Time to Back What We're Brilliant At
Wales doesn't always shout about its strengths, but perhaps it's time we did.
We know that, economically, Wales sits below the UK average in terms of overall value. That's a challenge we're working hard to overcome. But within that bigger picture, there are areas where we don't just compete, we lead. And one of those is manufacturing.
Wales is around 20% stronger than the other UK nations when it comes to the value of our manufacturing output. That's not necessarily because we do more of it, it's because what we do is worth more. The expertise, the specialisms, the quality, these are all assets we already have. And they matter.
Manufacturing is the quiet backbone of the Welsh economy. Whether it's components for aerospace, parts for offshore energy, or products for the pharmaceutical industry, we're already embedded in supply chains that stretch across the UK, Europe and beyond. And that puts us in a strong position to attract further investment, from companies who want to build new technologies, new facilities, and new futures in Wales.
If an investor is looking to develop, say, an arc furnace, a floating offshore wind platform or a life sciences facility, we can point to the companies already here, already delivering, already proving that Wales is a safe and capable pair of hands. We have the infrastructure, the knowledge, and crucially, the track record.
But we don't always tell that story well enough.
As a nation, we tend to be humble, quietly proud, but rarely loud. And while that modesty has its place, it's not always helpful when we're trying to compete for attention, funding or inward investment.
We should be shouting about our strengths, our pilot programmes, our innovations. We should be making more noise about what we do best.
That's not just about external messaging, either. It's about helping our own communities understand what's on their doorstep.
Too often, I hear stories of young people who live a mile from a major manufacturing site but have no idea what goes on inside, or what careers might be open to them. We've lost some of that community-to-industry connection that was once strong in Wales, when generations worked in the same steelworks, or passed on knowledge from one pit to the next. We need to rebuild that visibility, that pride, and that pipeline of opportunity.
Because ultimately, this isn't just about jobs. It's about improving lives. It's about anchoring our economy in something real, sustainable, and valuable, and making sure the benefits of that are felt in every part of Wales.
We already know what we're good at. Now's the time to back it, and say it, proudly.
Dr Jennifer Baxter talks about this and more in the recent Net Zero Industries Wales podcast episode 'The Green Economy – Investing in Skills and Workforce for a Net Zero Future' listen to the podcast HERE
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