Enterprise and Education are Partners Shaping Newport’s Future

Newport has long been a city of innovation and resilience. Today, it is quietly establishing itself as a great place to start and grow a business – and at the University of South Wales, we are proud to be playing a core role in helping that happen. 

From the outset, our approach has been to ensure that students don’t just study for a future career – they actively take part in building it. Our Newport Campus, sitting right on the riverside, is a striking asset for the city. But beyond its location, what really matters is how we are using it to support students, businesses and community partners. 

Take our National Cyber Security Academy, one of the flagship assets of USW. From day one, our students are immersed in a working environment that reflects what they’ll encounter in industry. The focus is not traditional lectures and conventional exams. Instead, they work directly with cyber businesses in the region on live projects, developing solutions to real-world problems. These students are in demand long before they graduate, which is testament to how closely our approach mirrors the needs of employers. Cyber is a fast-growing sector and Newport is becoming known for its strength in this field. 

Another way we’ve embedded employability into the heart of the student experience is through our Engagement Hub. We’ve dedicated a whole floor of our campus to businesses and community organisations. It’s not a bolt-on. It’s part of the daily experience for our students. Whether it’s through collaboration, mentoring or simply sharing the same space, this approach helps students to understand the world of work while they’re still studying – and it helps businesses connect with emerging talent. Newport has a thriving third sector and the university works in partnership with voluntary organisations to listen to the challenges faced by communities living in the region. We can then co-create solutions to these challenges, empowering community groups to take action. 

We’re also proud of the Startup Stiwdio, which supports graduate entrepreneurs. It’s been central to USW being named the top-performing higher education institution in Wales for supporting graduate start-ups, for the fourth year running. Crucially, we don’t just offer space – we offer tailored development programmes, mentoring and connections. The results speak for themselves: our start-ups not only launch, they survive and grow. And thanks to the wider support ecosystem in Newport, including the likes of Tramshed Tech and the Alacrity Foundation, we can signpost founders to help at every stage of their journey. 

At the same time, we recognise that universities can sometimes feel impenetrable to business. That’s why we created USW Exchange, our physical and virtual front door. It’s a simple concept, but an important one: a clear, easy route for businesses to get the help they need. Whether that’s access to academic expertise, student talent, or advice on funding and growth, Exchange is about listening to businesses and making the right connections. 

One example of how we’re bringing research and business together is through our new Hydra Research and Innovation Centre, built within our Newport campus in partnership with the Hydra Foundation. As one of a number of organisations that already uses Hydra technology for the use of practice-based learning, we have now expanded this partnership and created the world's only Hydra based Research and Innovation Centre. Developed for critical incident decision making within save life organisations, the ethos of Hydra is to solve real world issues through collaboration. We are able to connect partners from a range of sectors with the innovative and ever evolving Hydra technology, providing a safe yet realistic environment to practise critical thinking and real world problem solving. 

What all of this points to is a university deeply embedded in its local economy. We see ourselves not as a separate institution, but as an active partner in Newport’s development. We are helping to build a city where young people can realise their aspirations and where businesses – particularly SMEs – can find the skills and support they need to thrive. 

There is a strong collective ambition in Newport. With so many talented people, supportive organisations and shared purpose, I believe we can continue to grow a place where business and education work hand in hand to deliver real opportunity.