Led by the University of South Wales in collaboration with Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, and in conjunction with the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR), the Academic-Industry Partnership Programme successfully delivered a series of impactful research and development initiatives designed to drive economic development across South East Wales. 

Through a targeted programme of short-term collaborative R&D projects, the initiative helped enterprises adopt new or improved products and services, as well as technologies and processes that were new to their organisations. These collaborations supported enhanced operational efficiency, access to new markets, increased sales, and improved profitability. 

The programme’s events – delivered in partnership with further education institutions and the Open University in Wales – provided free support to businesses across the CCR’s five priority clusters: Compound Semiconductors, Cyber Security, Medtech, Fintech, and Creative Industries. Attendees benefitted from expert-led panel discussions, thought leadership, industry insights, and valuable networking opportunities. 

Funding support of up to £14,000 per project (with match funding of 10% for micro/small enterprises and 25% for medium/large enterprises) enabled participating businesses to access academic expertise and deliver innovation-focused projects that will continue to generate impact beyond the life of the programme. 

Together, this initiative has helped lay the foundations for stronger, more sustainable academic-industry partnerships – positioning the region for continued innovation-led growth.