Centre for Photonics Expertise (CPE) – Please note this project has now closed.

Project description

Four Welsh Universities have come together, as partners, in a three year, WEFO/ERDF funded Project, combining their expertise in photonics to provide innovative solutions to businesses in the West Wales and Valleys region. The intended benefits are to improve to the Welsh economy by providing solutions and improving skills, facilitate growth and improve productivity, whilst also extending our knowledge and capacity through practical problem-solving based research, thereby giving Wales a significant competitive advantage.it will increase capacity in photonics and the three targeted areas of research and attract photonic-related inward investment

Delivery model

The delivery model relies on R&D collaborations using leading research expertise from Glyndŵr, Aberystwyth, Bangor and/or USW through a range of projects designed with the companies’ needs in mind. Although based on a ‘matching’ principle, effectively, there is no cost to the companies as the academic input is supplied free, from whichever University is best suited to meet those needs, provided that there is a comparable time input commitment from the company concerned. Initial contact will be through a Business Development Manager with access to research staff, to set up a potential project, with a contractual arrangement between the parties.

Geographical coverage

The project will benefit local authority areas across the West Wales and the Valleys programme area.

Essential eligibility criteria

Business must be within catchment area and meeting the specific objective of : “…Increasing the successful translation of research and innovation processes into new and improved commercial products, processes and services, in particular through Improved technology transfer from HEI’s.”

The focus will be the ‘Grand Challenge’ priority areas, (the Science for Wales strategy):

• Life sciences and health
• Low carbon, energy and environment
• Advanced engineering and materials

as well as targeting at least five of the seven EPF Thematic Economic Priorities:

• Energy
• Climate change and resource efficiency
• Exploitation of ICT assets and opportunities of the digital market place
• Advanced manufacturing
• Life sciences and health

Specific targets

120 partners will co-operate in research projects, of whom at least 60 enterprises will receive non-financial support, (40 supported to introduce new to the firm products or processes, 20 supported to introduce new to the market products or processes). Where CPE criteria cannot be fulfilled, referral to other sources of support – Welsh Government, WEFO or the private sector will be offered and recorded. Special consideration will be accorded to ensure that work undertaken will not contribute to displacement activity; it is a core concern to increase employment in Wales by at least 16 in consequence of Project activity.

Contact details

Name: Caroline Gray
Email: admincpe@glyndwr.ac.uk
Telephone: 01745 535232
Address: The OpTIC Centre, Ffordd William Morgan, St Asaph Business Park, St Asaph, LL17 0JD
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Additional details

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Progress

The original concept of this Project goes back a few years to the realisation that Wales was developing leading expertise in various areas of photonics, albeit in separate locations, and how much better it could be if there was a collaborative approach. Having secured European funds, and with staff appointed in February-March 2019, the Project was launched in April. In conjunction with Innovate UK KTN, there were two well-attended inaugural events, one at USW, and the other at St Asaph. Meetings are now being held with companies across the catchment area and several potential projects are currently under discussion.