CCR Energy will this week host five major Business News Wales editorial board discussions at Aberthaw as part of the launch of INFORM, a new initiative launched this week by the team at Business News Wales, designed to bring industry leaders together to help shape a better-informed conversation around Wales' economic opportunities and challenges.
The sessions will bring together senior figures from business, industry, academia and the wider public sector to discuss some of the issues expected to have the greatest influence on the future Welsh economy.
The five editorial boards hosted this week will focus on:
- Manufacturing
- AI, Tech and the Digital Economy
- Skills and Workforce
- Defence, Security and Sovereign Capability
- Social Housing
Rather than simply reporting on the Welsh economy, INFORM will create a structured programme of conversations with the people operating within it, capturing evidence, identifying opportunities and exploring the barriers affecting different industries and regions.
Insights from the editorial boards will subsequently help inform Business News Wales' wider editorial output, while contributing to a growing body of industry evidence that will be delivered directly to Welsh and UK governments.
CCR Energy is developing the former Aberthaw Power Station site into a major destination for clean energy, innovation and sustainable industry, making it a particularly relevant setting for discussions about the industries and technologies that could shape Wales' next phase of economic development.
Nicola Windsor, Head of Operations at CCR Energy, said:
“We are delighted to be supporting Business News Wales with this innovative initiative and to be hosting five of the editorial board discussions here at Aberthaw.
“Bringing people together from across industry to share their experience, challenge thinking and discuss the opportunities ahead for Wales is exactly the kind of conversation we want Aberthaw to enable.
“There is a strong connection between many of the themes being explored through INFORM and our ambitions for Aberthaw, particularly around innovation, skills, advanced industry and the transition to a more sustainable economy.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone to Aberthaw and hearing the conversations that emerge.”
Mark Powney, Managing Director of Business News Wales, said:
“INFORM represents an important evolution in how we approach business media in Wales. We want the experience and evidence of people working across our economy to sit much closer to the heart of the stories and conversations we create.
“These editorial boards aren't intended to be talking shops. They are designed to identify what is happening on the ground, where the opportunities are, what is holding businesses and industries back, and what Wales could potentially do differently.
“CCR Energy is an ideal environment in which to host these conversations. The transformation of the former Aberthaw Power Station itself represents the kind of economic transition we increasingly need to explore, bringing together infrastructure, innovation, investment, skills and new industries.
“We are hugely grateful to Nicola and the CCR Energy team for supporting the launch and we look forward to bringing some exceptional people together for these five discussions.”
The five CCR Energy sessions will sit alongside a wider programme of Business News Wales editorial boards covering key industries and economic themes across Wales.
Together, the conversations will provide the foundations for the first phase of INFORM, with the resulting insight used to create ongoing editorial coverage and help ensure the voices of Welsh businesses, industry leaders and experts are better represented in conversations about Wales' economic future.
