Written question WQ91057

Through the Agile Cymru programme, the Welsh Government has, to date, delivered two specific funding initiatives to encourage economic cooperation with Ireland and partners around the Irish Sea space.

In 2021, Agile Cymru launched a call for organisations in Wales to increase Irish Sea cooperation and/or to maximise engagement in Horizon Europe. The following eight projects involving cooperation with Ireland were selected for funding:

Organisation

Brief Description

Grant Awarded

BIC Innovation Ltd

Supporting engagement with ConsortiaCo, Cork consultants, to create an ecosystem that drives Wales-Ireland consortium building and applications to Horizon Europe in areas such as food sustainability and net zero carbon delivery at scale.

£3,675.00

Bangor University

Supporting Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences to deliver a cross-border workshop focusing on engagement of coastal communities in areas such as sustainable fisheries and aquaculture through to marine renewable energy and tourism.

£5,255.00

Swansea University

Supporting engagement between the Materials Research Centre at Swansea University and Limerick University on novel methods of residual stress measurement (nanoindentation) in metallic components.

£4,989.00

Swansea University

Support to the School of Engineering, Swansea University, to develop a proposal to a Horizon Europe tidal energy call. The proposal built on an existing Interreg-funded project (MONITOR) and a consortium leading a H2020 project in a similar topic area (RealTide).

£4,950.00

University of South Wales

Enabling academics and other practitioners from the creative industries in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland to connect via a two-day online conference. The aim of the workshop was the exchange of best practice between regions on the creative industries through the medium of Welsh, Irish Gaelic, and Scottish Gallic as vulnerable/endangered languages. It also aimed to promote innovate research in the creative industries.

£4,971.00

University of South Wales

Support to the Innovation & Engagement Faculty of Life Sciences and Education at the University of South Wales to establish an 'Irish Sea Social Prescribing Network', to increase Irish Sea cooperation amongst social prescribing stakeholders.

£4,919.00

Menai Science Park Ltd

Menai Science Park Ltd (M-Sparc) travel mission to the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) in Dublin to explore and create trade opportunities along the Irish Sea trade corridor and to explore future innovative ways of working together in the innovation, science, and technology sector.

£4,000.00

Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA

Support to organise and deliver a workshop between ‘social lenders’ in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales (Social Investment Scotland and Community Finance Ireland) to research opportunities for supporting social enterprises / community-based organisations (inc. the role of language).

£3,537.80

In March 2023 Agile Cymru launched a further funding initiative to encourage economic co-operation across the Irish sea space. This has supported the following nine projects:

Organisation

Brief Description

Grant Awarded

SaySomethingin Cyf

Support cooperation with Irish partners to develop a digital language learning system. Promoting shared learning of language policy development and bilingualism, and the use of the Welsh and Irish languages.

£5,000.00

Swansea University

Maintaining the Celtic Advanced Life Science Innovation Network (CALIN), building on Ireland Wales Interreg-funded network of business, academia, and healthcare. Strengthening economic links and cross-border collaboration in life sciences, driving cross-border innovation in over 200 SMEs.

£42,000.00

Aberystwyth University

Building on the success of Ireland Wales Interreg-funded networks and activities, to create a network focusing on mobilising the shared and diverse cultures and histories of all territories bordering the Irish Sea. Includes exploring potential of heritage sites associated with the Saints and Celtic Routes.

£34,912.64

Bangor University

Building on Ireland-Wales Interreg-funded activity to increase economic co-operation through sustainable blue growth within the Irish and Celtic Seas, including the North Channel area. Establishing an ‘Irish and Celtic Sea Lighthouse’, acting as a hub/platform for increased cooperation and collaborative funding proposals, mirroring the European Bauhaus lighthouse initiative.

£41,217.00

Cyhoeddi Cymru Cyf

Support Welsh attendance at the Irish Book Trade Conference, Dublin, to foster Cross-Border Co-operation between Cyhoeddi Cymru and Publishing Ireland, and in turn Irish and Welsh publishers for the benefit of the Welsh economy.

£2,400.00

The Learned Society of Wales

A pilot scheme with the Royal Irish Academy to support two collaborative fellowship research projects focussed on 'culture, language and heritage', one led and funded by Wales and the other by Ireland.

£15,000.00

Menai Science Park Ltd

To support a further Welsh delegation visit to Ireland and build on the relationship with Guinness Enterprise Centre and other key Irish partners.

£5,000.00

Nightingale HQ Ltd

NHQ provides AI-powered software that helps manufacturers integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their operations. Agile Cymru support will help develop NHQ links with manufacturers in Ireland and Germany to take part in the European Institute for Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) manufacturing hub.

£1,896.00

The Welsh Sports Association Ltd

Build on the important sporting links, connecting grass roots and elite sporting organisations in both countries to maximise opportunities for cooperation and exchange ideas, e.g. best practice for economic and environmental sustainability in sport.

£5,000.00