoHealth with its associated initiatives, encompassing world-class facilities and expertise in domains including nanotoxicology and bio-sensing. A core component of the Living Laboratory, The Internet Coast City Deal (Swansea Bay City Region) landscape hosts a diverse ecosystem of innovation across ‘Campuses’ and ‘Villages’. Internet of Health Health Centred around the ILS community this provides a network of and Wellbeing Innovation Health, academic and industrial partners advancing science, and developing, trailing and validating health and wellbeing technologies. Joint Clinical Research Facility (JCRF) - With expertise in multi-centre phase II – III studies we have a robust portfolio addressing many of the current health challenges – some Joint Clinical assessing new medicines and others new devices. Our studies Health Research Facility span diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and many others Innovation (JCRF) medical conditions. We are trialling devices which enable patients to be monitored for conditions such as Atrial Fibrillation enabling a timely intervention and remote glucose monitoring for diabetic patients. The Life Science Research Network Wales have worked with Welsh Government to establish a Proof-of-Concept fund for the Life Sciences. This fund enables researchers to develop the Life Sciences commercial potential of their research thus generating significant Health Bridging Fund economic, social and health benefits for the people of Wales. Innovation The fund is open to researchers from across Wales and supports a broad range of life science areas including: Drug Development, Diagnostics, Medical devices.
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Life Sciences Hub Wales supports and showcases the diverse range of expertise Wales has to offer, bringing the dynamic Welsh Life Sciences sector to the world stage, creating commercial opportunities and developing key partnerships. Life Sciences Hub Life Sciences Hub Wales is a limited company and wholly Health Wales owned by the Welsh Government. The Hub team supports Innovation the life sciences sector with start-up guidance, precision partnering, referrals to service providers, funding and investment opportunities, NHS engagement and introductions and market intelligence. The Life Sciences Research Network Wales, led by Cardiff University in collaboration with Swansea, Bangor and Aberystwyth Universities has been established by the Sêr Cymru programme to bring together world class research expertise Life Sciences within Wales, build long term research capacity and develop Health Research Network new therapeutic treatments in areas of unmet medical and Innovation Wales veterinary need. As of May 2017, LSRNW have funded 131 research projects and committed over £5.8m directly to research. Network funded Principal Investigators have leveraged in excess of £12m from successful research funding applications as a direct result of NRN projects. Cardiff University has developed the ability to turn leading biomedical research into novel drugs, as it becomes the home Medicines of the highly successful Medicines Discovery Institute. Led by Health Discovery Institute Professor Simon Ward and Professor John Atack, the Institute Innovation (Cardiff University) brings unrivalled knowledge of the pharmaceutical sector and proven success in bringing new medicines successfully to clinic. MRC Centre for The MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics Neuropsychiatric (MRC CNGG) brings together world-leading researchers Health Genetics and to investigate the major causes of mental health problems. Innovation Genomics (MRC Established in 2009, we are Wales' first MRC Centre and the CNGG) largest psychiatric genetics group in the UK. National Institute Health and Care Research Wales is a national, multi-faceted, for Social Care and virtual organisation funded and overseen by the Welsh Health Research Government’s Research and Development Division. It provides Health Clinical Research an infrastructure to support and increase capacity in research Innovation Centre (NISCHR and development (R&D), runs a range of responsive funding CRC) schemes and manages the NHS R&D funding allocation. NHS Wales Informatics Service (NWIS) – collects, stores, analyses and presents national data and statistical information NHS Wales for NHS Wales. Services provided include the Welsh Clinical Health Informatics Service Portal which makes test results and a wide range of electronic Innovation (NWIS) documents related to patient care available, regardless of geographical or organisational boundaries.
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The Wales Research and Diagnostic Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Centre (PETIC) is a state of the art PET imaging facility which increases Wales’ capacity for cutting- edge research and attracts major research funding and associated benefits into Wales. The facility is one of the most Positron Emission advanced in the UK, giving researchers and doctors the ability Tomography Health to detect malignant tissue and track the effects of drugs in Imaging Centre Innovation incredible detail. The Centre is operated by Cardiff University (PETIC) in partnership with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board in specially-built premises at Cardiff’s Heath Park complex. The £16.5 million Centre was funded jointly by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Health and Economy and Transport Departments, and works in partnership with GE Healthcare. South Wales has the world-class, Secure Anonymised Data Linkage (SAIL) Databank that brings together healthcare data for interrogation and research. This holds a wide range of de- Secure Anonymised identified health and care datasets, from primary care to ONS Health Data Linkage (SAIL) and outpatient data, which can be linked and accessed via a Innovation Databank remote gateway for approved research projects. The databank is uniquely comprehensive in the UK due to the integrated nature of the Local Health Board structures across Wales. The Surgical Materials Testing Laboratory (SMTL) is part of the Welsh NHS, funded mainly by the Welsh Assembly Government, and based at Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend. SMTL is part of NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP). Our core service is to provide testing Surgical Materials and technical services regarding medical devices to the Health Testing Laboratory Welsh NHS, enabling Procurement Services for NHS Innovation (SMTL) Wales and others in the NHS to undertake evidence based purchasing. SMTL also provide commercial testing services to the international medical device industry. SMTL are UKAS Accredited to ISO17025 the international standard for testing laboratories. Research Institute for Applied Social Sciences (RIASS) is a flagship, cross-University collaboration bringing together the very best research expertise within the social, human, health Swansea University and environmental sciences. Drawing on the expertise of - Research Institute research centres across the institution, RIASS is ensuring that Health for Applied Social the applied social sciences are embedded throughout the Innovation Sciences (RIASS) University. With a strong external focus, RIASS is forging research collaborations with similar institutes around the world, whilst also serving the local community through engagement with businesses, the public and the voluntary sector.
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The Institute builds on Cardiff University’s existing research strengths in infection, immunity and big data, and the exploitation of our findings in the clinic. By bringing together Systems Immunity complementary skills and technologies across disciplines, Health University Research the institute applies systems biology based-approaches to Innovation Institute develop new therapies and vaccines for disease intervention and prevention, and novel diagnostics for better patient management. The Centre for Improvement in Population Health through E-records Research (CIPHER) is one of the four co-ordinating centres of the Farr Institute. The Institute is a UK-wide research collaboration involving 21 academic institutions and health partners in England, Scotland and Wales. It is publicly funded by a consortium of 10 organisations led by the MRC (ref 3). CIPHER is a multinational research partnership between The Centre for academia, the UK National Health Service (NHS) and industry, Improvement in focussed on improving the lives of patients and the population Health Population Health through informatics. It analyses data to better understand Innovation through E-records the health of patients and populations. The Centre is funded Research (CIPHER) by £9.3 million investment made by a consortium of 10 UK Government and Charity Funders led by Medical Research Council (MRC) (ref 3). CIPHER is coordinated from Swansea University and includes a considerable number of investigators from UK universities and others from Europe, North America and Australia. It is led by Professor Ronan Lyons, Director (Swansea University), Professor David Ford, Deputy Director (Swansea University). The Health and This will be responsible for coordinating operational activity, Care Research Health focusing on public involvement and engagement advice and Wales Support Innovation guidance for researchers and the public. Centre A 1000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of University Hospital Medicine. It was Europe's first fully integrated hospital and Health of Wales (UHW) medical school at a cost of £22 million. The hospital is the third Innovation largest University Hospital in the UK and the largest hospital in Wales. The Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) is a national, interdisciplinary, social science research institute. It has been designated by the Welsh Government as a national research centre. Using Wales Institute of innovative approaches, our research spans the fields of Social & Economic Health economics, sociology, geography and political science. It is a Research, Data & Innovation collaborative venture between the universities of Aberystwyth, Methods (WISERD) Bangor, Cardiff, South Wales and Swansea – working together to improve the quality and quantity of social science research in Wales and beyond to influence the development of policy and practice across a range of sectors.
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Wales Life Sciences Investment Fund is a £100 million fund and key part of the Welsh Government’s Life Sciences initiative. Arthurian Life Sciences Ltd was established by one of Europe’s leading biotech entrepreneur Professor Sir Chris Evans OBE to act as General Partner of The Fund and invests in Life Sciences and related medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies currently based in Wales, and also in companies from across the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, where such investment will bring meaningful developmental and economic benefit to Wales. The Fund has made initial Wales Life Sciences investments of between £500,000 and £5,000,000, and Investment Fund Health may consider follow-on investments. Since its inception, the and Arthurian Life Innovation WLSIF has: Created a portfolio of 10 investments. Delivered Sciences Ltd an internal rate of return (IRR) of 26% (3-year IRR at 31 March 2016). Attracted £380m UK and international co-investment. Created 150 high-tech and highly skilled jobs and aims to create a further 200. Established a portfolio of 23 highly valuable therapeutic products and medical devices currently under development for stroke, cancer, blindness, respiratory disease, vascular disease, cystic fibrosis and diabetes. ALS company investment portfolio includes; Apitope, Cequr, Interrad Medical, Medaphor, Proton Partners International Ltd, Reneuron, Simbec-Orion Group, Sphere Medical plc, Verona Pharma. European Structural Funds 2014-2020. Between 2014– 2020, Wales will benefit from over £2bn European Structural Funds investment. The EU Structural Funds in Wales help support people into work and training, youth employment, research and innovation, business (SMEs) competitiveness, Welsh European renewable energy and energy efficiency, and connectivity and Health Funding Office urban development. Together with match funding, these funds Innovation (WEFO) will drive a total investment of almost £3bn across Wales. A Research & Innovation Funding Call is open across Wales, with £30m available. The theme of this ERDF funding call is ‘accelerating world-class collaboration in research and innovation’ and the next deadline for proposals is 28 March 2018.
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The Welsh Wound Innovation Centre (WWIC) is a research hub devoted to tackling the "silent epidemic" of wound care. The £4m national centre of excellence in wound prevention and treatment is to be established in Wales with the dual aim of delivering health and wealth benefits for people in Wales. The Centre, led by Prof Keith Harding, CBE directly employs 31 people, and will be a strong driver for inward investment Welsh Wound opportunities for Wales. The centre adopts a unique innovation Health Innovation Centre model spanning government, academia, health service delivery, Innovation (WWIC) business and industry and was set up with £2.5m funding from the Welsh Government, local health boards and the private sector. WWIC already supports several small businesses based in Wales, America and Australia, and also provides wound healing education and training for medical professionals. Investment in WWIC funds clinical trials and finances the development of new products and technologies. TWI Wales has built the first specialised Structural Integrity centre, where advanced engineering materials and low-carbon Advanced energy innovations are developed and validated using full Engineering and Smart scale test structures currently unavailable in the UK. The centre Materials Research Manufacturing will optimise simulation and develop high speed automated Institute inspection to ensure the safety of critical structures. This £12.9m project is part financed by the ERDF. AMRI is a two site establishment with the first being delivered adjacent to the Airbus facility, Broughton and the second at Deeside Enterprise Zone. It will support industry to adapt to modern techniques and understanding the potential Advanced opportunities of Industry 4.0. It will act as a conduit for Manufacturing Smart advanced manufacturing in Wales and will contribute to future Research Institute Manufacturing UK growth across many sectors. Stage 1 will focus on R&D (AMRI), Broughton and will have a dedicated facility be the home for the Airbus "Wing of Tomorrow" and other research projects supporting the automotive, construction, nuclear and food & drink industries. Stage 2 will focus on skills.
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ASTUTE 2020 and EAST build on the World Class Engineering and Science capabilities within Welsh Universities (as evidenced by the findings of Research Excellence Framework Advanced 2014) to further develop and embed Advanced and Sustainable Sustainable Technologies into High-Value Manufacturing in Manufacturing West Wales and the Valleys (ASTUTE 2020) and East Wales Technologies (ASTUTE EAST), a five-year and 3-year operation respectively. (ASTUTE 2020 ASTUTE EAST’s focus is on Future Manufacturing Technologies. & ASTUTE Both operations are led by Swansea University in partnership EAST), Swansea with Cardiff University, University of South Wales, Aberystwyth Smart University, Cardiff University & University of Wales Trinity Saint David to support Manufacturing University, industrial Research, Development and Innovation through University of world-class academics and a team of highly qualified technical South Wales, experts and project managers. Cutting edge research expertise Aberystwyth is provided by Swansea University's Colleges of Engineering University, and Science, and Cardiff University's School of Engineering, University of Wales the Business School (in the area of Manufacturing Systems) and Trinity Saint David the Medical School. The partners University of South Wales, Aberystwyth University and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David bring key niche expertise in their recognised areas of excellence to this strong but flexible partnership. Airbus Group Endeavr Wales (Endeavr) is a joint initiative between Airbus Group, Cardiff University and the Welsh Airbus Group Government to support innovation in Wales. Endeavr is Smart Endeavr Wales, committed to the research and development of technologies in Manufacturing Newport the fields of the Digital Economy, the Low Carbon Economy and Advanced Engineering & Manufacturing. Testia Limited (Airbus Group) provides world-class bespoke Airbus Group training, consultancy and research and development in training and R&D Aerospace Non-Destructive Testing. The state of the art facility Smart in Aerospace Non- in Newport services all Airbus Group companies and others Manufacturing Destructive Testing, worldwide who manufacture or operate aerospace products. Newport (Testia Ltd) Testia Ltd also offers graduate training and internships for those wishing to pursue careers in aerospace NDT. The Group carries out internationally recognised research into mechanics of solids, structures and materials which can be applied to address current engineering research challenges including the development of real-time and interactive tools for Applied and computational steering and surgical simulation using model Smart Computational order reduction algorithms. Collaborators include NASA Manufacturing Mechanics Group and Airbus on the development of software for designing stiffened wing and fuselage panels, and also for lightweight 3-dimensional frame structures for space applications. Professor Massimilino Gei
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The Factory of the Future is a £10m 2000sqm key asset of the £1.2b Swansea Bay City Region Deal “Internet Coast”. As part of the Smart Manufacturing Pillar, this purpose built The Factory of the facility will enable new manufacturing companies to set up, Smart Future, Swansea test and qualify their production processes and adopt industrial Manufacturing University digital technologies under Smart Manufacturing (Industry 4.0) principles. Industry-academia collaborative R&D will be undertaken during a colocation period and delivered via the successful ASTUTE mechanism. Prof Johann Sienz Calsonic Kansei Manufacture heat exchange products for cars across Europe. Europe Head Office The Technology Centre is primarily engaged in the design and Smart and Technology development of products for our European customers and, is Manufacturing Centre, Llanelli also home to our vehicle and system test facilities. Developed in conjunction with Coleg Cambria in N.Wales Cambria (Deeside) to support the delivery of Advanced Engineering and Engineering Materials education programmes that will support the changing Smart University Centre, skills needs and meet the wider demand in North East Wales. Manufacturing Coleg Cambria, The University Centre at Swansea University acts as a base Swansea University for learners undertaking placements at British Aerospace in Broughton. The Cardiff Catalysis Institute (CCI) was established within the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University in order to improve the understanding of catalysis, work with industry to develop new catalytic processes, promote the use of catalysis as a sustainable 21st century technology. CCI has established Cardiff Catalysis Smart strategic alliances with Universities with complementary Institute Manufacturing expertise in catalysis - such as Bath, Bristol, Queen's Belfast and UCL and has been a key player in the creation of the UK Catalysis Hub, which brings together expertise from most of the UK universities that are active in catalysis. Collaboration with industry include Sasol, Johnson Matthey and Unilever. Celsa (UK) Opened in 2018 the Steels & Metal Institute is a world leading Manufacturing Ltd research and innovation centre that works in collaboration with Smart Steel and Metals industry and other UK and Global centres of excellence, to Manufacturing Institute, Swansea drive innovation in products and performance to create a steel University and metals industry fit for the 21st Century. CAMSAC is an interdisciplinary research centre set up to build directly on Cardiff’s existing strong reputation for internationally leading manufacturing related research and 50 staff across Centre for the University. Bridging both the engineering and business Advanced disciplines, CAMSAC takes a holistic, interdisciplinary Smart Manufacturing approach, working closely with industry partners, towards Manufacturing Systems at Cardiff the study and development of new concepts in Advanced Manufacturing Systems via an extensive, complementary portfolio of research, knowledge transfer, engagement and teaching activities. Prof Mo Naim, Prof Rossi Setchi
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CNH at Swansea University combines nanotechnology with medical science to provide opportunities to benefit patients, healthcare providers and the healthcare industry both across Centre for Wales and globally. Novel devices, processes and sensors Smart Nanohealth, can be designed, manufactured, functionalised, tested and Manufacturing Swansea University evaluated for the earliest detection of disease onset, developed for point of care, near–patient and in vivo applications. Prof Huw Summers Centre Of The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Industrial Functional Advanced Training Coatings, COATED & COATED 2, provide exciting research for Engineering opportunities to develop and upscale advanced coatings Smart Doctorates for energy generation, storage and release. Key focus on Manufacturing (COATED & the durability of such materials with regards to environmental COATED2), degradation and corrosion. Swansea University A £50M Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult will shortly be launched near Cardiff to exploit the significant Compound advances made by UK researchers over the past two decades. Smart Semiconductor This Catapult will provide translational research facilities to Manufacturing Catapult accelerate the commercialisation of compound semiconductors in key application areas including: healthcare, the digital economy, energy, transport, defence and security, and space. The Compound Semiconductor Centre (CSC) was formed in August 2015 as a joint venture between IQE plc, the world Compound leading supplier of advanced compound semiconductor wafer Smart Semiconductor products, and Cardiff University. The Centre provides a focal Manufacturing Centre point for compound semiconductor commercialisation within the UK and provide a critical step toward establishing South Wales as Europe’s fifth semiconductor cluster. Prof Wyn Meredith To develop capabilities in Compound Semiconductor Applications the UK Government will invest £50 million to Compound establish a new Catapult Centre in Wales. The Cardiff Capital Smart Semiconductor Hub region will also prioritise investment in research and Manufacturing development and provide support for high value innovative businesses. The 2,000-hectare (4942 acre) Deeside Enterprise Zone in North East Wales is home to highly skilled, contemporary Deeside Enterprise Smart manufacturing across a diversity of sectors - from aerospace Zone Manufacturing and automotive to electronics and pharmaceuticals to construction, food and sustainable energy. Strong manufacturing skills availability, 40 hectares (90 acres) Ebbw Vale Smart of development land with 100% expansion space and fast- Enterprise Zone Manufacturing tracked planning, plus excellent connectivity to the Midlands.
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UK Association for manufacturing and engineering and a EEF the leading provider of business support. Manufacturers’ Work with a wide range of people, from industry leaders, Smart Organisation, managers and professionals, to young people, apprentices, Manufacturing Bridgend policy-makers and the media, to promote and support enterprise and innovation in the UK. The £10M EPSRC Hub will conduct research into large scale Compound Semiconductor manufacturing and in manufacturing integrated Compound Semiconductors on Silicon. The Hub includes 26 industrial partners and aims to radically boost the uptake and application of Compound Semiconductor Future Compound technology by applying the manufacturing approaches of Smart Semiconductor Silicon to Compound Semiconductors. It will also exploit the Manufacturing Manufacturing Hub highly advantageous electronic, magnetic, optical and power handling properties of Compound Semiconductors while utilising the cost and scaling advantage of silicon technology where best suited and generate novel integrated functionality such as sensing, data processing and communication. The Nantgarw overhaul facility, based just north of Cardiff, has been chosen to lead the company's global 'Entry into Service' readiness programme and provide maintenance and repair for GE Aircraft Engine the world's largest and most fuel efficient jet engine, the GE9X. Services Global The company is investing £15m and the Welsh Government Smart Centre of Excellence £5m. Manufacturing for wide bodied jet The funding will be used to equip the facility and improve the engines, Nantgarw skills of the workforce over the next five years to ensure it is ready to maintain the GE9X fleet when it begins service with Boeing. A leading supplier to the UK MoD in three key areas: armoured fighting vehicles, avionic systems and tactical communications. General Dynamics The EDGE facility in Oakdale brings General Dynamics UK, Smart EDGE UK initiative, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and academia Manufacturing Oakdale together to develop innovative solutions to meet customer requirements in the defence market. General Dynamics UK Armoured Fighting Vehicle The facility supports the delivery of AJAX vehicles (tanks) to the Smart Assembly, British Army through the testing of components and weaponry Manufacturing Integration and systems. Testing centre of excellence, Merthyr
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The High Value Manufacturing Group conducts research across a range of areas including intelligent and knowledge-based systems, smart systems, sustainable manufacturing, advanced manufacturing technologies and micro/nano manufacturing. High-Value The work of the Group involves the application of artificial Smart Manufacturing intelligence to engineering and ranges from human behaviour Manufacturing Research Group recognition to image processing, creating interactive digital models and expert systems for decision support. The group also undertakes research into robotics and human-machine systems. Prof Rossi Setchi The Swansea University £35m 6,400sqm IMPACT (Innovative Materials, Processing And numeriCal Technologies) institute is part funded by the EU (ERDF) and home to 5 new advanced engineering and materials R&D centres: Future Manufacturing Technologies; Next Generation Materials IMPACT Institute, Smart Property Measurement; Advanced Structural Mechanics; Vapour Swansea University Manufacturing Deposition Cluster; Metals Technology Centre. The institute promotes academic cross discipline activities and industry- academia collaboration with physical space for industry to collocate their researchers and establish technical centres start- ups. Prof Johann Sienz Industry Wales is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government, established and directed by industrial members Industry Wales, Smart with the aim of maximising the performance of the advanced Bridgend Manufacturing manufacturing and materials sector by focussing on innovation, investment, skills and the supply chain. The Institute for Compound Semiconductors aims to position Cardiff as the European leader in compound semiconductors, providing cutting-edge facilities that help researchers and Institute of industry work together. This £40M investment will provide Smart Compound access to cutting-edge facilities that will enable industry and Manufacturing Semiconductors academia to develop novel technologies to a point where it can be introduced reliably and quickly into the production environment. Prof Diana Huffaker, Peter Smowton MATTER is an initiative targeted at high technology advanced manufacturing, and exploits the considerable experience of Manufacturing running industry facing doctorate centres at Swansea University. Advances MATTER is run in the multidisciplinary research environment Through Training provided in the School of Engineering spanning all three Smart Engineering research centres - computational, materials and nanotechnology. Manufacturing Researchers (EDT The award winning research and training partnerships continue MATTER), Swansea with two highly focused doctoral training partnerships for the University steel industry in Wales and for structural metallic systems for gas turbines. Materials and Manufacturing Academy (M2A) provides Materials and industry led postgraduate research training based at Swansea Smart Manufacturing University's new Bay Campus. M2A is part funded by the Manufacturing Academy European Social Fund through the Welsh Government.
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The M2A provides industry led postgraduate research training Materials and in the areas of advanced materials and manufacturing. Fully Manufacturing Smart funded by WEFO, EPSRC and industry, M2A is able to offer Academy (M2A), Manufacturing 24 EngD places and 8 MSc research places per year along Swansea University with part-time PhD and masters. Materials and Manufacturing Education Training and Learning Materials and (METaL) is an industry demand led project aiming to up skill Manufacturing over 360 people in the field of Advanced Materials and Education Training Manufacturing through the provision of short, 10 credit courses Smart and Learning at level 4 and above. METaL is a work based learning project Manufacturing Scheme (METaL/ that focusses on technical training modules to address skills METaL2), Swansea shortages and furnish industry with the skills required to thrive in University a knowledge led sector. Swansea is one of the UK’s leading centres for materials teaching and research. The internationally leading materials research conducted at Swansea is funded by prestigious organisations such as Rolls Royce, Airbus, The European Space Materials Research Agency, and Tata Steel. Smart Centre The Materials Research Centre (MRC) has pioneered Manufacturing postgraduate degrees that are tailored to the needs of industry and produce top quality research. This successful approach is demonstrated by a research grant portfolio in excess of £40 million. Prof Geraint Williams One of the UK’s leading centres for materials teaching and research, funded by prestigious organisations such as Rolls Royce, Airbus, The European Space Agency, and Tata Steel. The MRC has pioneered postgraduate degrees that are tailored to the needs of industry and produce top quality research, as Materials Research demonstrated by a research grant portfolio in excess of £40 Smart Centre (MRC), million. Encompasses research groups: Institute of Structural Manufacturing Swansea University Materials (Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre) ; Advanced Imaging of Materials; Materials Advanced Characterisation; Corrosion and Functional Coatings; Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovation in Functional Industrial Coatings Innovation and Knowledge Centre (SPECIFIC IKC); Steels and Metals Institute (SaMI). The Mechanical and Structural Performance Group works across a range of disciplines including aerospace, automotive, civil, manufacturing, and medical engineering. Research in the Mechanical group focuses on the design, validation, analysis and inspection and Structural of a wide range of advanced materials and structures. The Smart Performance research has a strong industrial focus and current collaborators Manufacturing Research Group include Airbus, BAe Systems, TWI, HW Communications Limited, Microsemi, Mistras Group UK, Ministry of Defence, Morgan Composites and Haydale Ltd Prof Karen Holford, Prof Carol Featherston
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Produces disc breaks and drum brakes to commercial vehicle Meritor Ltd Centre companies. The Cwmbran site is the Braking Centre of of Excellence for Excellence globally for the business, designing, developing and Smart Vehicle Breaking housing a full complement of testing facilities. The end products Manufacturing systems, Cwmbran are then exported to markets in Europe, South America, Asia and North America. Control Techniques is part of the Industrial Automation Nidec Control business within the Nidec Group and is a leading provider Techniques of variable speed drives & power conversion technology for Smart Academy, commercial and industrial applications. The Control Techniques Manufacturing Newtown UK Academy in Newtown, is housed within the design and manufacturing activities of Control Techniques' products. Purolite-BroTech Corporation Purolite is the world’s second largest manufacturer and European Head distributor of ion exchange resins, used by pharmaceutical Office and Centre developers in the manufacture of modern medicines targeting Smart of Excellence in Ion the treatment of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and well know age Manufacturing Exchange Resins related diseases. Purolite’s European R&D Centre of Excellence and Advanced develop new products and technologies for mass production. Polymers for Life Sciences, Llantrisant Raytheon Centre Raytheon UK's flagship Special Mission Aircraft programme of Excellence in North Wales is focused on developing next-generation for Design and technologies to meet the global ISR challenge. Smart Programme The centre of excellence at Broughton will “improve the design, Manufacturing Management, modification, configuration, management, and support aspects" Broughton of the Shadow and Sentinel surveillance platform . 3D printing for medical healthcare applications - Centre for Renishaw Applied Reconstructive Technologies in Surgery (CARTIS) Healthcare Centre Smart - Pioneering additive manufacturing reshapes patient’s face; of Excellence, Manufacturing - Patient's chest rebuilt with 3D print after tumour surgery; Miskin Morriston Hospital in Swansea Produce turbocharger ball bearings via state of the art assembly and inspection equipment. Schaeffler is digitally transforming Schaeffler UK its entire business via its technology centre, integrating its Smart Technology Centre, mechatronics components, systems and machines into the Manufacturing Llanelli rapidly expanding world of the ‘Internet of Things’. Significant R&D investment is incorporating sensors, actuators and control units with embedded software into their products. National Research Network in Advanced Engineering and Materials (Sêr-Cymru/Stars Wales Initiative) is a transformative Sêr Cymru National alliance that will enhance fundamental and applied research Research Network in Wales, seeking to address the challenges articulated in Smart in Advanced ‘Science for Wales’ and resulting in: Increased critical mass of Manufacturing Engineering and world class researchers through strategic collaboration; Greater Materials grant capture from competitive sources; Improved engagement with research users; More effective knowledge transfer and outreach activities
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Home to two sites at Aberporth and Llanbedr tailor-made for the aerospace and associated industries, the site comprises Snowdonia Smart dedicated Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) and Enterprise Zone Manufacturing Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) areas, and a business park dedicated to R&D technology and light industrial uses. Solvay centre of Cytec Engineered Materials Ltd (subsidiary of Solvay SA) supply excellence for composite materials for the commercial and military aerospace composites product markets. development Smart Wrexham is the main European technical and customer and application Manufacturing services centre for Cytec’s aerospace materials business. A research and £65m 7000 sq. m facility that will supply advanced adhesive engineering, materials to EU and Asia-Pacific largest OEM customers. Wrexham Manufacturing operations are centred around the production SONY Technology of market-leading Broadcast and Professional Cameras and Centre, Camera Systems Sony Technology Centre has developed a Smart Manufacturing reputation for manufacturing excellence, recognised through Manufacturing Centre of awards such as the receipt of four Queen’s Awards for Export, Excellence, Pencoed the Queen’s Award for the Environment, and the prestigious accolade of BFA Factory of the Year. Cardiff Airport and St Athan Enterprise Zone is a leading UK aerospace location, with three distinct sites, an abundance of technical skills and an on-site international airport, all within St Athan / Cardiff easy reach of the centre of Cardiff, London’s closest capital. The Smart Airport Enterprise Business Park is home to state-of-the-art workshops and hangars Manufacturing Zone which contribute to Wales’ 20% share of the UK’s MRO market. Amongst its residents, Aston Martin luxury car manufacturer will produce the new Aston Martin DBX as well as develop its electric and hybrid models. Hosting world class facilities in conceptual design, computer modelling, simulation and optimisation for industrial research and development in high growth areas to include: • Health, Biosciences and Nanotechnology for Medical Swansea Bay Solution Smart Innovation Hub • Low Carbon material development Manufacturing • Digital Economy Cluster in the development of hardware and wireless technologies. The £36 million investment is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. Port Talbot Steelworks is an integrated steel production plant Tata Steel Europe, Smart in S.Wales that produces circa 3.5 million tonnes of hot rolled Port Talbot Manufacturing and cold rolled steel coils and/or steel slab per annum The Panalpina Panalpina is one of the world's leading providers of supply Centre for chain solutions, including air Freight, ocean freight, and Smart Manufacturing and logistics. This centre is a joint industry-University initiative that Manufacturing Logistics Research, aims to achieve world-class research with impact in the fields of Cardiff University logistics and manufacturing management.
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Toyota has two manufacturing plants in the UK; the engine manufacturing plant is located at Deeside in North Wales Toyota Motor and employs over 500 members on a site covering 115 Manufacturing UK Smart acres/0.48 million sq m. As part of its commitment to Lean Manufacturing Manufacturing partnership working, Toyota has developed a virtual "Lean Centre, Deeside Manufacturing Centre" within the engine plant here to share its knowledge and approach to manufacturing The major research aim of the Group is to improve understanding of the gear distress phenomena of micropitting, scuffing and wear. This study is vitally important for a lot of Tribology and different materials and their uses in a range of machinery and Smart Contact Mechanics devices, at a range of scales. For example, the Group has Manufacturing Group specialised interest in larger scale contacts that occur in rolling element bearing and between the teeth of power transmission gears, as well as the tribology of nano devices. Prof Pwt Evans Tritech Engineering Tritech Engineering Solutions (Tritech Group) is the centre Solutions Centre of excellence for the manufacture of Precision Machined of Excellence for Components, supplying components on a global basis with all Smart the Manufacture of machining taking place at its site in Wrexham. Tritech are a Manufacturing Precision, Machined renowned supplier into Aerospace, Defence, Power Generation Components, and other specialist industries. Wrexham Manufacture, assemble, and test all aspects of Actuation & Triumph Actuations Control systems for the landing gear as used in the Aerospace Systems Specialist and Defence market. The centre of excellence is responsible for Smart Aerospace Centre the design and manufacture of electro mechanical actuation, Manufacturing of Excellence, electronic assembly and test and for hydraulic actuation Deeside assembly and test. TWI Technology Centre (Wales) specialises in the development and application of state-of-the-art non-destructive testing (NDT) methods. Through applied research and development in response to requests for assistance from member companies, provide real-world solutions to inspection challenges across a TWI Technology broad range of industries. These technologies are particularly Smart Centre, Port Talbot important for industry, where there is potential growth in sectors Manufacturing such as aerospace, petrochemical, road and rail transport, energy, and healthcare. Robust, cutting-edge inspection technologies are vital to underpin the structural integrity required to ensure that industry can provide safe, reliable and cost- effective products.
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The WCPC is one of the world’s leading centres for research and development of printing and coating processes with expertise in screen flexographic, lithographic, rotogravure, digital, pad printing and 3D printing processes. It is also Welsh Centre a world leader in the modelling of the print process, using Smart for Printing and techniques such as finite element, finite difference and statistical Manufacturing Coating (WCPC) and neural networks. In the field of printed electronics the WCPC has been recognised as one of only five centres of excellence for plastic electronics in the whole of the UK, a centre with unique knowledge and facilities for additive processing through printing. ZCCE Overview: Developing solutions to complex engineering problems via computational engineering, revolutionising the industrial engineering analysis practice from slow and Zienkiewicz Centre expensive experimental testing to efficient and cheap for Computational Smart computational modelling. Encompasses research groups: Engineering (ZCCE), Manufacturing Computational Solids, Structures and Coupled Systems group; Swansea University Computational Methods in Engineering; Computational Aerospace and Structures; Wales Institute of Mathematical and Computational Sciences; Advanced Manufacturing The £36m Active Building Centre will seek to remove barriers and accelerate market adoption of new solar-powered building design. Funded by the UK government through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and UKRI and based in Swansea University, it will be a national centre of excellence working with supply chains from energy and construction supported by Active Building ten universities: Swansea, Bath, Newcastle, Birmingham, Steel Innovation Centre (ABC) Loughborough, UCL, Sheffield, Cardiff, Imperial College London and Nottingham. The Active Building Centre’s vision is to transform the UK construction and energy sectors, through the deployment of Active buildings powered by the sun, creating energy resilient communities, and significantly contributing to electric vehicle and decarbonisation targets. AIM is an £9M EPSRC/Welsh Government funded integrated scientific imaging facility for Wales that can provide imaging and analytical capabilities across several length scales from Angstroms to centimetres. The Centre will provide a fully-coupled micro/nano-analysis Advanced Imaging workflow via a state-of-the-art advanced correlative imaging Steel Innovation of Materials (AIM) (combining different data sets across length scales) with capability in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Ion beam nanofabrication, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and micro and nano X-ray computed tomography (microCT).
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Facility for the characterisation of magnetic materials under a wide range of magnetisation and environmental conditions. Advanced Includes measurements of DC and AC magnetisation, Magnetic Materials magnetostriction, magnetoresistance, power loss, permeability Steel Innovation Characterisation and susceptibility under a wide range of applied stress and Facility temperature for application in energy, aerospace, vehicles, medicine and NDE. Dr Phillp Anderson ESRI consolidates on the long term strength of the University in petroleum and chemical processing particularly in terms of computational science and corrosion. ESRI is home to research carried out by BP, Tata and other industrial sponsors. It has a Swansea University truly International focus being a member of the Global Energy Energy Safety Safety Institute in Houston, an associate of the National Steel Innovation Research Institute Corrosion Research Centre at Texas A&M and sister to the (ESRI) Institute of the Energy and Environmental Systems Institute at Rice University. Hydrogen production, storage and combustion and other fuels. Fuels from other sources. Located at the Bay Campus, Swansea University (further details supplied in Annex Section E) Professor Andrew Barron. Expertise in Civil and Computational Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Materials and Mechanical Engineering as well as Printing and Coating activities (research into functional coatings Engineering for sheet steel products) and involve the co-location of academic Manufacturing Steel Innovation facilities with state of the art facilities available for SMEs. The Centre Centre is supported by £20 million investment funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government. Cardiff hosts one of the only gas turbine testing facilities in the world, with features that make it unique. In 2004, Cardiff University was selected by QinetiQ ahead of other UK consortia to take ownership of their large-scale gas turbine combustion research facility in Port Talbot. Only a Gas Turbine handful of academic research facilities in the world have the Steel Innovation Research Centre operational scale of the GTRC which enables novel research studies to be conducted into the functionality of new Gas Turbine (GT) combustion systems, components and fuels under elevated conditions of temperature and pressure, as would be experienced within a gas turbine engine during operation.
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Established in 1996, the award-winning Geoenvironmental Research Centre (GRC) is a pioneer in the field of geoenvironmental engineering providing vital research support in a new and emerging area of land-based environmental problems; and to directly translate its research for the benefit of industry. The types of project typically undertaken at the GRC include contaminated land clean-up technologies. Activities within the Geoenvironmental Research Park in Port Talbot include the development of innovative solutions for the clean up Geoenvironmental of contaminated land, and the creation of economically viable Steel Innovation Research Centre products from industrial waste and alternative materials, working with innovative SMEs in the Convergence region. The GRC’s Land Regeneration Network (LRN) is established as a leading Network in Wales for this sector, with over 1500 individual members drawn from over 1000 companies and organisations. Here in Wales, the Centre's work has shown how construction and blast furnace slag waste could be reused in earthworks construction; and developed a new technique to convert industrial wastes into cement substitutes, among other successes. Prof Hywel Thomas Cardiff University has secured £2.5 million to take forward affordable low carbon technologies in Wales. This investment is part of a £26 million, EU-backed five year project which Low Carbon Built is part of the SPECIFIC academic and industrial consortium: Steel Innovation Environment (LCBE) SPECIFIC ‘Buildings as Power Stations’ led by Swansea University. The Operation will run from 2015 until 2020 and includes;, BASF, NSG Pilkington, Tata Steel and a wide range of other business and academic partners. Prof Phil Jones Cardiff School of Engineering. Research in the internationally recognised Magnetics and Materials Research Group’s Wolfson Centre for Magnetics focuses on several areas related to the production, characterisation and application of magnetic materials. One of the projects the group is currently working on is the European project, THERELEXPRO, which deals with thermoelectric heat recovery from low temperature exhausts of steel processes. The research undertaken is in collaboration Magnetics and with leading steel manufacturers - CSM (Italy), BFI (Germany), Materials Research Steel Innovation Ferriere Nord (Italy) and AcelorMittal (Spain). The centre Group has also worked with Cogent and set up a spin out called Faultcurrent Limited. Other collaborators include European Thermodynamics. Limited and Exeger. It is a collaboration that goes back 30 years and there have been large numbers research projects on electrical steel processing, characterisation and applications. The collaboration encompasses sponsored PhDs and EngDs, large multinational consortia, sponsored academics and laboratory development.
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Building on the success of MeTAL, this £1.5m project supported by ESF will increase the skills level in industry focussing on the key growth area of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Sustainable MeTAL 2 (AM&M). This will be achieved through delivery of demand Energy led accredited STEM courses developed with industry to satisfy technical skills shortages. The Sustainable Building Envelope Demonstration (SBED) project Research projects is led by the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, with TATA Steel in partnership with Tata Steel. The project aims to design, include: Sustainable model, test, prototype and monitor low carbon building systems Sustainable Building Envelope incorporating transpired solar collectors (TSC) in eight ‘buildings Energy Demonstration in use’ in Convergence Areas of Wales. Building types (SBED) include residential, commercial (offices or retail), industrial and institutional (schools, hospitals, care homes). Prof Phil Jones The overall aim of the Sêr Cymru Solar team is to create a solar energy research centre to deliver world leading scientific research and to support the growth of new solar industry in Wales. The Sêr Cymru Solar team will work closely with the SPECIFIC project. SPECIFIC will use the pilot line facility to scale up research ideas to make and develop scalable solar Sustainable Sêr Solar applications with a view to creating clean, green high value Energy products of a global standard. This collaboration between academia, industry, research and students will progress the research from the laboratory bench to the factory floor and will pave the way for rapid commercialisation and the creation of a major UK industry. The focus is on research into printable Photo Voltaic functional coatings. Prof James Durrant The Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings (SPECIFIC), led by Swansea University with Tata Steel as the main industrial partner, aims to develop functional coated steel and glass products that will Sustainable SPECIFIC Project transform the roofs and walls of buildings into surfaces that will Energy generate, store and release energy. The key thematic areas of research include Photovoltaics, Battery Technology and Heating Coatings. Alternative sources of electrical energy generation (PV) and storage. Prof Dave Worsley. The University of South Wales' Sustainable Environment Research Centre (SERC) is a ground-breaking research centre Sustainable bringing together leaders from biology, engineering, chemistry, Sustainable Environment and physics in a single academic team combining their Energy Research Centre resources and skills in order to address major energy and environmental R&D challenges of the new millennium. Home to Swansea University’s long standing University Technology Centre and Research Institute with Rolls Royce which The Institute of utilises its model in the context of advanced materials through Sustainable Structural Materials Swansea Materials and Research testing SMaRT. The ISM Energy (ISM) building is part funded by the Welsh Government. Prof Martin Bache
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A major planned investment based in Swansea and supporting the strip-steel industry in Wales. Through a multi- partner collaboration including TATA Steel, UK Government, Welsh Government and Swansea University the centre will The Steel Sustainable establish an Open Innovation Research Centre to support Innovation Centre Energy the UK Steel Industry. It will support Tata Steel’s UK business R&D transformation to achieve competitive edge in the steel supply chain through process efficiency, product and service innovation. Prof Dave Worsley A combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in the Baglan Bay Energy Park is now generating 525MW. Claimed at the time to be the most advanced CCGT facility of its kind, Sustainable Baglan Energy Park Baglan Bay is a showcase for General Electric (GE) gas Energy turbines. The plant cost £300 million. It was built and is being operated by GE Power Systems. Boiling Water Reactor Research Bangor University, in partnership with Imperial College’s Centre Sustainable Forum and for Nuclear Engineering. Energy Network We aim to pave the way for a new generation of digital Building Research buildings that have lifelong resilience and adaptability to their Establishment environment, usage and occupancy. This will be made possible Sustainable (BRE) Trust Centre by smart materials and products, integrated design and Energy for Sustainable manufacturing systems, and total lifecycle approaches. Engineering
CIREGS was established in 2008 as a multidisciplinary Cardiff University engineering group with international expertise in both the Centre for generation and transmission of energy. It aims to meet the Integrated challenges of moving towards more extensive use of renewable Sustainable Renewable Energy energy resources. Research covers three main areas: Smart Energy Generation and Grid, Energy Infrastructure, and Power Electronics & HVDC. Supply (CIREGS) Cardiff is one of four National Grid centres in the UK, and also a member of the Power Academy. The Sustainable Places Research Institute focuses on making new connections in sustainability research, finding pragmatic, policy-led locally-based solutions for individual cities, regions Cardiff University and nations. It draws from six interlinked research programmes: Sustainable Sustainable Places Sustainable rural-urban communities, Co-evolving, interactive Energy Research Institute systems, Health, infrastructure and well-being, Food, land and security, Risk, place, identity and sustainability, and Cities and sustainable places.
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Cardiff University’s Research Institute in Energy Systems has been set up to tackle the global challenges that lie ahead in how we continue to generate, distribute and utilise energy. Collaboration and partnership with major energy businesses Cardiff University’s being a key strength. he Institute works with a number of major Sustainable Research Institute in and international collaborators, including Alston, Arup, Atkins, Energy Energy Systems BP, BRE, cogent, E-on, HSE, IET, Mott MacDonald, national grid, national instruments, Ricardo, rolls Royce, RWE, Siemens, SSE, Tata steel, BRISK EU Research Infrastructure Facility Network, Chongqing University, China-UK Low Carbon City, EU Smart City Regions, North China Electric Power. CREWE focuses on providing efficient, reliable heat and power Centre for Research generation, whilst moving towards a lower carbon economy. It into Energy, works towards mitigating the effects of carbon based heat and Sustainable Waste and the power generation, developing and improving the efficiency of Energy Environment renewable power sources, energy control management, as well (CREWE) as the application of new fuels and propulsion technologies for the transport sector, primarily automotive and aerospace. Dinorwig is the largest pumped storage hydro-electricity scheme Dinorwig Power of its kind in Europe. The station's six powerful generating Sustainable Station units stand in Europe's largest man-made cavern and can start Energy producing electricity in less than 16 seconds ESRI consolidates on the long term strength of the University in petroleum and chemical processing particularly in terms of computational science and corrosion. ESRI is home to research Energy Safety carried out by BP, Tata and other industrial sponsors. It has a Sustainable Research Institute truly International focus being a member of the Global Energy Energy (ESRI) Safety Institute in Houston, an associate of the National Corrosion Research Centre at Texas A&M and sister to the Institute of the Energy and Environmental Systems Institute at Rice University. Prof Andrew Barron. Ffestiniog was the UK's first major pumped storage power and Ffestiniog Power Sustainable has a combined output of 360MW of electricity - enough to Station Energy supply the entire power needs of North Wales for several hours. (£24m) – a new programme led by Cardiff University in partnership with Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Swansea University and the University of South Wales and focused on creating a world class energy systems research capability in Wales will see the institutions collaborate on a Flexible Integrated multi-disciplinary approach to solving the current and future Sustainable Systems (FLEXIS) energy challenges faced by Wales and countries across the Energy world. The programme will centre on a systems approach to energy generation and supply; research objects include decarbonisation, the creation of intelligent energy systems, and more efficient storage to cope with periods of peak demand, energy security and more cost effective energy solutions.
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The GTRC enables novel research studies to be conducted into the functionality of new Gas Turbine (GT) combustion systems, Gas Turbine Sustainable components and fuels under elevated conditions of temperature Research Centre Energy and pressure as would be experienced within a gas turbine engine during operation This includes world’s second largest offshore wind farm (Gwynt Gwynt y Môr y Môr) that has the potential to generate enough renewable Sustainable Offshore Wind energy to power the equivalent annual needs of approximately Energy Farm 400,000 households. The project will create a new industry in the region which will develop and build innovative energy technologies. These Homes as Power technologies will be applied to new and existing homes in the Sustainable Stations region and will allow them to produce, store and use their own Energy energy. This will make these homes more energy efficient and reduce energy costs. Located in Baglan Energy Park, the Hydrogen Centre provides a platform for the experimental development of renewable Hydrogen Centre hydrogen production and novel hydrogen energy storage. The Sustainable (USW) centre enables further research and development of hydrogen Energy vehicles, fuel cell applications and overall hydrogen energy systems. The Power Academy is a unique partnership between industry and academia, established to address the looming skills Sustainable IET Power Academy shortage in power engineering through a combination of Energy financial support and workplace mentoring for students. Research in the Advanced High Voltage Engineering Research National Grid Centre (AHIVE) focuses on systems and phenomena related Advanced to very high voltage electricity. With millions of homes and Sustainable High Voltage businesses relying on the National Grid, engineering research Energy Engineering in high voltage electrical energy systems is very important in Research Centre protecting from surges, preventing blackouts and ensuring safety and efficiency from the grid across the UK. The Deeside Project will be the first in Europe where assets National Grid Sustainable associated with electricity networks can be tested off-grid, 24 Deeside Project Energy hours, seven days a week. The Sêr Cymru National Research Network for Low Carbon, Energy and Environment (NRN-LCEE) is a major pan-Wales initiative funded by the Welsh Government Sêr Cymru initiative and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. The National Research Network supports collaborative and interdisciplinary research in Network Low Wales into the interactions between land, water, the provision Sustainable Carbon Energy and of food and energy production, at different spatial scales across Energy Environment air-land-water systems. The NRN-LCEE is a pan-Wales initiative comprised of partners from Bangor, Aberystwyth, Cardiff, South Wales and Swansea Universities, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at Bangor, the British Geological Survey Wales, and the UK Met Office.
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Nuclear/ABWR Sêr Cymru/WG Bangor Energy Institute partnered with Sustainable Modelling and Horizon, Hitachi and Imperial (Bangor) Energy Materials The Pembroke Dock Marine project will regenerate an area Pembroke Dock of Pembroke Dock to create a dedicated site which will be Sustainable Marine used as a base by marine energy developers to progress their Energy devices from an idea to a commercial product. With the potential to generate enough renewable energy to power the equivalent annual needs of approximately 400,000 Pen y Cymoedd Sustainable households. The facility also includes a 22MW battery storage Wind Form Energy system which aims to make the most efficient use of existing renewable and grid infrastructure The RICE initiative, led by the Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at Swansea University in partnership with the Sustainable Reduced Industrial Energy Research Centre (SERC) team at the University of South Sustainable Carbon Emissions Wales, will draw on world-class expertise to reduce carbon Energy (RICE) dioxide emissions from large and heavy equipment and facilities, and help drive a stronger and greener economy. Located in Baglan Energy Park, the University of South Wales' Renewable Hydrogen Centre provides a platform for the experimental Hydrogen Research development of renewable hydrogen production and novel Sustainable and Demonstration hydrogen energy storage. The centre enables further research Energy Centre and development of hydrogen vehicles, fuel cell applications and overall hydrogen energy systems. Wales branch of RenewableUK, and represent 33 companies RenewableUK Sustainable from across Wales in the renewable energy, smart energy and Cymru Energy storage technologies sectors. Led by Bangor University in partnership with Swansea and SEACAMS 2 Aberystwyth, the focus is to develop innovative change in the (Sustainable marine/coastal Low Carbon Economy of Wales, SEACAMS Expansion of the 2 will boost investment in renewable energy and sustainable Sustainable Applied Coastal resource sectors by facilitating the translation of research to Energy and Marine business activity, meeting burgeoning demand for coordinated Sectors) information, data and modelling of coastal/marine processes. This £17.1 m project is part financed by the ERDF. Shotwick Park in Flintshire is home to the UK’s largest solar PV Sustainable Shotwick Park project at 72.2MW which was developed in conjunction with Energy We-Link Energy & Compton Group.
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Experts from Cardiff University have designed and built the UK’s first purpose-built, low-cost energy smart house, capable of exporting more energy to the national electricity grid than it uses. The house, designed by Professor Phil Jones and his team based at the Welsh School of Architecture, has been built as a prototype to meet tough targets for zero carbon housing set by Sustainable SOLCER House UK Government. Energy Designed and constructed as part of the Wales Low Carbon Research Institute’s (LCRI) SOLCER project, and supported by SPECIFIC at Swansea University, its unique design combines for the first time reduced energy demand, renewable energy supply and energy storage to create an energy positive house. "The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s largest energy port. With a strategically important deep water site on the UK's west coast, the Port continues to support the oil and gas industries with infrastructure and services. The region's extensive, highly skilled engineering and fabrication supply chain is also superbly The Port of Milford Sustainable equipped to keep this vital hub operating effectively. This Haven Energy experience is increasingly being accessed by the emergent marine energy industry. In Pembrokeshire, it combines with doorstep access to prime marine energy sites, government support and access to funding to establish an exceptionally attractive site for device developers. The Understanding Risk group is an interdisciplinary social sciences (psychology, sociology and technology studies, geography) research unit focusing on the impacts upon individuals and communities, and acceptability to people, of Understanding Risk environmental and technological risk within everyday life. We Sustainable Research Group have expertise in: the psychology of climate change; public Energy attitudes towards and acceptability of energy supply systems; sustainable behaviour change and energy demand reduction; social conflicts and sitting of large scale energy technologies; risk perception, communication and public engagement. Working with BIC innovation, and supported by £1.9, EU funding, Future Foods will provide expertise in food science Future Foods and technology, plus nutrition research that is world class. It will work with Welsh based businesses to develop new products for UK and international markets.
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ANNEX G: SIA CONTRIBUTORS
Theme/Project Name Position Organisation Sector SIA Role group Materials Chief Technology Alan Scholes Processing Industry Steel Innovation Consultee Officer Institute Impact and Engagement Officer Swansea Industry Abi Lewis - Engineering HE Cross Theme University Engagement and School of Management Head of the Professor Alan Sustainable University of Consultee/ HE Sustainable Energy Guwy Environment Research South Wales Contributor Centre (SERC) Professor Alison Director Research Aberystwyth HE Agri-Food-Tech Theme Lead Kingston-Smith IBERS University Dr Amanda Head of Research Deputy Project Cardiff University HE Project Board Roberts-Jones Development Board Member Director The Energy Safety Research Professor Institute (ESRI) and Sêr Swansea Consultee/ HE Sustainable Energy Andrew Barron Cymru Chair of Low University Contributor Carbon Energy and Environment Dr Andrew Research Development Cardiff University HE Health Innovation Lead Theme Author Staphnill Officer External Engagement Andrew Swansea Manager, Steel and HE Steel Innovation Contributor Dunsmore University Metals Institute ASTUTE 2020 and Dr Anke Swansea Smart Consultee/ IMPACT Operations HE Heuberger University Manufacturing Contributor Manager Project Innovation Project Project Audra Smith Cardiff University HE Mobilisation/ Development Officer Management Team Support Swansea Project SIA Project Ben Bond Project Manager HE University Management Team Manager Swansea Consultee/ Beverley Guess Impact Manager HE Cross Theme University Contributor Director of the Steel Swansea Consultee/ Brian Edy HE Steel Innovation and Metals Institute University Contributor Dr Cameron Associate Professor, Swansea HE Steel Innovation Contributor Pleydell-Pearce College of Engineering University Professor Carlos Chair in Aquatic Swansea Thematic Garcia De HE Agri-Food-Tech Biosciences University Representation Leaniz
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Director - Research, Swansea Project Board Ceri Jones Engagement and HE Project Board University Chair Innovation Services Dr Chenguang Senior Lecturer in Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Yang Engineering University Manufacturing Contributor Soil Machine Chief Technology Dynamics Ltd Smart Consultee/ Chris Wilkinson Officer; Visiting Industry & University of Manufacturing Contributor Professor Strathclyde The University of Dr Chris Dodds Associate Professor HE Steel Innovation Consultee Nottingham Pro Vice-Chancellor- Professor Chris Research, Knowledge Aberystwyth Executive Sponsor Executive Sponsor HE Thomas Exchange and University Group Group Member Innovation Dr Christina Aberystwyth Consultee/ Reader HE Agri-Food-Tech Marley University Contributor Dr Cinzia Senior Lecturer in Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Giannetti Engineering University Manufacturing Contributor WMG, The Professor Claire RAEng / Tata Steel Consultee/ University of HE Steel Innovation Davis Chair Contributor Warwick Vice President Professor David Swansea (Innovation), Academic HE Steel Innovation Theme Lead Worsley University Lead of SaMI Welsh Life Dr David Owen Consultee/ Chair Science Bridging Industry Health Innovation OBE Contributor Fund Professor David Swansea Consultee/ Professor of Economics HE Cross Theme Blackaby University Contributor Director Research & Dr David Project Board Innovation Services Cardiff University HE Project Board Bembo Member
Dr Dimitrios Senior Fund Swansea Smart HE Lead Theme Author Pletsas Development Officer University Manufacturing Project Consortium Donald Ross Managing Consultant SQW Consultancy Management Team Consultants Consultee/ Duncan Sinclair Agricultural Manager Waitrose Industry Agri-Food-Tech Contributor University of Advertising and Brand Eleanor Bond Wales Trinity St HE Design Logo Design Design Student David Project Commercial Project Dr Eryl Francis Cardiff University HE Mobilisation/ Development Manager Management Team Support Senior Executive, Vice- Swansea Consultee/ Dr Fiona Harris HE Steel Innovation Chancellor's Office University Contributor Siemens Siemens Vice President & Consultee/ Dr Fraser Logue Healthcare Industry Health Innovation Managing Director Contributor Diagnostics
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Consultee/ Gareth Davies Head of Agriculture Wynnstay Plc Industry Agri-Food-Tech Contributor Dr Gareth College of Human and Swansea Consultee/ HE Health Innovation Davies Health Sciences University Contributor Director of the Project Board Dr Garry Reid Research and Bangor University HE Project Board Member Enterprise Office Dr Gavin Associate Professor Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Bunting Engineering University Manufacturing Contributor Professor Geoff Director of Knowledge Swansea Consultee/ HE Agri-Food-Tech Proffitt Economy, Biosciences University Contributor Director of Professional Smart Consultee/ Gerald Kelly Services at Sony UK Sony Industry Manufacturing Contributor Technology Centre Direct Health Consultee/ Graham Ewart Managing Director Industry Health Innovation Care Group Contributor Consultee/ Gwyn Tudor CEO MediWales Industry Health Innovation Contributor Director and Consultee/ Heather Pitcher AA International Industry Agri-Food-Tech Programmes Officer Contributor Senior Pro-Vice- Professor Hilary Chancellor - Research Swansea Executive Sponsor Executive Sponsor Lappin-Scott HE and Innovation and University Group Group Chair OBE Strategic Development Dr Hollie Lecturer College of Swansea HE Steel Innovation Lead Theme Author Cockings Engineering University Dr Hywel Research Development Cardiff University HE Sustainable Energy Lead Theme Author Edwards Manager Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Hywel Executive Sponsor Research, Innovation Cardiff University HE Sustainable Energy Thomas Group Member and Engagement Professor Ian Chair in Marine Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Masters Renewable Energy University Manufacturing Contributor Professor Ian Dean of Clinical Consultee/ Cardiff University HE Health Innovation Weeks Innovation Contributor SIA and SM Smart Foreword/ James Davies Executive Chair Industry Wales Industry Manufacturing Consultee/ Contributor Dr James Consultee/ Executive Director Indoor Biotech Industry Health Innovation Hindley Contributor Deputy Director of Dr Jennifer Aberystwyth Project Board Research Business and HE Agri-Food-Tech Deaville University Member Innovation Reader, Director of Dr Joe Aberystwyth Consultee/ Knowledge Exchange HE Agri-Food-Tech Gallagher University Contributor and Commercialisation Deputy Head of Professor College – Engineering, Swansea Smart HE Theme Lead Johann Sienz Director of Innovation University Manufacturing & Engagement
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Director of Aberystwyth Consultee/ Dr Jon Moorby International Research HE Agri-Food-Tech University Contributor IBERS Jonathan Consultee/ Managing Director Pennotec Industry Agri-Food-Tech Hughes Contributor Associate Director Swansea Project Deputy Project Julie Williams and Head of Research HE University Management Team Board Member Development Impact and Swansea Industry Kate Spiller Engagement Officer - HE Cross Theme University Engagement Arts, Humanities & Law Professor Keith Dean of Clinical Consultee/ Cardiff University HE Health Innovation Harding Innovation Contributor Strategic Development Swansea Thematic Ken Blackie HE Steel Innovation Manager University Representation Programme Manager: Swansea Project SIA Lead Author & Lisa Boat HE Strategic Development University Management Team Editor Project Consortium Luke Delahunty Director SQW Consultancy Management Team Consultants Group Manager Community Regeneration and Ceredigion Consultee/ M C Shaw Policy Agri-Food-Tech European, Mid Wales County Council Contributor Regional Engagement Team Carmarthenshire Consultee/ Mark James Chief Executive Policy Steel Innovation County Council Contributor Sexton Materials Mark Sexton Director Industry Steel Innovation Contributor Research Ltd Dr Martin Powder Group Director Sandvik Osprey Industry Steel Innovation Consultee Kearns IBERS Distance IBERS Distance Consultee/ Martine Spittle HE Agri-Food-Tech Learning Manager Learning Contributor Professor Matt Head of College – Swansea Digital HE Theme Lead Jones Science University Technologies Senior Research/ Dr Matthew Swansea Digital Development Officer – HE Lead Theme Author Roach University Technologies Computer Science Professor Chair in Aerospace Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Michael Friswell Structures University Manufacturing Contributor Professor in Logistics Professor Smart Consultee/ and Operations Cardiff University HE Mohamed Naim Manufacturing Contributor Management Leader of the Energy Professor Nick Consultee/ Theme in the School of Cardiff University HE Sustainable Energy Jenkins Contributor Engineering Head of Commercial Project Consultee/ Nick Bourne Development & Deputy Cardiff University HE Management Team Contributor Head of RIS Castell Howell Consultee/ Nigel Williams Finance Director Industry Agri-Food-Tech Foods Contributor
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Professor Oubay Personal Chair in Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Hassan Engineering University Manufacturing Contributor Consultee/ Paul Billings Managing Director Germinal Industry Agri-Food-Tech Contributor Director of Post Professor Paul Aberystwyth Consultee/ Graduate Studies HE Agri-Food-Tech Shaw University Contributor IBERS Project Reviewer/ Paul Jeffrey Associate Technopolis Consultancy Management Team Consultee Senior Lecturer - Smart Thematic Paul Prickett Cardiff University HE Engineering Manufacturing Representation Sêr Cymru Research Professor Paul Swansea Smart Consultee/ Chair in Sustainable HE Meredith University Manufacturing Contributor Advanced Materials Professor Personal Chair in Swansea Smart Consultee/ Perumal HE Engineering University Manufacturing Contributor Nithiarasu Swansea Bay Carmarthenshire Smart Consultee/ Peter Austin City Deal Business Policy County Council Manufacturing Contributor Engagement Manager Head of Business Consultee/ Dr Peter Corish Development/ BBI Group Industry Health Innovation Contributor Innovations Director of Cardiff Professor Philip University's Gas Consultee/ Cardiff University HE Sustainable Energy Bowen Turbine Research Contributor Centre Dr Philip Senior Lecturer, School Thematic Cardiff University HE Steel Innovation Anderson of Engineering Representation Mr Phillip Associate Director TWI Ltd. Industry Steel Innovation Consultee Wallace Associate Director of Velindre NHS Consultee/ Dr Philip Webb Planning, Performance Industry Health Innovation University Trust Contributor and Innovation Dr Rajesh Associate Professor in Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Ransing Engineering University Manufacturing Contributor Institute Director of Research Department Professor Reyer of Computer Science Aberystwyth Digital Thematic HE Zwiggelaar Head of the Graduate University Technologies Representation School (Graduate Centre ) Aberystwyth Dr Rhian Innovation Industrial Theme Chief Executive Officer Industry Agri-Food-Tech Hayward and Enterprise Lead Campus Ltd Rhian Melita Impact and Swansea Industry HE Cross Theme Morris Engagement Officer University Engagement Head of Innovation Smart Consultee/ Rhys Thomas Cardiff University HE System Manufacturing Contributor
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Impact and Swansea Industry Dr Ria Chapman Engagement Officer - HE Cross Theme University Engagement Life Sciences Dr Richard University of Consultee/ Lecturer in Steelmaking HE Steel Innovation Thackray Sheffield Contributor Professor Swansea Consultee/ Vice Chancellor HE Steel Innovation Richard Davies University Contributor Consultee/ Robert Nash CEO PhytoQuest Industry Agri-Food-Tech Contributor Coach at Schaeffler Roger Evans Smart Consultee/ UK Ltd. Advisory Schaeffler UK Ltd Industry MBE Manufacturing Contributor Board Tidal Lagoon College Dean of Research Professor of Collective Professor Roger Digital Thematic Intelligence Cardiff University HE Whitaker Technologies Representation School of Computer Science and Informatics Professor Sam Head of Engineering Consultee/ Cardiff University HE Steel Innovation Evans Cardiff University Contributor Dr Siân Stapledon IRC Project Aberystwyth HE Agri-Food-Tech Lead Theme Author MacKintosh Officer University Consultee/ Mr Steph Curtis Managing Director Wall Colmonoy Industry Steel Innovation Contributor Professor Head of College of Swansea HE Steel Innovation Consultee Stephen Brown Engineering University Professor Steve Personal Chair in Swansea Smart Consultee/ HE Brown Engineering University Manufacturing Contributor Consultee/ Stuart Gall Chief Executive Officer Medaphor Industry Health Innovation Contributor Professor of Professor Terry Environmental Policy Thematic Cardiff University HE Agri-Food-Tech Marsden and Planning; Director Representation of PLACE Professor Chair in Bacteriology Swansea Thematic Thomas HE Agri-Food-Tech and Food Safety University Representation Humphrey Director of Food Food and & Farming Futures, Farming Futures, Thematic Tim Williams Industry, HE Agri-Food-Tech Research Fund Aberystwyth Representation Development Manager University Swansea Smart Consultee/ Dr Will Harrison Lecturer in Engineering HE University Manufacturing Contributor
Compound Dr Wyn Smart Consultee/ Director Semiconductor RTO Meredith Manufacturing Contributor Centre
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Farmer, Member of the Lords Rural Economy Lord Curry of Food and Consultee/ Committee and Industry Agri-Food-Tech Kirkharle Farming Futures Contributor Chairman of Food and Farming Futures
This list is not exhaustive. Over 170 people have been involved in our Science and Innovation Audit and we are very grateful for this contribution.
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