The first project in the North Wales Growth Deal has been launched.
The North Wales Growth Deal is a £1 billion investment to the region’s economy, £240m of which is funded by the Welsh and UK governments.
The first project in the Deal is the Digital Signal Processing Centre (DSP) at Bangor University which launched after securing £3m from the Growth Deal through decision-making body Ambition North Wales.
Through the investment, the centre will expand its research capacity by acquiring additional equipment to develop digital tech to support the whole region which could create up to 40 new jobs.
Technology at the DSP centre manages the way digital signals are transmitted, providing a solution for the signals to be better processed and received and to be both more secure and more cost effective.
As demand for digital services continues to rise, the centre will research digital communications and develop solutions to digital requirements in the future, helping businesses and residents with better communication capabilities such as 5G and 6G.
The DSP centre has already benefitted from £6m ERDF funding to build on the international profile and success of Bangor University’s Optical Communications and Research Group (OCRG).
Having worked with big names in the industry including Ciena, Fujitsu and BT, the Centre has filed eight patents and has already secured research grants totalling £12m.
Chair of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn said: “We are delighted to have reached a point where we are seeing our first project become reality. It’s fitting that it is one of the fastest growing sectors, as well as looking to promote research and innovation in this field as well as improve digital connectivity across the region.”
“With the development of globally important technologies here, the DSP Centre is putting North Wales on the map and at the forefront of this exciting sector. The team already works with large international businesses and big names in the industry, including Ciena and Vodafone. They also work with business partners from local SMEs, providing access to state-of-the-art equipment to develop local skills and access to state-of-art equipment to develop local skills and accelerate their product development.”
Bangor University Vice Chancellor Iwan Davies said: “We are a research-led University and ventures such as the DSP Centre are a great example of how our research can have real-world impact whilst providing transformative teaching to our students. We also recognise the positive impact we can have on our local community here in Bangor, the wider economy of North Wales and worldwide through developing sustainable technologies in this field.”
First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “This is an historic day for the North Wales Growth Deal as the first project to be funded through the deal comes to fruition. With the new equipment available, Bangor University’s DSP Centre will carry out groundbreaking research into digital technology.
“Demand for digital services is set to continue growing and the centre will be well-placed to become a world-leader in researching how to future-proof this technology.
“We are also working with the DSP centre to bring faster broadband to rural parts of Anglesey, and I’m pleased to see this exciting development today. With our backing, the Growth Deal team is looking at a number of other exciting projects to come.”
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales David TC Davies said: “I’m delighted to see the North Wales Growth Deal making fantastic progress. It will bring significant investment and jobs and will help transform the economy of North Wales. Alongside the £120m committed to the North Wales Growth Deal, the UK Government has backed growth deals cover every part of Wales with hundreds of millions more in funding. Working hand in hand with our partners, the deals will unleash the full potential of our communities.”
“As the North Wales Growth Deal reaches this landmark, I look forward to seeing many more projects reach fruition across the region and throughout Wales in the coming months and years.”
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