When we talk about Cyber Wales, we’re not just talking about a brand or a network, we’re talking about a national asset. One that has quietly become central to the UK’s operational cyber capacity and is increasingly recognised as a player on the global cyber stage.
Here’s a fact that often surprises people: around 80% of the UK’s operational, nation-state cyber capability takes place in or along the Welsh border. That’s not a coincidence. It’s the result of years of focused investment, world-class talent, and a uniquely collaborative ecosystem built here in Wales.
But with that strength comes a responsibility. We must protect and project our unity.
There is a real risk in allowing our ecosystem to fragment, by geography, by institution, or by agenda. We hear the language creeping in: South East Wales does this, Bangor does that, the Capital Region leads on this. While regional strengths are something to celebrate, if we lose sight of the totality, the Wales-wide identity, we lose something far more valuable: our national critical mass. Although Wales seems big to us, it is about the same size as the counties of West Midlands or Greater Manchester by population, so fractionalising it even further means we lose agency not gain it.
Wales, collectively, is a cyber nation. We have the National Cyber Security Centre on our doorstep, an active network of innovative companies, some of the UK's most advanced red teams, internationally respected academic research, and UK national government agencies working closely with industry and educators. That whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.
When we fragment, we dilute our story. When we stand together, we lead.
Cyber Wales has always stood for collaboration over competition. We’ve built one of the most interconnected cyber communities in Europe. Universities share research. SMEs and multinationals exchange knowledge. Government listens. Students engage with practitioners. And we all benefit from speaking with one voice, not 22 local ones.
That unity matters when we look outward too. On the global stage, partners, investors, and collaborators aren’t interested in a postcode lottery of capability. They want to see national coherence. A country that knows what it stands for. A cyber ecosystem that pulls in the same direction. A message that says, without ambiguity, Wales is where cyber lives in the UK.
So my message is simple: let’s keep that Welshness. Let’s keep that wholeness. Let’s not retreat into localism or siloed interests. Let’s continue to show the world what’s possible when a nation comes together around a shared mission.
Stronger together is more than a slogan. In cyber, it's the key to our future success.
