Welsh Government Minister for the Economy Vaughan Gething has visited the £130 million Swansea Bay City Deal Campuses project at Swansea University to understand more about how this exciting development will boost innovation and business growth in the expanding Medical Technology and Sports Technology sectors.

Led by Swansea University, and in partnership with Swansea Council, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board, A Regional Collaboration for Health (ARCH) Partnership and key private sector partners, the Campuses project it is the perfect collaboration between businesses, academia and the government. With a focus on the life science, health and well-being, and sports sectors, it is delivered in two phases, and across two sites located in Singleton and Morriston in Swansea. The project is set to create over 1,000 jobs and is worth over £150m to the regional economy over the next 10 years.

Part of the City Deal portfolio of nine projects and programmes, the Campuses project has secured £15m government funding and was given the go ahead by the Welsh Government and UK Government in December 2021.

Phase one, which will utilise City Deal funding, will deliver 2000m² of dedicated research and innovation space within the Sketty Lane Sports Park at the Swansea University Singleton Campus. This will establish an environment that supports the development, testing and evaluation of medical, health, well-being, and sports technologies, as well as commercial partnerships. It will also include the refurbishment of an existing building at Morriston Hospital that will create a 700m² Institute of Life Sciences space for commercial and academic collaboration alongside clinical research and development.

Once the first phase is complete, it will unlock the development potential of major expansion at both sites over the next decade that will further establish the region at the forefront of health, sports, and science, whilst driving economic development.

Councillor Rob Stewart, Chairman of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s Joint Committee, said, “We are pleased to welcome Vaughan Gething MS to Swansea University to update him about the exciting Campuses project and the remarkable transformations taking shape across Swansea as a whole.  

“The Campuses project will create over 1,000 well-paid jobs in the life science and the health sector which will boost the economy and help attract significant additional investment. Combined with the synergies to the Pentre Awel project in Llanelli, this project will build on our expertise in well-being and clinical innovation, by helping prevent ill-health and improving the quality of life across the region.”

Welsh Government Economy Minister Vaughan Gething added “It was great to visit Swansea University to hear more about how the significant investment we’re making as part of the Swansea Bay City Deal will further enhance Wales’ leading role in advanced medical technologies and science.

“The Welsh Government has a clear focus on creating a stronger, fairer, greener economic future. We want Wales to be a country that’s at the forefront of innovating new technologies that will benefit people in their day-to-day lives.

“We’re confident this exciting new project will help us deliver on that ambition by supporting businesses to exploit links with academia, helping them bring world-leading research out of the labs and industry and into society, which will benefit of our people and our economy.”

Professor Keith Lloyd, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University said “We believe that the Campuses project is a great example of how investment in the public sector can stimulate huge growth in the private sector.

“The University has a strong track record in bringing together academics, the NHS and industrial partners to support growth in medical technology companies. This project will build on those strengths to catalyse a niche area of growth in Swansea in the sports tech sector that will improve the health and wealth of the regional community”

Mark Hackett, Chief Executive Officer of Swansea Bay University Health Board said “The value of research and development to the health economy in the Swansea Bay region cannot be underestimated.

“Not only does this attract high quality jobs and investment to the area, but it paves the way for exhilarating opportunities for staff and patients to be involved at the forefront of exciting developments and innovative treatment.

“As a health board we are delighted to be able to accommodate a key part of this project on our Morriston Hospital site, bringing this cutting-edge research into the heart of healthcare.”