WELSH ACHIEVEMENTS

[ IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING ] ‘Our vision in Wales is of a learning country, where highly- skilled and highly-qualified people are employed in high- technology, high added-value companies.’ Professor John Harries, first chief scientific adviser for Wales, speaking in 2011 at the Welsh universities collaboration, research knowledge and expertise programme – Welsh Crucible.

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Print ISBN 978 1 4734 0171 6 Printed on recycled paper Digital ISBN 978 1 4734 0169 3 WG16613 / G/MH/4578 / 0813 © Crown copyright 2013 2 On a global scale Wales is a small, but smart country, in which every opportunity has been taken to optimise resources, designs and processes. Shaped by landscape and culture it made its mark on the world through the maximisation of the great natural mineral wealth found here. Wales continues to make its mark through in-depth scientific and technical understanding and commercial innovation. From the past to the present an impressive list of achievements, many of which are the first of their kind in the world, have given Wales a great momentum for the future.

CONTENTS 02 Foreword 05 Bioscience and Health 13 The Built Environment 20 Telecommunications and ICT 26 Creative Industries 35 Energy 41 Engineering 45 Environmental Sciences 50 Materials 56 Transport 64 People 74 Milestones 86 Conclusion

1 The modern world is increasingly made up of the products of the application of science, technology and engineering.

Wales and the contribution Wales may not have hosted of the Welsh people in any of the ‘big science’ projects the feld of discovery and of modern times, from the invention has underpinned wartime Manhattan Project many such applications – the to the CERN Large Hadron theory of natural selection, Collider but it has played a the early development of signifcant part in both. The crystallography, the discovery top secret Valley Works at of free radicals and meson Rhydymwyn in Clwyd, originally decay through to inventions of established to produce mustard world-wide signifcance – the gas, began conducting research steam railway locomotive, the for Britain's atomic bomb fuel cell and the microphone. project in 1941. Scientists More recently ground-breaking working there before work research into embryonic stem was assigned to the Manhattan cells is underway and the Project in the USA included work undertaken by Welsh Rudolf Peierls and Klaus Fuchs. computer scientists ranged Fast forward some sixty years from the technology necessary and we fnd Aberdare born to underpin the World Wide Dr Lyn Evans project leading Web to developments in the commissioning work for the operating systems for the Large Hadron Collider touchscreen smartphones and a team under Professor and tablet computers. Mike Charlton of Swansea University working on the ALPHA experiment at CERN. To foster and continue this scientifc tradition the Welsh Government has invested

FOREWORD 2 £50 million in the Ser Cymru of such order. Inspiration (Stars Wales) programme. and innovation often travel This will build on Wales’s together and environments established track record in the that stimulate, encourage and ‘Grand Challenges’ of: recognise good ideas, can only bring economic benefts. l Life sciences and health; The Welsh Government lays l Low carbon, energy and great stress on the value of environment and innovation in maintaining l Advanced engineering and improving the prospects and materials of Welsh companies for growth, as recognized in the From ‘big science’ to everyday Innovation Wales Strategy. In science the role of innovation is Wales a range of initiatives, crucial. competitions and activities Innovation knows no are in place to encourage boundaries. The thought innovation from primary to processes which lead to ‘new’ tertiary education and industry. ideas can come from anyone Outputs have already been and whilst research and translated into viable economic development is structured projects. Welsh universities to progress logically towards form part of the world-leading innovative processes and science base of Britain, which products, the ‘Eureka’ is second only to the USA in its moment does not necessarily share of global citations. come about as the result

3 Most innovations bring about As this publication incremental changes to an demonstrates, Wales has existing process or product. It an enviable track record for is comparatively rare for the incremental and step changes major step changes to occur resulting from the application but when they do, they can of innovative ideas. Initiatives truly bring about a revolution are in place at all levels to in our standards of living and encourage individuals and quality of life. We cannot all organisations to engage in recognise the double helix of lateral thinking to develop DNA for the frst time nor bring and commercialise their microwave technology into ideas. Humans are naturally the home but we can all come curious and by creating an up with ideas for improving environment that encourages everyday life. that curiosity, Wales is already feeling the economic benefts. In an international study, Thomson Reuters ranked The following pages Wales among the world’s include past and current top 20 countries in terms of accomplishments and also citations per scientifc paper, some that could be said to be whilst other research shows the ‘just on the horizon’ in terms number of articles authored by of realisation. Wales based researchers has grown at a rate outpacing the Watch this space... UK and world averages.

Wales has an enviable track record.

4 BIOSCIENCES AND HEALTH

The Welsh Life Sciences Fund is one of the biggest per capita commitments made by any country into a fund of this type.

Nuclei of Endothelial Cells Courtesy of Cardiff Metropolitan University 5 Morvus Technology, established in 2007 to develop anti-cancer drugs, has embarked on collaborative ventures with Cardiff University School of Medicine in the development of diagnostic tests.

The Bioscience and Health sector is an important one in Wales. It is home to one of the UK’s most well established bioscience clusters with its longstanding reputation for scientifc and academic excellence, over 250 companies choosing Wales as their base.

With increasing demands are engaged in work that and expectations for further may lead to life-style and improvements in healthcare, pharmacological interventions market opportunities have to slow down the development encouraged numerous spin- of aging-related vascular outs to emerge from the pathologies. The group has university sector where closer discovered that one of the links between the various mammalian proteins called disciplines such as medicine, Sirtuins protects cells that biosciences, electronics, form the inner lining of blood chemistry and computer science vessels. are producing world-class The team led by Professor Ole developments. Petersen at Cardiff University’s Led by Professor Jorge D. School of Biosciences has Erusalimsky, the Cellular discovered a protein that could Senescence and Vascular lead to new treatments to Biology Group at Cardiff reduce the risk of pancreatic Metropolitan University cancer.

6 Powys based Alzeim Ltd are the University of Wales College extracting a natural chemical of Medicine – UWCM) and called galantamine from indigenous companies in the daffodils which slows the sector. In addition, Wales also progress of Alzheimer’s disease. boasts a strong and stable skills base, purpose built Telemedicine diagnosis infrastructure and a frm programmes for commitment to the sector by ophthalmology, such as the Welsh Government. retinopathy screening, have been pioneered in rural Wales The development of new as a pilot along with parts of drugs, the way in which they Canada, Australia and India. can be delivered to the active sites in the body and their The diagnosis of adverse health mode of action are major conditions has benefted research areas at the Welsh greatly from the convergence School of Pharmacy. Small of different scientifc disciplines molecules and much larger Increasing miniaturisation of polymer-based molecules are test equipment now enables being devised and evaluated to self-testing kits and telemetric combat diseases such as cancer, systems to convey results to the viral and bacterial infections surgery and hospital without and tropical diseases. the patient having to attend in person. The Wound Healing Research Unit at Cardiff University Many diagnostic tests are being was the frst in the world to developed and manufactured specialise in this subject and in Wales to detect, for example, fve Schools in the University diabetes, osteoporosis, are also combining in the thyroid disorders, anaemia Cardiff Institute of Tissue and infectious diseases. The Engineering and Repair (CITER) continued success of the for the early application of sector has been built upon research results into clinical the links between renowned practice. academic institutes such as Cardiff University (including

7 At the more fundamental Hair samples are being level, the Institute of Medical used to identify historical Genetics has contributed to the exposure to drugs in maintenance of the Human humans in an analytical Gene Mutation Database service developed by at Cardiff Wales Gene Park, Concateno Tricho Tech putting Wales at the forefront of Cardiff, the longest of genetics research. established laboratory providing hair strand testing in the UK.

Greenbottle house fly maggots bred by BioMonde of Bridgend, are being used very successfully in the UK and Europe to treat ulcers. An application that offers much promise in the treatment of wounds infected by MRSA.

8 Antidotes for snake and scorpion bites are among antisera produced from sheep, goats, donkeys and hens by MicroPharm based in Newcastle Emlyn which has also been working with Swansea University to put live anti-bodies into ink form which could revolutionise tests for a range of health conditions.

9 l Scientists based at the latest brain scanning NanoHealth Centre part of technologies in order the Institute of Life Science to pioneer advanced (ILS), at Swansea University techniques capable of have made signifcant steps mapping the structure and forward in osteoarthritis function of the healthy research. and impaired brain and is leading the way forward l Cardiff University’s in research on the brain’s chancellor, the Nobel white matter – as opposed laureate, Professor Sir to grey matter. Martin Evans, has been joined by the German l Bangor University was Nobel laureate, Professor the frst in the world Robert Huber, who leads to study the timing of the development of chemical changes in structural biology at the the brain related to its university. function by combining electroencephalography l Researchers at Cardiff (EEG) and mass resonance University have developed spectroscopy (MRS). an analytical tool using chemiluminescence and l Rapid and reliable revolutionising biomedical detection of food- research and clinical poisoning bacteria has diagnosis. been achieved using Picosorb’s magnetic bead l The protocol for the technology developed controlled trials of drugs in their north Wales devised by Professor Archie laboratories. Cochrane at Cardiff was to become the world-wide l Over 25,000 postmortem standard procedure in drug examinations were carried evaluation. out by Gower born Sir Bernard Knight, one of the l Cardiff University’s Brain world’s leading forensic Research Imaging Centre pathologists. (CUBRIC) combines the

10 Ultra-sensitive drug tests devised at Swansea University using combined mass- spectrometry and chromatography are greatly assisting sports administrators in combating drug abuse.

11 l Life science is a fertile area l Professor Mark Baird's for academic interaction research team in Bangor and technology transfer are the frst to prepare with a world class research in the laboratory a set of hub being established key molecules present in at Swansea University. TB cells, work which will A unique collaboration open up new methods here with IBM at the for detecting the disease Institute of Life Sciences and enhance world- (ILS) provides a platform wide efforts to improve for computational the management of biology dedicated to life tuberculosis in populations science research using the high in HIV/AIDS and TB. supercomputer – Blue C. l Facial structure rebuilding following extensive surgery has greatly benefted from the use of rapid prototyping techniques by Cardiff Metropolitan University to construct a 3D model based on CT and MR scan information.

The assessment of cardiovascular disease and foetal heart monitoring has been greatly improved using Doppler ultrasound equipment developed and manufactured in Cardiff by world leaders Huntleigh Diagnostics (now part of ArjoHuntleigh).

12 THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

The largest single span glasshouse in the world was designed by Lord Norman Foster and partners for the National Botanic Garden of Wales at Llanarthne.

13 Superimpose centuries of human activity on a country bounded on three sides by the sea, on a topography laden with mountains, hills and river valleys all receiving high rainfall and you have a recipe for the need to build many bridges and aqueducts for roads, railways and canals. Combine this with a complex geology, host to a wide variety of rock types suitable for building stone and there is a recipe for a fascinating mix of structures in the built environment.

Taking the Newtown and The task of crossing rivers Machynlleth Railway across and estuaries has preoccupied the Cambrian mountains and engineers in Wales for through the rugged outcrop centuries and some of the of Talerddig resulted in the major innovations in design deepest railway cutting in and the use of materials have the world with a depth of been incorporated in bridges. 37 metres. Opened in 1862 it carried the line over the highest part of its route some 211 metres above sea level. The highest dam in the UK is Llyn Brianne, completed in 1973 to supply water to Swansea. 14 From the early use of stone and with many opportunities to cast-iron to the fne lines of express new concepts for the cable stayed structures, Wales built environment, reflected in has been at the forefront examples such as the Senedd of bridge construction. In building in Cardiff Bay and the particular the severe weather National Waterfront Museum conditions encountered in at Swansea. the Severn Estuary presented The increasing use of tensile challenges for both design fabric clad buildings has been and materials of construction, led by Architen Landrell, of challenges successfully Chepstow. Associated with the overcome by the two graceful Millennium Dome the company road crossings so essential to developed an acoustic liner for the economic well-being of the Skyscape building as part Wales. of the Millennium celebrations. With an abundance of natural More recently the company building stone, the man-made provided the tensile fabric landscape in Wales has great cladding for the London 2012 variety. The use of dressed Aquatics Centre, using some local stone has given many 20,000 square metres of fabric. terraced-house communities Architen Landrell’s technology in the mining valleys a unique in this feld has been called character and the abundance upon to provide the explorers, of high quality slate extracted scientists and scientifc from the north-west quarries equipment of Sir Ranulph graces not only local buildings Fiennes Antarctic Expedition but also many world-wide. The with a ‘lifesaving’ insulated use of indigenous materials is zone for their attempt to be a tradition continued with the the frst to cross Antarctica and Wales Millennium Centre in reach the South Pole during Cardiff and many of the Tourist winter. Information Centre buildings. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay and the Swansea dock areas is providing architects

15 George Street Bridge across the Usk at Newport was one of the frst cable-stayed bridges built in the UK.

Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge of 1826 was the world’s frst large scale road crossing by an iron suspension bridge.

The highly innovative streamlined box- girder units for the deck of the frst Severn Crossing suspension bridge were fabricated at Fairfeld Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd, now Mabey Bridge Ltd, in Chepstow.

16 The Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff combines slate, timber, glass and stainless steel to reflect the natural and man-made resources of Wales in an award winning structure. The inscription on the front of the centre is actually two separate messages, and the English reads ‘In These Stones Horizons Sing’ whilst the Welsh translates as ‘Creating truth like glass from the furnace of inspiration’.

17 The frst building to exploit the technique of reinforced concrete in Britain was the multi- storey Weaver’s Mill l The pioneering design of 1897 in Swansea. by Richard Rogers for the Inmos factory at Newport in 1982 exposes the services and structural members on the outside leaving the inner space free of detail. l The canal age’s greatest l The oldest surviving iron monument to iron railway bridge, dating back is Thomas Telford’s to 1793, can be found at Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Pontycafnau in Merthyr which carries a cast-iron Tydfl. trough, 300 metres long, l Robert Stephenson across the Dee Valley on developed, in conjunction stone piers 40 metres with others, the box-girder above the river in 1805. bridge in order to cross It is now the centrepiece the Menai Straits. The of a World Heritage Site. frst wrought-iron tubular l The Severn Tunnel was the bridge to this design was longest railway tunnel in built at Conwy in 1848 and the UK for over 100 years, still stands today. being completed under the Severn Estuary in 1885. At 7.2km long it represented ‘the ultimate in the engineer’s fght against adversity’.

18 One of the largest maritime civil engineering projects in Europe was the Cardiff Bay Barrage built to create a permanent fresh water lagoon and flood relief provision. Constructed from 1994 to 2000 it has received a number of awards including the Concrete Society Awards 2001-2002 winner for ‘Outstanding Structures’.

19 TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND ICT

From Marconi to microwaves, crossing the Bristol Channel has presented a challenge for the new forms of communication, in 1946 the Post Offce made the frst experimental microwave television transmission from Newport across this natural obstacle.

20 Since the early days of the primary inventions of the microphone and printing telegraph by David Hughes, Wales has been closely involved with the communications revolution. From the initial transfer of signals along a copper wire, through the ability to send a signal over the air to the onset of the electronics age and the evolution of fbre optics and digital communication, Wales has made major contributions to man’s ability to communicate.

Researchers at Welsh Computer scientist Alan universities can access High Cox of Swansea University Performance Computing (HPC) was responsible for one of Wales, a £40million fve-year the frst Linux installations project and Fujitsu’s largest on a busy computer supercomputing project with network and contributed 190 teraflops of reliable and to the development of the secure processing power whole kernel, which led to available. developments such as the Android operating system.

The internet search engines Google and Yahoo! were developed with funding from Welsh born Michael Moritz.

21 Wales has been instrumental In the second world war a in a number of basic reliable system of airborne communications technologies radar was developed in 1940 by including the microphone, the Edward Bowen from Swansea. telegraph, radio transmission, The 'Superfast Cymru' airborne radar, microwave programme is being rolled- television transmission out to deliver high speed fbre and packet-switched data broadband to 96% of homes communication as the and businesses in Wales by the precursor of the Internet. end of 2015 and represents one Industrial and academic of the largest partnerships of investments are maintaining its kind currently in the UK. Wales’ presence at the forefront of communications technology. OpTIC Glyndwr,^ a subsidiary of Glyndwr^ University, is playing a major role in the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) project set to revolutionise optical astronomy.

Web design company S8080 based in Swansea have had several high profle commissions including the design of Number10.gov.uk.

22 The development of the Internet followed on the pioneering work on packet- switched data communication by Donald Davies of Treorchy at the National Physical Laboratory in the 1960s.

One of Europe’s most advanced Confused.com, based in Cardiff, data centre environments is Gocompare.com in Newport underpinned by BT in Cardiff and Moneysupermarket.com in Bay which has fostered the Ewloe, Flintshire, are also well growth of digital commerce represented. companies. Comparison websites such as the UK’s frst car insurance comparison site, 23 l The frst airborne radio telephone transmission was made in 1911by Harry Grindell Matthews, using When it opened in 1982, his ‘Aerophone’, with pilot the HTV television studio B.C. Hucks flying from Ely complex at Culverhouse Racecourse in Cardiff. Cross, Cardiff was the l 2012 marked the offcial world’s largest purpose opening of the BBC facility of its kind. Cymru Wales’ Roath Lock studio complex in Cardiff Bay, one of the largest investments in new drama facilities in Europe and the frst industrial building in the UK to obtain the prestigious BREEAM Outstanding certifcate. l Next Generation Data have secured contracts l In 1844 the telegraph from BT and Logica for pioneer Charles the provision of space and Wheatstone frst infrastructure at their data demonstrated submarine centre in Newport, which telegraphy with the help of at 75,000 sq metres is one experimental scientist and of the world's largest. industrialist, John Dillwyn Llewelyn, in Swansea Bay. l Swansea University's new £250m science and l Swansea's Morfa works innovation campus is supplied the copper for described as one of the the frst transatlantic cable 'biggest knowledge in 1857 and this ideal economy projects in conductor would be in Europe'. great demand for both overland telegraph wires and undersea telegraph cables. 24 l The type-printing telegraph was invented by David Hughes from Bala in 1855 and used throughout the expanding USA. He also invented the carbon The frst over-water granule microphone transmission of radio and transmitted waves was made by electromagnetic waves in Gugliemo Marconi 1879, although he didn’t between Lavernock realise it at the time. and the island of Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel in 1897.

l Sir Terry Matthews founded the Mitel Corporation in 1972 to manufacture and supply private exchanges (PABXs) for organisations worldwide. 25 CREATIVE INDUSTRIES

Wales is becoming a centre of creative excellence for UK- produced drama following productions like Dr Who and Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Sherlock, filmed in Wales Courtesy of Hartswood Films 26 The creative industries sector in Wales employ over 26,000 people in over 2,500 active businesses, generating a turnover of about £1 billion annually.

Wales offers real opportunities Wales’ devolved government as a place for creative business offers unique opportunities to establish and grow. The through public sector diverse sector comprises a wide procurement, with public range of companies ranging service broadcasting (BBC and from software development, S4C) spending more than £100 games and animation, to million annually in the creative high-end flm and television industries sector. production, music, Journalism The arts and particularly music and fashion design. have been a feature of Welsh With its world renowned culture for centuries. Whilst the centres of excellence and application of new electronics- university system, Wales based technologies to creating produces nearly 5,000 sound and images is creating a graduates every year with rapidly growing aspect of the specialist qualifcations in economy, the more traditional subjects such as computer forms typifed by the talents of science, games development, Katherine Jenkins, Bryn Terfel animation, visual effects, and the Welsh National Opera digital and mobile technology Company are also thriving. development and journalism. 27 The Royal College of Music and Drama is the National Conservatoire of Wales, and was the frst All-Steinway Conservatoire in the UK. It competes alongside an international peer group of conservatoires and specialist arts colleges for the best students globally, enabling students to enter and influence the world of music, theatre and related professions.

The creation of solid objects visual art show, Artes Mundi, remains a strong feature in one of the most signifcant in the Welsh economy where the world and which offers the long experience in design and largest cash prize awarded for the manipulation of materials the arts in the UK. maintains thriving operations One of the fnest collections in the jewellery, garment, of impressionist and post- furniture, pottery and painting impressionist paintings outside sectors. France, including Renoir’s ‘La Wales’s animation heritage is Parisienne’, can be found in the long established, in 1987 the National Museum & Galleries BAFTA Best Animation award of Wales. was given to Siriol Productions Moving Image Wales (MIW) is of Cardiff for their animated part of the Creative Industries cartoon series Superted. Research and Innovation The National Museum & Centre (CIRIC), at Swansea Galleries of Wales hosts the Metropolitan University, it aims international contemporary to support the development of

28 new IP project proposals from a rapidly changing media Welsh media companies (TV, environment, and keeps flm and digital media) that are abreast with the most recent aiming to attract a portion of academic thinking. Staff fnal production funding from include some of the world’s outside Wales. leading writers and thinkers on media and culture, working MediaLab is based at the alongside other teachers who Cardiff School of Creative have had outstanding careers and Cultural Industries, at the in journalism, the media University of South Wales, and industries and public relations. is the centre for digital media The School is regularly innovation and enterprise. commissioned by the media Cardiff School of Journalism, industry, government, research Media and Cultural Studies councils, foundations and non- has teaching programmes government organisations to designed to be relevant to conduct research.

29 The National Screen and Sound l A documentary Archive of Wales houses a photography diploma comprehensive collection of course was established by flms, television programmes, David Hurn of Magnum videos, sound recordings and fame at the Newport music. College of Art in 1973. Cardiff School of Arts and l Alfred Sisley (1839–1899), Design (CSAD) is part of Cardiff one of the greatest Metropolitan University. landscape painters of CSAD’s strengths are in art, the 19th century, and a design and technology. The leading fgure behind the School is interested in the Impressionist movement, relationship between arts and choose to come to south sciences, and in situating the Wales in 1897, taking up student in the real world. lodgings at Penarth and later Langland Bay near l Two of the largest Swansea. The Welsh land Schools of Music in the and seascape inspired UK are located at Bangor Sisley and gave rise to University and Cardiff some of his most free and University. improvisatory paintings.

Image courtesy of Iconicles Ltd and Dinamo Productions Ltd.

The animation scene remains strong in Wales building upon the work of companies such as Siriol and Dinamo.

30 l Internationally signifcant made wedding rings for creative content the Prince of Wales and the production companies Duchess of Cornwall for include Tinopolis, the their wedding in 2005. largest UK production l Speci fc Media is a global company outside of interactive media company London at Llanelli. and owner of MySpace, l Boomerang, which with a presence across the produces extreme sports US and Europe. It has a and children’s content for base in Wales in the shape clients including Disney, of Xumo, a provider of Playstation3 and Red Bull. online video products and solutions. l Welsh gold, mined for Celtic chieftains over 2,000 years ago, is still sought after as jewellery items for the Royal family. When Prince William placed a Merthyr-born Laura wedding band on Kate Ashley established her Middleton's fnger in 2011, frst shop in 1968 with it was made by family the company jewellers from Wales headquarters set up in from a nugget of Welsh Carno, near Newtown. gold. The Llandudno jewellers, Wartski, also 31 Doctor Who, filmed in Wales Courtesy of BBC Worldwide

32 Da Vinci’s Demons is a multi million pound fantasy drama series flmed in Wales. It follows the untold story of the world’s greatest genius during his turbulent youth.

Courtesy of 2013 Tonto Films and Television Limited l Major TV productions l Recent high-end TV drama include Doctor Who, productions flmed in produced by BBC Wales. Wales include Hinterland, a contemporary television l Sherlock produced by detective drama series, shot Hartswood flms – their back-to-back with English dedicated nations and and Welsh language regions offce operating versions of the programme from Cardiff city centre being produced has led to a signifcant simultaneously. proportion of the frst series being produced l The Machine a modern in Wales, using Welsh day re-imagining of Mary locations, cast and crew. Shelly’s Frankenstein, set in the near future, was l Being Human – produced produced in south east by Touchpaper Television Wales by Cardiff based Red for BBC3 which is streamed and Black Films and has online via Netflix to USA already sold to over and Canadian audiences. 20 countries worldwide.

33 Courtesy of Cranc Cyf l Ironclad, a major feature l Although Cardigan in west flm, was shot entirely Wales gave its name, via in Wales and produced the Earl of Cardigan, to a in Dragon Studios near type of woollen sweater Bridgend and using that buttons down the locations throughout south front, it was the home Wales. of Britain’s biggest jeans factory. The jean tradition l Wales has a number of here is being carried on by excellent facilities for the Huit Denim Company video and audio post based in Cardigan Bay. production such as Gorilla, Crash Editing, Bang, l William Haggar gave his Cranc Cyf and Mercury frst public performance FX. Some of the services of a 'Bioscope' show in offered include: online 1898 at Aberavon Fair, he and offline grading and went on to flm, in 1901, fnishing; Audio editing what was probably the frst and mixing; VFX, motion fctional flm produced in graphics and Design Post Britain, and up to 1909 it is production; video editing; estimated that he made up dubbing fr documentaries, to sixty narrative flms. commercials animation and drama; and HD digital effects.

34 ENERGY

The SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) is a collaboration led by Swansea University with Tata Steel and a consortium of industrial and academic partners. The project aims to commercialise technologies which will allow buildings to become power stations and generate their own energy.

35 In terms of natural and renewable forms of energy Wales is well placed. It has been blessed with large quantities of fossil fuels including a wide range of coal ranks and off-shore gas and is well positioned for wind and tidal power options. Facing the SW prevailing winds off the Atlantic it is on the ‘energetic’ side of the UK, receiving relatively high rainfall on to hilly topography.

The Bristol Channel and Severn farm off the north coast which, Estuary concentrate the tides when fnished in 2014, will be to give the second highest the second largest in the world. tidal rise and fall in the world Wales currently has 28 on shore of about 15 metres. Severn wind farms comprising of 495 tidal power schemes are turbines. constantly under discussion and Traditionally Wales has been if implemented could generate renowned for its coal, the some 5% of the UK's electricity quality of which made trans- Wales is moving towards Atlantic steam navigation becoming the UK’s leader in viable, and the preferred the feld of renewable energy choice for steaming the Royal with the go ahead given for Navy. The climate allows the Gwynt y Môr 750MW wind for good cultivation and encourages timber and other plants to grow well here and produce high yields. Projected to come on line in 2015, the Skerries Tidal Stream Array will be Wales’ frst commercial tidal energy farm and the largest of its kind in

A tidal mill for grinding corn was built during the 16th century adjoining the 13th century castle at Carew in Pembrokeshire.

36 Lord Walter Marshall of Rhymney was director of the Atomic Energy Research establishment, Harwell and later Chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board.

the UK. It will be developed by Siemens-owned Marine Current Turbines (MCT) and will supply burning and set the standard up to 10,000 homes. for steam coal. Wales has an association with Now the concentration is on the steam engine that goes examining renewable and back almost three hundred more sustainable sources of years to 1715. In that year a energy. Lord Nelson considered Newcomen atmospheric steam Milford Haven to be one of the engine was installed on the fnest natural harbours in the Hawarden coalfeld at Woods world and today it is one of Mine, Ewloe, with another the few in Europe capable of engine being installed at accommodating super-tankers the Talargoch lead mines at to supply the refnery industry Dyserth. These were the frst and has now become the in Wales and amongst the very receiving terminal for imported frst to be built following the LNG (liquefed natural gas), as frst successful operation of a the cleanest of the fossil fuels. Newcomen engine in 1712. A number of valleys in Wales Welsh coal has provided energy have been dammed for water for ships, trains, industry, storage and supply whilst power stations and homes. others provide hydroelectric It has kept the home fres power.

37 Sharp Solar, the largest photovoltaic manufacturer in the world, has one of its most technically advanced facilities in Wrexham where it assembles monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar modules for use in both residential and commercial installations.

The Centre for Alternative producing photovoltaics and Technology in Machynlleth fnished systems using this has for thirty years provided technology. Coming over the expertise and working horizon is the generation and examples in the feld of energy use of hydrogen as an energy generation and usage. A source and Wales is investing in number of industrial initiatives the generation of the gas from has resulted directly from their wind and solar sources as well activities and are being applied as from bacteria. world-wide. Energy generation in Wales Expertise in the academic encompasses most of the sector is yielding more effcient available technologies photovoltaic materials and including nuclear, coal, gas, thermoelectric devices and hydro, biomass and wind. a number of companies are What will this list look like in ten years time?

Swansea based company Enfs develop light engines and arrays that emit extremely high-power light – including the world’s brightest LED package. 38 l The import and l Britain’s frst major oil regasifcation of LNG refnery was opened at (Liquefed Natural Gas) at Llandarcy in 1921. Milford Haven is one of l Dinorwig power station the largest hydrocarbon at Llanberis is the largest projects of its kind in pumped storage scheme of Europe. The project its kind in Europe, housed involved the construction in the largest man-made of a 300km pipeline cavern in Europe. from Milford Haven to Gloucestershire which is l Clarence Arthur Seyler, capable of carrying a ffth working in Swansea, of the natural gas required devised the original by the UK. classifcation of coal ranks. l The Baglan Energy Park l The frst carbon dioxide hosts the hydrogen energy capture and storage research centre, developed pilot plant in the UK at by the University of South Aberthaw power station Wales in partnership with will be providing a crucial Neath Port Talbot Council. test ground for the

potential of CO2 capture l The basis for the and storage technology classifcation of fossil to generate low-carbon foraminifera, an essential energy. feature in oil exploration, was laid by Professor Alan Wood at Aberystwyth University. l Western Wood Energy biomass power plant, in The precursor of Port Talbot, produces clean the fuel cell, the electricity from sustainable gas battery, was fuel (wood chips) and was developed by the frst commercial-scale William Grove of plant of its kind in the UK. Swansea, in the mid 19th century. 39 l The Institutes of Rural l Cardiff based G24 Sciences and Biological Innovations are pioneering Sciences, and the a new range of dye- Institute of Grassland sensitised thin flm solar and Environmental panels that produce Research (IGER) have come more electricity than together in the Institute of the most highly effcient Biological, Environmental conventional solar cells. and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University. l As part of the SPECIFIC This is a world class programme Tata Steel’s research and education Corus Colors subsidiary facility with the greatest aims to produce sheet access to expertise of its steel used in roofng for kind in the UK. warehouses, offces and other buildings treated with a sensitive coating, to generate electricity.

The National Plant Phenomics Centre at IBERS uses one of the most sophisticated research greenhouses and a unique facility in the UK. 40 ENGINEERING

Rapid prototyping is revolutionising product design, and here industry is supported by a unique university partnership, the Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies (ASTUTE) network led by Swansea University, in collaboration with the Universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Cardiff Metropolitan, Glyndwr,^ Swansea Metropolitan, University of Wales Trinity St David, and the University of South Wales.

Image supplied by Stephen K. Jones 41 With the basic production of metals, particularly iron and steel, extending back over centuries it was natural for Wales to become a major supplier to the engineering sector.

Metal production and fnishing items and components has traditionally ranged from with, ultimately, the arrival large castings and forged of technology suitable for items, the rolling of rails for manufacturing machines on a the railways, tinplate and nano-scale. other specialised coatings and Forging, casting and alloys to structural steelwork stamping were the traditional and steel for the automotive engineering activities during industry. The trend is now the industrial revolution towards the manufacture of and these have undergone smaller and more complex

The charging of blast furnaces was improved by George Parry at Ebbw Vale in 1850 by his bell and hopper arrangement which greatly reduced the loss of hot gases.

42 their own revolution with University, one of the top 100 the advent of new materials, discoveries made in a British control systems and fnite university. element techniques. Numerous Drawing on their experience in companies produce aluminium semiconductor development, alloy and magnesium alloy the academic sector in Wales castings and the latest laser is pioneering lab-on-a-chip and high pressure water technology as well as the jet cutting techniques are development of micro and now much in evidence. The nano-technology devices. Very automotive component is small can be very rewarding! still a major employer but an increasing number of l The frst excavator to companies produce engineered be operated solely by items for the biomedical, hydraulic power was electronics and environmental produced by Hymac Ltd at sectors to very high tolerances. Rhymney in 1962. Eureka UK lists the use of the ‘world-changing’ Finite Element Method outside the area of solid mechanics, as pioneered by Olgierd (Olek) Cecil Zienkiewicz of Swansea

Chain cable for every Royal Navy ship from the 1820s to WWI was supplied by Brown Lenox of Pontypridd. The chainworks also supplied Brunel’s Great Eastern steamship and the Cunarder QE2. 43 l A system for maintaining Institute moved to a new constant pressure on research facility built to rolling mills was devised BREEAM Excellent standard and patented by Statimeter at the R&D campus in Ltd of Rhydymwyn in 1948 Harbourside Park, Port which became widely Talbot. adopted. l The boring of cylinders l The Welding Institute to a high accuracy, for Technology (TWI) Centre cannon and steam engine provides a wide range applications, was perfected of support to Welsh by John Wilkinson at companies including Bersham from 1774. non-destructive testing l The frst universal speed (NDT). In July 2013 the control drive compatible with all types of electric motor was designed and manufactured by Control Techniques Ltd A novel method of of Newtown. fastening sheet materials together was developed by High Torque Fastener Systems Ltd of Swansea – eliminating the need for external fasteners which fashions a unique threadform helix in the farthest sheet to act as the nut.

44 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

A polar explorer and authority on the study of temperate glaciers and their modelled response to climate change, Professor Tavi Murray of Swansea University is only the eighth woman to be honoured with the Polar Medal, an award for both her Arctic and Antarctic research, which makes it doubly unusual.

Image supplied by Swansea University 45 With its long history of mining for coal and metal ores, of metal and non-ferrous metal smelting and slate quarrying, it was not surprising that Wales faced many environmental challenges in dealing with contaminated land. Through a combination of academic research, enlightened civil engineering and central government funding these challenges have been met and overcome to regenerate safe and beautiful landscapes throughout Wales. The spin-out has resulted in growing expertise in the development of sensors and treatment methods for waste materials. l The application of gas successfully overcome by chromatography to Welsh-based groups. chemical analysis was There is an increasing move pioneered by Professor towards on-site monitoring Howard Purnell at Swansea where the equipment is University. brought to the sample l Live willow support systems and not the sample to the were developed as a equipment. A number of sustainable alternative sensors and analytical devices for slope stabilisation by are now available from Welsh Richards, Moorehead and manufacturers where the Laing of Ruthin. benefts of miniaturisation in electronics have given The wealth of growing portability with increased expertise in Wales in the speed of analysis and improved environmental sciences accuracy. Devices are available is assisting organisations to monitor micro-organisms in throughout the world to deal soil, trace levels of toxic and with their own environmental strong-smelling compounds in issues. Experience gained air, bacterial contamination in dealing with the legacies of surfaces and methane of coal, steel, non-ferrous generation from waste sites. metal and slate extraction and processing at home has seen many challenges abroad

46 In Wales we have changed l Waste slate from north ‘How green was my valley’ Wales has been spun into into ‘How green is my valley’ fbres to make insulation through our own skills and material. dedication. l Formaldehyde arising l Lion Laboratories of Barry from insulation materials developed the world’s frst and other sources can electronic breathalyser in be measured in seconds 1974 and sold the product using a handheld monitor to police forces around developed by PPM at the world to measure the Bangor. evidential alcohol levels of motorists.

Research into the effects of lightning strikes on aircraft composite materials and structures will be the objective of Cardiff University’s Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, the most advanced University based lightning test facility in the UK.

47 DNA-based technology for detecting and identifying pollution affecting our waterways and beaches was pioneered byYstrad Mynach based EnviroGene Ltd.

l Welsh physician, physicist l The application of and statistician, William computers to weather Morgan FRS, is considered forecasting was introduced the father of modern by Sir Oliver Sutton of actuarial science and is Cwmcarn during his credited with being the term as Director of the frst to record the ‘invisible Meteorological Offce from light’ produced when a 1953 – 1965. current is passed through a l Standards for partly evacuated glass tube contaminated land – the frst x-ray tube. reclamation were set by l Welsh scientists are making the 1966 Lower Swansea a major contribution to Valley Report that followed the fght against climate the successful programme change including Sir John that reclaimed 450 hectares Houghton who was jointly of land. awarded the Nobel Peace l Major aircraft Prize in 2007. manufacturers and airlines use a portable monitor developed by ECHA Microbiology of Cardiff to measure microbial fouling in aviation fuels.

48 Aberdare born Dr Lyn Evans project led the most signifcant attempt being made so far to unravel the mysteries of the universe, by the European Nuclear Research Organisation (CERN) in Geneva using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). His next role will be as project director of the LHC’s planned big brother, the cataclysmic International Linear Collider (ILC) as well as the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC). 49 MATERIALS

Fully customer-qualifed 6” semiconductor wafers were produced for the frst time by IQE plc of St. Mellons, Cardiff.

50 With an abundance of iron ore, non-ferrous metal ores, timber and coal it was inevitable that metal smelting and manipulation in Wales would lead to the creation of major industries and discoveries.

Through the period of Materials research, industrialisation Wales would development and manufacture set the world price of industrial have subsequently been a commodities, coal at Cardiff, major feature of academic and copper at Swansea and tin industrial operation for many plate at Llanelli. Swansea years. Applications have been became known as Copperopolis based on the extraction and and was renowned for copper- manipulation of indigenous smelting with some 90% of all materials, on the development the copper-smelting capacity of new materials, on the of Britain being based within combination of materials in twenty miles of the town by new arrangements and on the 1820. Fuelling the demand reuse of ‘wastes’. was Anglesey’s Parys Mountain mines, which became the world’s main source of copper ore from 1768.

One of the world’s most modern silicon- based materials manufacturing plants in the world is operated by Dow Corning at Barry.

51 For a small country, Wales of material surfaces which has been a major contributor offers the promise of major in the manufacture and advances in materials processing of materials. From application. steel manufacture and rolling With the increasing move to primary aluminium smelting towards sustainability, Wales and pure nickel production, is investing in the sourcing of tin-plate manufacture and materials from renewables, titanium processing, Wales especially from plants. The supplies world-wide markets. properties of plant-derived Successive investments have polymers on their own and established one of the world’s in conjunction with other largest silicone polymer plants materials are being studied here as well as semiconductor at the BioComposites manufacturers and their Centre in Bangor and novel downstream processors. applications for naturally University expertise is assisting occurring polysaccharides are in the synthesis and evaluation being evaluated at Glyndwr^ of novel semiconductor University in Wrexham. materials and the examination l Blaenafon and its surrounding landscape were made a World Heritage Site in 2000. ‘The area around Blaenafon bears eloquent and A 25% saving in energy exceptional testimony to costs using various bulk the pre-eminence of South waste materials as cement Wales as the World’s major substitutes has been achieved producer of iron and coal by north Wales company in the 19th century.’ Richards Moorhead Laing in collaboration with Cardiff University.

52 l The Dowlais works took The packaging of out the frst licence to beer in tin-plated operate the Bessemer steel cans was frst steelmaking process in introduced in 1856 and in 1869 William Europe by the Siemens built the Landore Felinfoel Brewery Works near Swansea to at Llanelli in 1935. promote the superiority of steelmaking by the Siemens-Martin open- hearth method. l The application of powdered metals technology was pioneered by Osprey Metals of Neath following applied research Concrete Cloth, at Swansea University. developed by a l The Hafod Copperworks, Pontypridd company, established by Henry is being used for Hussey Vivian, in the lower use as emergency Swansea valley grew into accommodation the largest works of its in trouble spots kind in the 19th century. throughout the world.

53 l William Weston Young (1776–1847), entrepreneur and inventor, would develop a high quality fre- The identifcation of brick for furnace lining crystal faces using that used Dinas silica rock ‘Miller’s Indices’ quarried and manufactured was devised by in the Vale of Neath from William Miller of 1822. It was exported Llandovery during world-wide and even the mid 19th century. today the Russian word for 'frebrick' is 'Dinas'. l In today’s society electronics based technology is becoming l Nickel is produced by INCO redundant at an increasing at Europe’s largest nickel rate, bringing with it the refnery at Clydach on the problem of what to do site founded by Ludwig with our Waste Electrical Mond in 1902. and Electronic Equipment l The process that enabled (WEEE). Sims Recycling iron to be smelted from Solutions at Newport phosphatic iron ores and can process over 100,000 then used in steel making tonnes of e-waste annually was invented by Sidney and is part of the world’s Gilchrist Thomas and largest electronics recycling Percy Carlisle Gilchrist at company. Blaenafon in 1878. l The Waterwall® blast isolation system by Newport based Cintec International Ltd uses water to reduce the potential for harm in explosive situations.

54 John Hanbury was to pioneer the rolling of sheet iron at the end of the 17th century leading to the establishment of Pontypool as the foremost producer of tinplate and Japanware in the 1800s. 55 TRANSPORT

Some of Europe’s most advanced autoclaves and clean rooms are operated by GE Aircraft Engine Services Ltd at its Nantgarw plant for servicing General Electric and Rolls Royce aero-engines.

56 The onset of the Industrial Revolution put pressure on innovators to develop transport systems capable of carrying bulky and heavy loads. Wales was at the forefront of canal building and within a few decades saw the frst journey in the world made by a railway locomotive built by Richard Trevithick.

The early days of aviation University of South Wales and road transport benefted spin-out GeoVS Ltd greatly from the activities of has developed the world’s the Hon C S Rolls of Monmouth frst three-dimensional and his visions are now reality vessel traffc service through the many operations system to help improve in Wales devoted to the the safety of maritime aerospace and vehicle sectors. navigation. With two of the world’s major vehicle engine plants and huge investments in aircraft construction, aero-engine and aircraft servicing, Wales is going places!

The world’s frst scheduled helicopter service opened between Cardiff, Wrexham and Liverpool in 1950. 57 Aerospace has been a feature sector, Wales is host to two on the Welsh industrial scene major engine plants. Ford for many years through the recently announced a £24m presence of Ministry of Defence investment to produce the new Establishments in providing 1.5 litre EcoBoost engine at its facilities for military aircraft Bridgend facility which opened and test ranges for unmanned in 1980 and at Deeside Toyota aerial vehicles. Expansions celebrated 20 years of engine in the private aerospace production in 2010. In addition sector have placed Wales a wide range of automotive at the forefront of aircraft component manufacturers maintenance and aero-engine can be found here; a sector servicing for major carriers. complemented by academic With ever increasing demands expertise in vehicle production for higher performance in economics and the application components, Welsh Universities and evaluation of new are devoting considerable materials. resources to developing Literally at the leading and testing new materials edge, Welsh based academic and designs for aerospace expertise was instrumental in applications. In the automotive

Pleasure watercraft that can travel on the surface and under water is the potential of the Scubacraft currently being developed by Anglesey based company; Creative Worldwide Ltd.

58 Image supplied by Swansea University

developing the aerodynamic THRUST SSC. Engineers at design for the Thrust Swansea University worked supersonic car, expertise which alongside Sir Richard Noble and has also been involved in his team in breaking the sound aspects of the Airbus designs. barrier and as BLOODHOUND founding members are part The BLOODHOUND SuperSonic of the team designing and Car (SSC) project aims to set building its successor, drawing a new land speed record upon Swansea’s expertise in of 1,000mph, breaking the computational fluid dynamics. 763mph set in 1997 by the

59 Every wing for every Airbus aircraft has been produced at the Airbus UK factory at Broughton in north east Wales. In 2002 it commenced production of the A380 wings.

Wales is going places and at l The electric vehicle Zecar (ze some speed! standing for zero emissions) is being produced in Port l Toyota produces diesel Talbot by a father and engines for the frst time son partnership, Stevens in the UK in 2003 at Vehicles Ltd of Port Deeside and became the frst Toyota factory outside Japan to manufacture a hybrid vehicle engine in 2010. The world’s frst scheduled hovercraft l Europe’s only civil service opened licensed airport for between Rhyl and routine unmanned Wallasey in 1962. aerial operations is ParcAberporth in west Wales.

60 Talbot in conjunction with the Alternative Vehicle Research Centre of the University of South Wales. l Britain’s frst motorway tunnel was opened on the The aerodynamic design M4 at Brynglas, Newport of the Thrust Supersonic in 1967. Car was developed by l John Dillwyn Llewelyn the Department of Civil operated the world’s frst Engineering at Swansea electrically powered boat University with use of a using Grove cells for power Cray supercomputer and on the lake at Penllergaer verifed at the nearby House in 1850. Pendine rocket testing site. This set the new land speed record of 763 mph in 1997.

Image supplied by Swansea University

61 The world land speed l New developments in using record of 172.33 mph thermoelectric generators was made at Pendine by car manufacturers are Sands in 1926 by being pioneered at Cardiff J G Parry Thomas in University. his car Babs. l The Comet, the world’s frst jet airliner, was manufactured at the Broughton factory of the De Haviland Aircraft Co from 1957. l The emission-free tribrid bus, a carbon-free minibus l The Hon Charles Stewart powered by three different Rolls was born in green technologies, Monmouth in 1877 and using the fuel cell system developed his engineering for constant low-end skills as one of Britain’s power, lead acid battery earliest aviators and joint for medium constant founder of Rolls-Royce. power and fnally ultra- l Bangor born Richard capacitors to deliver the Parry-Jones joined the instantaneous power Ford Motor Company needed for high load and rose to become the acceleration. It has been Group Vice President and developed as the result of Chief Technical Offcer, international collaboration overseeing product led and co-ordinated in development activities for Wales by the University of all Ford vehicles worldwide South Wales. until his retirement in 2007. l A railway locomotive built In 2012 he changed modes by Richard Trevithick made of transport, going from the frst recorded journey road to rail, to become at Merthyr Tydfl in 1804. chairman of Network Rail.

62 One of the world’s largest hangars is home to British Airways Maintenance Cardiff who maintain and overhaul Boeing 747, 767 and 777s in four bays at Cardiff Airport.

63 PEOPLE

Charles Rolls motorist, aviator and joint founder of Rolls-Royce.

64 Between the work of Robert Recorde in the 16th century, whose ‘equals’ sign was to be widely adopted as the symbol we use today, and the continuing expansion of the electronics revolution, Wales has played its part in fostering creativity and innovation as a way of fulflling society’s aspirations. Both the hectic activities during the industrial revolution and the tranquil solitude of much of the rural environment have stimulated indigenous Welsh people and those choosing to live and work here to develop their ideas and talents. The encouragement of curiosity and its progression into economic benefts is high on the list of priorities in Wales. Yes, ideas come from….people!

65 1957 – 1951 – Professor Julie Williams. Sir Leszek Krzysztof b. Merthyr Tydfl. Borysiewicz, FRS. A global leader in research into b. Cardiff. Alzheimer’s disease at Cardiff Polish British immunologist, University, work highlighted scientifc administrator and by Time magazine as one of Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge the world’s top 10 medical University, Britain’s only billion- breakthroughs of 2009. pound university.

1957 – 1951 – Sir Chris Evans. Richard Parry-Jones. b. Port Talbot. b. Bangor. Entrepreneur in the feld of Group Vice-President, Global biotechnology and founder of Product Development and companies in the felds of genes, Chief Technical Offcer, Ford enzymes and micro-organisms. Motor Company up to 2007. In 2012 he became chairman of 1955 – Network Rail. Michael Moritz. b. Cardiff. 1946 – The internet search engines Professor John Harries. Google and Yahoo! were b. Aberavon. developed with funding from The frst chief scientifc advisor Welsh born Michael Moritz. to the Welsh Government. Professor of Earth Observation 1952 – at the Blackett Laboratory in Terry Morgan. Imperial College, London, as b. Cwmbran. a scientist he led the team Engineer and chairman of providing the frst direct Crossrail, Europe's biggest observational evidence of construction project at £16bn an increase in the Earth’s that will see 13 miles of new greenhouse effect. Awarded tunnels built under London. NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal in 2011.

66 1945 – 1935 – 2013 Professor Anthony Campbell. Dr Tom Parry Jones. b. Bangor. b. Anglesey. Professor in Medical Inventor of the ‘Breathalyser’ Biochemistry at Cardiff and the later electronic version, University and authority on the ‘Alcolmeter’. Which was intracellular signalling and adopted world-wide. chemi- and bio-luminescence. Founded The Darwin Centre 1932 – for Biology and Medicine in Sir John Meurig Thomas. Pembrokeshire. b. Gwendraeth Valley. Leading Welsh chemist and and 1943 – one of the most cited authors Sir Terry Matthews. in the feld of heterogeneous b. Newbridge. catalysis. Telecommunications entrepreneur and founder of 1932 – 1995 Mitel, Newbridge Networks Lord Walter Marshall. and the Wesley Clover b. Rhymney. Foundation. Director of Atomic Energy Research Establishment Harwell 1942 – and later Chairman of Central Howard Stringer. Electricity Generating Board. b. Cardiff. Chairman and Chief Executive 1931 – Offcer Sony Corporation up to Sir John Houghton. 2013 and 2012 respectively. b. Dyserth. Director of the Meteorological 1939 – Offce 1983 – 1991, and Brian Josephson. authority on global warming. b. Cardiff. Nobel prize winner through his studies of the phenomena of low-temperature physics, especially superconductor and insulator combinations. 67 1931 – 1911 – 2002 Sir Bernard Knight. Professor Ewart Jones. b. Gower. b. Wrexham. Undertook more than 25,000 Waynflete Chair of Chemistry post-mortem examinations at Oxford University. Research and became one of the world’s in natural product chemistry leading forensic pathologists. including steroids, terpenes and vitamins. 1926 – 2005 Professor John Vaughan. 1910 – 1992 b. Merthyr Tydfl. Professor Alan Wood. Professor of food microscropy, Chair of Geology at UW King’s College London. Aberystwyth. Laid the basis Pioneer in the properties of for the classifcation of fossil oilseeds and their industrial foraminifera, an essential applications. feature of oil exploration.

1925 – 1996 1909 – 1988 Professor Howard Purnell. Professor Archibald Cochrane. b. Rhondda. Chair of tuberculosis and chest Professor of Chemistry, diseases at Welsh National Swansea University. School of Medicine. Developed Pioneering research into gas protocol for controlled trials of chromatography for chemical drugs which became worldwide analysis. standard procedures in drug evaluation. 1924 – 2000 Donald Davies. 1906 – 1994 b. Treorchy. Professor Gwendole Rees FRS. Working at the National The frst Welsh woman to be Physical Laboratory, he made a Fellow of the Royal laid the foundation for the Society. She devoted her life Internet through his work to helminthology, the study of on packetswitched data parasitic worms. communication.

68 1904 – 1987 existence of a new atomic Donald Holroyde Hey. particle, the meson. b. Swansea. Organic chemist who observed 1903 – 1977 that the decomposition of Sir Oliver Sutton. benzoyl peroxide gave rise to b. Cwmcarn. free phenyl radicals, important Director of Meteorological reactions in processes ranging Offce from 1953 – 1965 where from synthetic rubber to he emphasised the use of biochemical damage to DNA. computers for forecasting.

1904 – 1972 1903 – 1963 Emily Dix. Sir Horace Evans. b. Gower. b. Merthyr Tydfl. Revolutionised plant Physician to Queen Mary, King biostratigraphy, techniques George V and Queen Elizabeth. critical in the story of tropical forests and climate change 1902 – 1977 during Late Carboniferous Hugh Iorys Hughes. (Pennsylvanian) times. b. Bangor. Civil engineer who designed 1903 – 1989 the bridge and pier units for Professor Sir Brynmor Jones. the Mulberry Harbour used His department at Hull in the Normandy landings of University became famous for WWII. the development of liquid crystal display technology. 1893 – 1973 Sir Clement Price-Thomas. 1903 – 1945 b. Abercarn. Evan James ‘Desin’ Williams. Pioneer of the treatment of b. Cwmsychpant. chest disorders with radium. Desin Williams become a physicist who worked with the giants of international physics of the day and predicted the

69 1888 – 1962 in 1923 gave him the nickname Dr Ezer Griffiths. of ‘the death ray man’. By 1934 b. Aberdare. he was living and working at Leading authority on the study Tor Clawdd on Betws Mountain of heat and refrigeration. above Ammanford where he died in 1941. 1886 – 1926 Ernest Thompson Willows. 1877 – 1910 b. Cardiff. The Hon Charles Stewart Rolls. Designed his own airship at the b. Monmouth. age of nineteen, made his frst Motorist, aviator and joint flight in 1905 and the frst to founder of Rolls-Royce. fly across the English Channel, from London to Paris, in 1910. 1872 – 1970 Earl Bertrand Russell. 1881 – 1945 b. Trellech, Monmouth. Sir Thomas Lewis. Pioneer of the study of b. Cardiff. mathematical logic. A cardiologist who coined the term ‘clinical science’ 1866 – 1959 and championed applying Clarence Seyler. the experimental method Leading authority on the to clinical problems and the analysis of coal, carrying out clinical application of the his chemical classifcations at electrocardiograph. Swansea.

1880-1941 1857 – 1932 Henry Grindell Matthews. Dr Martha Maria Cannon. b. Winterbourne, b. Llandudno. Gloucestershire. Pioneer of health measures Inventor of the ‘Aerophone’ or and women’s rights in the USA, radiotelephone in 1911, frst where she had emigrated with demonstrated in Cardiff. Talking her parents in 1858, becoming pictures followed and claims one of the frst Utah women to that he invented an electric ray receive the degree of M.D. and the frst woman state senator. 70 1856-1932 became a valuable phosphate Richard Stephens. fertiliser. b. Cwmbran Early designer of motor cars. 1834 – 1913 Setting up a bicycle-making Sir William Henry Preece. business in Clevedon he b. Caernarfon. designed and built his frst Electrical engineer and car in 1897/8. Amongst his inventor who developed many improvements was the his own system of wireless adjustable drum brake shoe, telegraphy and telephony in the basis of all such shoes in 1892 but who would later use today. champion Guglielmo Marconi’s system and assist with his 1851-1925 experiments and in securing Elizabeth Phillips Hughes MBE. funding. b. Carmarthen. Educationalist, who established 1823 –1913 a training college for women Alfred Russel Wallace. in 1885 in Cambridge which Born in Usk he trained as a would be named after surveyor and worked for Brunel her, Hughes Hall; the only but is best remembered as a Cambridge College to be anthropologist and biologist named after a woman. Retiring who independently proposed to Barry, she established the a theory of natural selection, 20th Century Women's Club. prompting Charles Darwin to publish his own theory. 1850 – 1885 Sidney Gilchrist Thomas. 1821 – 1894 And his cousin Percy Carlisle Henry Hussey Vivian. Gilchrist. Developed furnace b. Swansea. linings at Blaenafon enabling With his father, John enabled iron to be smelted Henry Vivian (1785-1855), from phosphatic iron ores and he established Swansea then used in steel making. The as the centre of the world ‘basic’ slag from the smelting copper industry with Hafod

71 Copperworks in the lower 1789 – 1864 Swansea valley, becoming the Richard Roberts. largest refner and producer of b. Llanymynech. copper and other metals in the Engineer and inventor best world. known for his work in the spinning and weaving of cloth 1811 – 1896 and railway locomotives. He William Robert Grove. devised a machine to accurately b. Swansea. punch holes in the iron plates Improved the voltaic cell and for the Conway tubular bridge developed the gas battery, the using Jacquard cards. precursor of the fuel cell. 1785 – 1852 1810-1882 Sir Josiah John Guest. John Dillwyn Llewelyn. Dowlais ironmaster whose iron b. Swansea. products, especially rails, were Industrialist who established exported world wide. an observatory in 1851 at Penllergaer near Swansea. With 1781 – 1847 his daughter Thereza Llewelyn, Lucy Thomas. 1834-1926, (later Thereza Story- b. Llansamlet. Maskelyne), they took some of Coal proprietor, known as; 'The the earliest photographs of the mother of the Welsh Steam Moon. Coal Trade'.

1801 – 1880 1774 – 1852 William Miller. Captain Sir Samuel Brown RN. b. Llandovery. Introduced the iron chain cable Applied mathematics to into shipping and established the study of crystals and the Brown Lenox works at devised Millers Indices for the Pontypridd. identifcation of crystal faces.

72 1725 – 1804 1664 – 1734 Nathaniel Pigott. John Hanbury. Astronomer, who with his Pioneer of the rolling of sheet son Edward (1753 – 1825), iron and established Pontypool were noted for observing as the foremost producer of astronomical phenomena such tinplate and Japanware in the as eclipses, a transit of Venus 1800s. and comets. A number of double stars noted using the fl. 1563 – 1588 telescopes erected at Frampton John Trew. House, near Llantwit Major. Glamorganshire mining surveyor and engineer, 1719 – 1789 engaged in 1564 to build the William Edwards. Exeter canal, the frst pound b. Groes-wen. lock canal in Britain. Independent minister, architect and engineer. Famous as a 1560 – 1631 builder of bridges, in particular Sir Hugh Myddelton. Pontypridd bridge. Other The Welsh businessman, bridges and industrial buildings engineer and goldsmith followed, such as Wales’ responsible for the ‘New River’ earliest planned industrial project which brought fresh village for John Morris’s water to the City of London. copperworks near Swansea. His sons Thomas, David and 1510 – 1558 Edward would continue his Robert Recorde. bridge-building tradition. b. Tenby. Leading physician and 1675 – 1749 Comptroller of the Mint, he William Jones. was also a mathematician Welsh mathematician and whose symbol for the ‘equals’ the frst to use the symbol π sign has become the standard. to represent the ratio of the circumference to the diameter in 1706.

73 MILESTONES

2006 The Senedd Building in Cardiff Bay opened, housing the National Assembly for Wales’ Siambr (debating chamber) and Committee Rooms. It achieved the highest ever rating awarded in Wales under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and was nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2006.

74 Signifcant events marking increases in human knowledge punctuate history. The benefts from innovations in science, engineering and medicine spill over into society and Wales has experienced many of these at frst hand.

The frst recorded journey of a ‘railway locomotive’ on the Merthyr Tramroad was to alter the face of the world and commerce in a short space of time. The use of a novel lining in a blast furnace at Blaenafon in 1878 was to revolutionise steel making. Even though many milestones were placed on the historical road some years ago, their signifcance remains, just as more recent ones commemorating stages in the electronics revolution will have importance in years to come…

1999 Opened in time to host the Rugby World Cup in Cardiff the 75,000 seat, all-weather Millennium Stadium was, at the time, the world’s largest arena with a retractable roof. 75 2013 Ford announce major investment (£24m) at it's Bridgend engine plant. 21 March marked the offcial start of both the Antarctic winter and Sir Ranulph Fiennes Antarctic Expedition, which is taking thermal blanket covers, developed by Architen Landrell of Chepstow, to provide a ‘lifesaving’ insulated zone. Port Talbot’s Blast Furnace No 4 begins production – the UK’s largest industrial engineering project in 2012. Incorporating the latest technology, the £185 million blast furnace is part of a £240m investment by Tata in the site. 2012 GE Healthcare open cell science laboratory complex in Cardiff. The company’s Maynard Centre will help advance the emerging felds of cell therapy and cell bioprocessing and support the development of new medicines. Wales win a record seven Olympic Games medals and equal their score of 14 medals won in Beijing at the Paralympic Games four years ago. London 2012 saw the striking of 4,700 Olympic and Paralympic Games medals at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant. These were the largest and heaviest Oympic and Paralympic Games medals ever made. Scientists and engineers at Glyndwr^ University, begin work on part of the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), the world’s largest telescope, in Chile. A €5m project producing prototype mirror segments for the telescope’s primary mirror. 2011 Roath Lock, the new drama production studios for BBC Wales opened in the Porth Teigr area of Cardiff Bay. The centre is home to dramas Casualty, Upstairs Downstairs, Pobol Y Cwm and Doctor Who, as well as future commissions. Aberystwyth University’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) wins the frst ever BBSRC ‘Excellence with Impact’ award. 76 Cardiff University’s Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory for the study of lightning strikes on aircraft to gain a better understanding of the effects and to optimise composite materials’ electrical properties for protection. 2010 One of the UK's most technically sophisticated electron microscopes is installed at Swansea University’s Multidisciplinary Nanotechnology Centre (MNC), this cryo- scanning electron microscope, capable of magnifcation of up to one million times, will allow examination of single cells or even single molecules. The Welsh Government appoints its frst chief scientifc advisor, Professor John Harries. 2009 The Centre for NanoHealth, the frst facility of its kind in Europe, is established at Swansea University to focus on the diagnosis of disease and medical intervention at a molecular level. Time magazine this year nominated Aberystwyth University’s ‘Adam’ robot as the fourth most signifcant scientifc discovery and Professor Julie Williams work on Alzheimer’s disease at Cardiff University as one of the world’s top ten medical breakthroughs. 2008 Opening of the Penderyn distillery visitors centre, using a unique design of still and the only whisky distillery in Wales, whose product went on sale in 2004. 2005 Arup’s Cardiff and Bristol offce, design the innovatory ‘glass sea’ as part of the dehumidifcation project for the SS Great Britain at Bristol. The National Waterfront Museum is opened at Swansea combining old and new architecture in a design recognised by the UK Regeneration Awards.

77 Opening of the Liberty stadium, a world-class multi-use sporting venue, at Landore, Swansea. Completion of the Senedd Building in Cardiff Bay. First flight of Airbus A380. 2004 Wales Millennium Centre, with a 1,900 capacity, opens in Cardiff Bay. Completion of the new Usk road bridge at Newport. 2003 Toyota produces diesel engines for the frst time in the UK at Deeside plant. 2002 Airbus A380 wing production line operational at Broughton plant. 2000 Cardiff’s Techniquest becomes the frst purpose-built science centre in the UK. 1999 Opened in time to host the Rugby World Cup in Cardiff the 75,000 seat, all-weather Millennium Stadium, was at the time, the world’s largest arena with a retractable roof. 1997 THRUST SuperSonic Car (SSC) breaks the sound barrier at 763mph with expertise from Swansea University contributing to the aerodynamic design. 1996 Dr Chris Evans sets up Merlin Ventures to assist in founding life-science companies such as Cyclacel and Vectura. The Second Severn Crossing, a 16,800 ft (5,100 metres) long cable-stayed design, opens. 1986 One of UK’s frst earth sheltered ‘berm’ houses opened at Caer Llan Study Centre, Monmouth. One of the two lowest energy houses in Europe, it wins a Euro-solar prize in 1995. Newbridge Networks, Newport, opens to manufacture asynchronous transfer mode equipment.

78 1984 Dinorwig pumped storage scheme opened, at 1800 megawatt the largest in Europe. 1982 The HTV television studio complex, at Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff, opened as the largest purpose built television studio in the world. 1979 The A470 bridge, across the Usk on the Brecon by-pass, is the frst glued segmental concrete bridge in the UK. 1978 The world’s frst test tube baby, Louise Brown, achieved through the ground-breaking work of Professor Robert Edwards, a graduate of Bangor University in 1951, who developed IVF technology with Patrick Steptoe. 1973 Britain’s highest dam completed at Llyn Brianne with a height of 300’ (91 metres). 1972 Sir Terry Matthews founds the Mitel Corporation and builds a factory at Caldicot to manufacture and supply private exchanges (PABXs) for organisations worldwide. 1971 1180 megawatt Magnox nuclear power station opened at Wylfa, largest in the world on its completion. Robert Wynn & Sons Ltd, originally established in Newport in 1863, haul the largest load on a British road. 1969 Admiral Desmond Hoare patents the rigid inflatable boat (RIB) after research and development at Atlantic College, St. Donats. 1967 Britain’s frst motorway tunnel opened on the M4 at Brynglas, Newport. 1966 First Severn/Wye Crossing opened by HM The Queen incorporating deck units manufactured at the Fairfeld- Mabey yard in Chepstow. 1964 George Street bridge, Newport opened as earliest example in the UK of a cable-stayed cantilevered bridge. 79 1963 Commissioning of the UK’s frst major pumped storage power facility at Ffestiniog of 360 megawatt capacity. 1962 World’s frst scheduled hovercraft service opened between Rhyl and Wallasey. Hymac produce frst excavator in the UK to be operated solely by hydraulic power. 1960 Llanwern Steelworks becomes the frst UK steel works to rely entirely on the basic oxygen process. 1957 DeHaviland Aircraft Co at Broughton produces the world’s frst jet airliner, the Comet. 1950 World’s frst scheduled helicopter service opened between Cardiff, Wrexham and Liverpool. 1948 Statimeter Ltd, Rhydymwyn, devised and patented a system for maintaining constant pressure on rolling mill rolls which became widely adopted. 1947 While on his farm in Anglesey, Rover’s Technical Director Maurice Wilks and his brother Spencer Wilks, Rover’s Managing Director, see a gap in the vehicle market. They sketch the outline of a vehicle in the sand of a nearby beach and the ‘Land Rover’ is born. 1946 First experimental microwave television transmission by the Post Offce across the Bristol Channel from Newport. 1944 The success of the Mulberry Harbour in the Allied invasion of Europe owes much to Welsh engineer Hugh Iorys Hughes who developed his ‘Hippo’ piers and ‘Crocodile’ bridge units on the Conwy Morfa. 1941 The top secret Valley Works at Rhydymwyn in Clwyd tests atomic bomb components. Scientists working there before assignment to the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos included German refugees Rudolf Peierls and Klaus Fuchs.

80 1940 Edward Bowen from Swansea developed airborne radar for use as a reliable, operational system in World War II. 1935 The Felinfoel Brewery in Llanelli is the frst company in Europe to market beer in tin-plated steel cans. 1926 JG Parry Thomas broke the world land speed record at Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire at 171.02 mph. 1921 Britains frst major oil refnery opened at Llandarcy. 1920s Portmeirion Village completed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis as an extravaganza of architectural styles. 1913 The Barry docks complex, of which the frst dock basin opened in 1889, becomes the largest coal exporting docks in the world. In the same year that the frst recorded million- pound business deal in the world is rumoured to have been struck on the floor of the Coal Exchange in Cardiff. 1911 The frst airborne radio telephone transmission, made by Harry Grindell Matthews to communicate from the ground to the air with pilot B.C. Hucks flying from Ely Racecourse in Cardiff. In the same year he sends the frst wireless press message from Newport to Cardiff. 1907 The Queen Alexandra dock is opened, the largest masonry dock in the world. 1906 Newport Transporter Bridge opened to provide a road crossing over the River Usk without hindering ship access. Rolls Royce founded to manufacture cars and aeroplane engines. 1902 Ludwig Mond opens the Clydach Nickel smelter using the nickel carbonyl process. 1899 First hydro-electric station opened in Wales at Monmouth.

81 1897 Weavers Building, Swansea, is Europe’s frst multi-storeyed reinforced concrete building. Gugliemo Marconi made the frst over-water transmission of radio waves between Lavernock and the island of Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel. 1896 The Snowdon Mountain Railway opens, the highest railway, and the only rack railway system, in Britain. 1886 Severn Railway Tunnel opened; at 7.2km, was the longest railway tunnel within the UK for well over 100 years. 1879 The Lord Nelson Hotel Ballroom at Milford Haven is the frst in Britain to be lit by electricity. 1869 The Landore Works near Swansea is built to promote steelmaking by the Siemens-Martin open-hearth method. 1862 Deepest railway cutting in UK at Talerddig. 1857 Tallest viaduct in Britain opened at Crumlin. Dowlais ironworks open the world’s most powerful rolling mill. The frst steel rail in the world is rolled at Ebbw Vale. 1856 Dowlais ironworks become the frst to take out a licence to use the Bessemer steel process. 1855 David Hughes from Bala invents the type-printing telegraph used by the Western Union Telegraph Co throughout the USA. He later invented the carbon granule microphone, (of which the original is in the Science Museum), and made the frst transmission of electromagnetic waves in 1879. 1852 Brunel completes the Chepstow railway bridge over the River Wye at Chepstow to connect south Wales to London.

82 At the time of the death of Sir John Guest, the Dowlais ironworks is not only the largest ironworks but the largest manufacturing complex in the world. 1850 The frst electrically powered boat, using Grove cells, is operated by John Dillwyn Llewelyn on Penllergaer lake. A pioneer photographer, he and his daughter take some of the earliest lunar photographs from his observatory. George Parry improves blast furnace charging with his bell and hopper arrangement. 1842 Newport Town Dock opens with a 61 ft wide lock entrance, then the largest in the world. 1839 The Bute dock at Cardiff is opened as the largest masonry dock in the world. 1838 Muntz Metal is produced under licence at Upper Bank Copper Works, Swansea and used for sheathing ship’s hulls. 1826 Telford’s Menai Suspension bridge opened, the world’s frst large iron suspension bridge. 1822 Dowlais ironworks overtakes Cyfarthfa ironworks as the largest in the world. 1821 Swansea is the frst town in Wales to have gas lighting of its streets. 1820 The frst iron suspension bridge with a level road deck, is opened across the river Tweed and still links England to Scotland, with Welsh iron made by Brown Lenox of Pontypridd. 1807 Oystermouth railway, Swansea, becomes the world’s frst fare paying railway. 1806 Merthyr Tydfl's Cyfarthfa ironworks is the largest in the world until overtaken by Dowlais in 1822.

83 1805 Opening of Pontcysyllte aqueduct, Thomas Telford’s 1007ft (307 m) long multi-arch iron and masonry structure carrying the canal in a cast-iron trough 126 ft (38 m) high over the river Dee. Then the highest aqueduct in the world. 1804 Steam locomotive built by Richard Trevithick makes the frst steam railway journey in the world from Merthyr Tydfl to Abercynon. 1793 World’s frst iron railway bridges, at Pontycafnau and Cyfarthfa, in Merthyr Tydfl. 1774 John Wilkinson invents high-accuracy boring of cylinders at Bersham, used frstly for the production of cannons and later for steam engine cylinders. 1766 Richard Evans surveys the frst major canal in Wales; Thomas Kymer's canal at Kidwelly. 1762 World’s earliest recorded railway tunnel, Landore. 1755 Pontypridd bridge completed by local mason William Edwards across the river Taff. At 140 ft (42 metres) the UK's largest arch bridge for three quarters of a century. 1715 First Newcomen atmospheric steam engines erected in Wales, at Ewloe on the Hawarden coalfeld (one of the few engines that Thomas Newcomen worked on personally) and at the Talargoch lead mines at Dyserth. 1700 The world's frst water-powered rolling mill at Pontypool enables the mass production of sheet plate iron. 1568 Tintern produces the frst brass in Britain. 1563 First pound lock canal built by Glamorganshire engineer John Trew.

84 Hafod Eryri, the new visitor centre on the summit of Snowdon that is served by the highest railway in Britain.

85 CONCLUSION

How often have we been told during our careers that there is no substitute for experience! Experience tends to influence the way we think, act and plan and for these we call upon not only our own experiences but also those of our ancestors. In a sense, the transfer of experience becomes a genetic transfer, an instinctive feeling of knowing how to respond to a particular challenge.

86 The experience gained by generations working in the traditional industries of Wales, in coal, steel, textiles, farming and building stone have now, through economic changes, been channelled into the newer more diverse sectors such as electronics, bioscience, aerospace, telecommunications and materials technology.

The highly acknowledged for even smaller electronic ability of the Welsh workforce and mechanical systems in to adapt to the challenges of the nanotechnology range working in a new technology is opening up tremendous has come about as a direct opportunities in healthcare, result of drawing upon this environmental protection and wealth of experience and manufacturing. applying it to new situations. Given encouragement, The teamwork so vital to innovation through experience the safety and effciency of can be a potent force for working in a mine or in a steel positive change in society. In plant has proved eminently Wales, we have the experience, suitable for working in these we are being given the newer sectors and the ability encouragement and the ideas of the team and individuals to are flowing. develop innovative solutions has blossomed with the Make history and availability of, for example, become part of this new materials, control systems tradition. and sensors. The electronics revolution has demonstrated the benefts inherent in low-energy systems and has enabled us to make smaller, complex items more accurately. Portability of sensing and analysing equipment is now becoming the norm and the quest

87 88 Image supplied by Swansea University

This publication has been compiled in association with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE Wales Cymru) www.ICE.org.uk business.wales.gov.uk 89