GW4 showcased the power of collaborative, cross-border research and innovation to Members of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) at the Senedd Y Farchnad (Marketplace) in Cardiff earlier this month.
GW4 had a stand, sponsored by Natasha Asghar MS (Welsh Conservatives, South Wales East) at 'Y Farchnad' - a marketplace-style event that brings together organisations, community groups and individuals to meet with Members of the Senedd to discuss issues and raise awareness of ongoing causes and projects.
The event provided GW4’s Director Melanie Knetsch the opportunity to meet with the First Minister, Eluned Morgan MS, and a wide range of Senedd Members. Discussions focused on how collaboration between GW4’s four universities across Wales and England is driving cross-regional development, economic growth, skills and career development and equipment and resource sharing possibilities.
GW4 Alliance Director Melanie Knetsch, said: “This event gave us a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate how collaboration across borders can deliver real impact for communities, economies, and the environment. By working together as GW4 with policy makers, government, industry and other organisations we can accelerate innovation and create solutions that benefit the entire region.”
At the event, GW4 highlighted two flagship projects in Net Zero and sustainability research: GW-SHIFT and Transforming Homes.
Several Members of the Senedd had a turn on the GW-SHIFT Hydrogen bike and learnt how researchers from across the GW4 Alliance alongside Swansea, South Wales, and Plymouth are working with civic and industry partners to unlock the huge potential of our region’s hydrogen ecosystem. Working together we are developing solutions for hydrogen storage and distribution, transport, and the energy sector - leveraging the unique resources, skills and expertise in Wales and the South West region.
The Transforming Homes project, led by Cardiff University, is working with GW4 researchers, businesses, local authorities and community groups to redesign and retrofit houses into beyond net zero liveable homes. The project focuses on redesigning council-built housing from 1920–1940, which accounts for approximately 1.1 million homes still lived in across the UK today. The collaboration is testing and implementing innovative prototype solutions to improve the quality of existing housing stock.
Through the demonstration homes in Swansea and Bristol, the project is helping to show how better housing quality can reduce energy bills, enhance health and wellbeing for residents and contribute to Wales’ decarbonisation targets.
GW4 is the only cross-border research alliance, bringing together the innovative research, academic excellence, shared infrastructure and world-class facilities of University of Bath, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and University of Exeter. This event follows the GW4 Innovation Showcase at Westminster, reinforcing our commitment to driving innovation and regional growth.
