The University of South Wales (USW) has been named top-performing higher education institution in Wales for supporting graduate start-up businesses.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures also show that, in 2022/2023, USW was again 11th out of 220 universities across the UK for new startup businesses. It now ranks ninth in the UK for number of active graduate businesses.

It’s the fourth year running that the university has come top in Wales.

In 2022-23 USW supported the establishment of 96 new graduate businesses, bringing the total number of active graduate businesses supported by the University to more than 500.

According to Dr Ben Calvert, USW’s Vice-Chancellor, the figures show how the University’s focus on and investment into entrepreneurship is paying dividends.

“These figures from HESA again show that USW is the ‘Entrepreneurial University of Wales’ and continues to be a leader when it comes to developing graduates who go on to run their own successful businesses,” he said.

“It’s not just the HESA figures which highlight our support for enterprise – last year USW was a finalist in the Times Higher Education Awards University of the Year category, in part because of our commitment to developing an ecosystem which backs entrepreneurs.

“This institution-wide commitment to supporting start-ups and small businesses is part of our DNA – it runs through all we do – and is welcome recognition of the hard work put in by colleagues across the University to developing a growing economy in Wales, across the UK, and worldwide.”

Jonathan Jones, USW Entrepreneurship Manager, added:

“Creating accessible and diverse start-up programmes is what we do best at USW. Through strong partnerships with our incubator Startup Stiwdio, USW Careers, and Exchange Business Network, and our wealth of industry and sector partners, we are able to offer aspiring students and graduates all the support they need to freelance or start a business.”

Will Langley, founder of c-Bloc Productions and a 2022 USW graduate in Music Production and Sound Engineering, explained how the university’s assistance has been vital.

“The support from USW had been essential for my business c-Bloc. Without the incubation space, access to equipment, funding and business support I wouldn't have been able to be doing the job I love today,” he said.

USW’s Faculty of Business and Creative Industries is strongly represented among the graduate start-ups shown in the HESA figures, making up 65% of the new enterprises. The majority of these operate in the screen and media, and also in the design sector. Almost a quarter of the new graduate businesses were from USW’s Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, with the enterprises made up of therapies, sports, and chiropractic.