“Wales means business” is not a slogan but a statement of intent, Welsh Government Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Adam Price has said.
Speaking at the CBI Wales Annual Lunch in his first public remarks since taking up his ministerial role, he said the new Welsh Government wanted to “fire up” the Welsh economy and described the business community as “the engine of growth”.
He said:
“Wales means business, not as a slogan – as a statement of intent, because Wales is not short of potential. We have globally significant aerospace in the north, we have a world-leading compound semiconductor cluster in the southeast, major industrial change underway in Port Talbot, and in the Celtic Sea a floating offshore wind opportunity that few places on Earth can match.
“We have strong universities and a deep wealth of talent – talent that runs from Airbus to Admiral, to Shotton Mill to Vishay, across every sector and every part of Wales.
“And yet we have not turned those strengths into the performance always we should expect. That's the gap that we inherited in terms of the gap between our latent potential and where we currently are.
“Prosperity isn't a collection of assets. It's the way those assets connect – whether knowledge flows between firms, whether a site is ready, when the investment comes, whether energy and planning and skills and infrastructure arrive in the right order.
“When that works, growth follows. When it doesn't, the potential just sits there. And too many of you know how that feels.”
He told the audience that ensuring key elements such as planning, grid connection and access to finance were in place was a task for government, adding that this was the reason his portfolio brings together enterprise, connectivity, and energy.
“My ambition is for Wales to be one of the easiest places in the United Kingdom to start, grow and invest in a business,” said the Minister.
“That doesn't mean lowering our standards, and it doesn't mean deregulation for its own sake.
“It means something harder – a government that is clearer about its priorities, faster in its decisions and better at pulling together the different the parts you depend on.”
“So here is the test I want you to hold us to. When you want to grow, you should know exactly which door to knock on, and when something blocks you, you should know exactly who to pick up the phone to.”
Adam Price also took part in a panel discussion at the lunch, which was held at Cardiff's Parkgate Hotel. He was joined on the panel by Carolyn Brownell, executive director of business improvement district FOR Cardiff, and the discussion was chaired by John Foster, CBI chief policy and campaigns officer.
Carolyn said she was encouraged to hear the Minister talk about an intention to listen to business as well as the desire to move at pace and to build confidence.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens also gave a keynote address, urging businesses to continue to work with the UK Government on the Industrial Strategy, and to offer feedback on what is needed for firms to grow, create jobs and export.
