Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones takes inspiration from TWI

The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones visited the TWI Technology Centre in Port Talbot South Wales, ahead of a white paper the Welsh Government are launching on regional development and what transitions will be made following Brexit.

TWI carries out cutting-edge industrial research in sectors including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, nuclear and renewable energy. During the visit the First Minister was guided by TWI Associate Director and Regional Manager, Philip Wallace on a tour of the Advanced Engineering Materials Research Institute (AEMRI), which is an ongoing active expansion of the TWI Wales operation. The tour route afforded the First Minister a chance to see firsthand TWI Wales’ state-of-the-art Non Destructive Testing developments. This included advanced ultrasonics, eddy current array and x-ray computed tomography technologies. The First Minister also met research engineers, technicians and students who are delivering TWI’s industrial focused R&D.

The tour concluded with the First Minister fielding questions from the press at the Robotic Automated Inspection Cell, which is primarily used for the inspection of carbon fibre composites structures within the aerospace sector. The visit helped to highlight the work that TWI does and the associated inward investment from industrial partnerships, as an inspiration for the future of Welsh regional development post-Brexit.

Speaking on the visit, TWI Associate Director and Regional Manager, Philip Wallace said, ‘It is great for us to be able to show the First Minister a little of what we do here at TWI Wales. I hope we have demonstrated how funding from the European Framework programmes is an important element of how TWI supports new research capabilities to enhance our support of Welsh and UK industry. As well as the monetary support, the EU funded programs have been instrumental in developing working relationships with complementary organisations: universities, research institutes and industrial companies, throughout Europe. It is very important for Welsh industry, as well as the research sector, that access to these research programmes (H2020 and its successors) is maintained after Brexit.’

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