Three projects involving the University of South Wales (USW) have been given more than £2.3 million as part of a multi-million-pound fund aimed at supporting local communities and economies.

The UK Community Renewal Fund, launched last March, invited councils around the UK to bid for a share of £200 million funding to support their local communities and economies. Each council could apply for up to £3 million for private and public sector projects.

Research and Development Centre, Newport City Council, Professor Andrew Ware – £745,617

Staff from USW,  local health boards and Age Cymru Gwent will form the Research and Development Centre for WIDI at USW’s Newport Campus.

Professor Andrew Ware, WIDI’s Director of Research, said:

“The opportunity to work with health boards from across the region to establish a Research and Development Centre in Newport provides the opportunity to develop technologies that will have an impact across Wales and beyond.”

This will include the design and prototyping of an online Digital Health Village, which will provide nursing and allied health care students with the opportunity to train in a simulated environment; the development of online teaching material related to Digital Health and Care; and the formulation of a strategy and educational resource for ABUHB to maximise the use of Artificial Intelligence in the delivery of health and care services.

The strategy and educational resource will form a blueprint and prototype that, through WIDI’s extensive contacts with other health boards, will be used to inform the work of others.

Ideas2Innovation – Rhonda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, Assistant Pro Vice-Chancellor of Entrepreneurship – £559,526

The Ideas2Innovation programme will be based in a new business accelerator in Rhondda Cynon Taf and will offer a support package for entrepreneurs to develop and commercialise their business ideas.

It will use a new approach that combines seed funding with direct help – including training, business support, access to premises, and mentoring – and will focus on investing in new ideas, entrepreneurship skills to turn those ideas into innovations, and supporting enterprising young people into starting a business.

Funding of up to £15,000 will be available for the development of businesses. The programme is a partnership between USW and the Alacrity Foundation, both of which are involved in supporting the development of entrepreneurial talent within South East Wales.

VISTA Programme – Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Professor Nigel Copner – £1,008,874

The Valleys Innovation Showcase for Technological Advancement (VISTA) will provide a forum for academics and industry to deliver for companies major productivity enhancements, increased profits, and lower relative carbon footprint.

It will establish a Showcase and centre to deliver workshops, knowledge-sharing, funding and networks, which will greatly enhance the competitiveness of industries in Blaenau Gwent.

Funding will also be made available to companies so that new product ideas or processes can be developed that will enable greater productivity, competitiveness, and opportunities for further investments.

It will also work closely with companies to identify their key challenges and provide targeted support from academia and industry.

Professor Paul Harrison, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Innovation), said:

“These three successes are testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of our academics, and their commitment to support local businesses and hence grow economic prosperity within our local communities.  This is another example of how we are the University for South Wales.”