£55,000 boost for Welsh games developers to build new titles for Microsoft

A Welsh Government supported initiative has seen three Welsh games developers given £55,000 grants to build new gaming titles for Microsoft.

Dojo Arcade and Wales Interactive Ltd based in Pencoed Technology Park and Sky Fish Studios Ltd of Cardiff are the first in Wales to participate in the Microsoft Greenshoots programme.

Greenshoots is an incubation programme that has partnered with Creative England over the past two years and is now being piloted in Wales with support from Welsh Government.  Read more.

Takeaway and Meal Service to deliver 280 jobs for Cwmbran An innovative new UK-wide online takeaway ordering and restaurant booking service will deliver 280 jobs to Cwmbran. Kukd.com will provide its members with a web presence and ecommerce solution to enable them to order online, using web or mobile applications. A business finance package from Welsh Government helped secure the new investment for Wales.  Read more.

Smartpipe Solutions £6 million investment creates 43 jobs Smartpipe Solutions has officially opened its new software and development research centre in Cwmbran - a move backed by Welsh Government that will create more than 40 highly-skilled jobs in the IT sector. The Ty Coch based company received almost £1million business finance from Welsh Government, £700k from Notion Capital, £500k from Finance Wales and a further £4 million from private investors. They have already recruited 13 new employees for the Welsh centre with more than 30 other IT engineering specialists to be employed in 2016.  Read more.

Vizolution expansion creates new jobs Vizolution, an award winning IT company, is expanding its technology team by creating 22 new jobs in Port Talbot. The company, which has its headquarters in Baglan Energy Park, has received a £275,000 funding package from the Welsh Government which includes grant support and repayable business finance. It will enable Vizolution to expand into new markets both in the UK and internationally and recruitment for top quality IT developers is already underway. Read more.  Image – Bill Safron, Chief Executive

Welsh Government helps Amplyfi relocate AMPLYFI Ltd, a start-up specialising in artificial intelligence software has moved to Wales with support from the Welsh Government’s prestigious Digital Development Fund. AMPLYFI, whose software is currently being piloted worldwide, had offices in San Francisco and England. They have now moved its operations to Cardiff both expanding and creating jobs. They also plan to roll out the commercial version of their first product, DataVoyantTM in the spring of 2016.  Read more. Image -   Chris Ganje (left) and Mark Woods

Machynlleth firm benefits from property support Plant-i, an award winning telematics business has officially launched their new offices. The prestigious company is just one of more than 100 businesses that have been helped into Welsh Government owned property over the last year. At the official opening, Economy Minister Edwina Hart, said that finding a property solution for companies is just one of the many ways that the Welsh Government is supporting business growth and job creation. Read more. Image - Economy Minister Edwina Hart on a recent visit to Plant-i pictured with MD Sam Browne.

Superfast Broadband schemes expanded Two Welsh Government schemes are being expanded to further increase the number of people able to access superfast broadband in Wales.  Wales already leads the way with the provision of superfast broadband among the devolved nations*, with over 530,000 premises in Wales now able to access fast fibre broadband thanks to the project. Changes to the Access Broadband Cymru and Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher schemes will expand the availability of superfast broadband and will make faster internet speeds available to all homes and businesses across Wales.  Read more.  *According to Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2015

AB Connectors marks 80 years in business AB Connectors Ltd marked 80 years in business with a visit by Economy Minister Edwina Hart. The company, which has been operating from its facility in Abercynon, since the late 1940s, specialises in producing military electronic components for critical Aerospace and Defence, Industrial and Rail applications. They employ 140 people and are recognised as one of the market leaders in design, test and manufacture of harsh environment interconnection systems, bespoke harness assemblies and connectors.  Read more.

Digital technology puts patients in control Welsh citizens will be able to have a digital consultation with their GP as part of a new strategy to put technology at the heart of Wales’s health and social care system. The Welsh Government initiative allows patients to use a smartphone to monitor their own short and long term health, access their own health records, book appointments and order prescriptions online. “Informed Health and Care: a digital health and social care strategy for Wales” sets out the Welsh Government’s five-year vision for the use of digital technology within both the Welsh NHS and in Wales’s social services.  Read more.

Blaenau Gwent speeding ahead with superfast broadband coverage Superfast Cymru has enabled more than 95 per cent of businesses and households in Blaenau Gwent to access superfast fibre broadband making it one of the best digitally connected areas in the UK. More than 30,000 premises across the local authority area are now able to access the technology, which can deliver world class internet speeds many times faster than was previously available. Read more.

Exporting is GREAT tour comes to Wales

Welsh companies are invited to a series of free events aimed at developing their export business.

The Exporting is GREAT tour, a joint initiative between Welsh Government and UK Trade and Investment, comes to Wales from February 15 to 26.

Held at ten venues across the country, the events can provide your business with an opportunity to meet with experts to discuss international business opportunities, seek advice on their target markets through a series of one to one meetings and seminars - whatever your size or sector. Find out more and book your appointment to ensure your business can connect with our extensive list of global contacts. 

New head office plan and e-commerce facility for Charlies Stores in Welshpool

Charlies Stores, one of the largest independent retailers in Wales, is working with Welsh Government to establish both its headquarters and an e-commerce fulfilment centre in Welshpool.

A significant growth in on-line trading, the company’s website business has seen 80% year on year growth. They plan to double on-line turnover in 2016 with the ambition of internet sales driving its future growth.

The expansion will safeguard 67 jobs and provide opportunities for growth and job creation in the future. Read more.

Tech start-up Blurrt scoops major UK technology award

The Cwmbran based company was recently shortlisted from a large number of Welsh entries to take home the TechCities Award at a ceremony held in London.

Blurrt, which has received Welsh Government support, provides an analytics platform allowing its users to collect, listen, showcase, analyse and engage with their social audiences in real time.  Find out more.

£2m boost for Welsh SMEs to develop tailor made solutions for public sector challenges

Welsh innovators are being offered a share of funding through a new Dragons Den-style competition to encourage strategic solutions to some of the trickiest challenges facing the public sector in Wales today.

The new Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Innovation Accelerator programme – which is backed by over £2m from the Welsh Government - will launch a series of competitions next year in collaboration with InnovateUK when SMEs can bid for R&D funding to develop technology-driven solutions for specific challenges facing the public sector.   Read more. 

£12m funding from Welsh Government supports Europe’s first compound semiconductor cluster in Wales

A £12m funding package has been officially granted by Economy Minister Edwina Hart to support the construction, fit-out, and purchase of capital equipment for Cardiff University’s Institute for Compound Semiconductors (ICS).

The ICS forms part of Cardiff University’s £300m investment in new research and innovation centres and is a key element of the wider strategy to create Europe’s fifth semiconductor cluster - and the only one dedicated to compound semiconductors.  Read more.

Small Business Rates Relief extended for year with £98million

The Welsh Government’s Small Business Rates Relief Scheme will be extended for another year, Economy Minister Edwina Hart has announced.

The £98million scheme, which benefits over three quarters of business premises in Wales, means around half of all eligible businesses will pay no business rates again next financial year.  Read more..

Contracts worth £50m for enhanced Business Wales service

The Welsh Government’s flagship Business Wales service is set to expand, with the aim of creating 10,000 new businesses, 28,300 new jobs and providing support to help inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs over the next five years. It is also looking to increase the volume of goods and services exported from Wales, which will add an additional £215million to the Welsh Economy.  Read more.

New £39m fund to bolster Wales’ world-class scientific research capacity

More than sixty science research fellowships will benefit from a new £39m fund to expand Wales’ world-class scientific research capacity, Economy Minister Edwina Hart has announced whilst launching the second phase of Sêr Cymru II at Swansea University.

The first phase was launched in September 2015 after £17m Welsh Government and European funding enabled 90 new research fellows from across Europe to work with stellar researchers in Wales.  Read more.

Number of businesses in Wales grows by 11% since 2011

Economy Minister Edwina Hart is urging budding entrepreneurs to consult Business Wales to help turn their business ambitions into reality - as latest figures reveal the number of business enterprises operating in Wales has grown by more than 10% under the current Welsh Government.

At the start of recent Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Minister welcomed latest figures indicating that since 2011 there has been an 11% increase in the number of enterprises doing business in Wales.  Read more.

KTPs driving innovation and supporting business growth in Wales

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) which enable companies to access academic skills and expertise to address strategic business challenges are playing a key role in driving innovation in Wales.

This is the message that Economy Minister Edwina Hart delivered when she addressed WelshKTP@40 – an event marking 40 years of the programme in Wales.  Read more.

Health check for innovative businesses

SMARTInnovation is offering three days worth of free consultancy to businesses for design and manufacturing advice. This Welsh Government support is part of the new package of SMART support backed by EU funds.

Find out how your business can be assisted.

Latest Labour Market Statistics show Wales outperform UK

The latest Labour Market Statistics have shown that Wales has outperformed almost every other part of the UK to record the joint largest fall in the unemployment rate - and the second largest increase in the rate of employment.

Year on year, claimant count and economic inactivity have fallen faster in Wales than across the UK as a whole. The number of people unemployed decreased by 17,000 across Wales, while the falling unemployment rate amongst 18-24 year olds in Wales outperformed the UK average.

The First Minister said; “Our policies are working. Earlier this month we launched the latest phase of our flagship Business Wales service, worth £50million, with the aim of creating 10,000 new businesses, 28,300 new jobs and providing support to help inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs over the next five years.”

Digital Tuesday

Digital Tuesday is a networking community which meets on the first Tuesday of each month usually at the Celtic Manor, Newport - to exchange knowledge, debate and do business around the digital theme.

Find out more and register your interest here.

Follow us on @WG_economy

You can now stay up-to-date and engage with Welsh Government’s department for Economy, Science and Transport by following us on Twitter.