With its upcoming Economy Summit, the IWA, Wales’ leading independent think tank, will gather experts and leaders from across the country to map out Wales’ economic future on 30 November and 1 December.
The event will include sessions with Welsh Minister for Economy Vaughan Gething MS and UK Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up, The Union and Constitution Neil O’Brien MP, as well as several expert panels who will engage in discussions around levelling up, climate change, the foundational economy and decarbonisation. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and contribute to debates about Wales’ post-Covid 19 future.
The IWA brings its expertise on Welsh institutions, political life and economy, bolstered by its recent work on energy and the foundational economy, to the conversation. The event will also feature exclusive new research by the IWA’s foundational economy lead, Dr Jack Watkins, who will be launching a paper analysing the underpinnings and consequences of the UK Government’s Levelling up agenda for the country, and question its impact on the devolution settlement.
Auriol Miller, director of the IWA, said:
‘The IWA has been a witness and steadfast participant in all of Wales’ watershed moments from the very start of the nation’s devolved history. The climate emergency, Covid-19, and Brexit all contribute to a highly complex political, social and legislative context that will impact Wales for the decade to come.
‘Now is the moment to steer the conversation in a direction that will bring benefits for the country in a sustainable and equitable manner. For the opportunities of the future to ripple across Welsh society, we need the skills, workforce, clean energy sources and supply chains and a strong civic sphere to match, and for decision-makers to rise to the occasion.’
The IWA’s Virtual Economy Summit will take place on 30 November and 1 December from 11am to 3pm. Concessionary tickets are available. You can register online: https://www.iwa.wales/eventbrite-event/2021-virtual-economy-summit/
