Enhancing Regional Innovation Systems in Cymru (Wales): Lessons from AgorIP and CALIN

Abstract

This paper presents a practitioner report of two exemplar European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) projects
within Cymru (Wales). Namely analysing the AgorIP and Celtic Advanced Life Science Innovation Network (CALIN) business
and research support projects within the context of Regional Innovation Systems (RIS) (Cooke et al, 2004; Pino & Ortega,
2018). Cymru has had a long history tied to innovation with Llywodraeth Cymru (Welsh Government) placing the need to
encourage Research Development & Innovation (RD&I) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) competitiveness at the
forefront of their vision for Cymru’s future economy. Both lead by Prifysgol Abertawe (Swansea University), the AgorIP and
CALIN projects had different delivery models, AgorIP having secondees in external Cymru HEIs and GIG Cymru UHBs (NHS
Wales University Health Boards) that supported the delivery at the main hub, and CALIN, a partnership between three Cymru
and three Irish HEIs. Jointly supporting over 300 enterprises and organisations across their lifetimes, the projects' outcomes
offer the potential to learn from previous publicly funded business support initiatives within the Cymru RIS. This paper will
use these outcomes to inform future Cymru RIS support projects that could learn from and improve on the operations of
those before it. These new projects should focus on sharing capabilities and avoiding duplication where possible,
incorporating and utilising the individual capabilities and knowledge bases of Cymru's HEIs and Science Parks, with the ability
to work on projects that combine organisations across Cymru and beyond. Further, the projects should adopt AI-enabled
software as a ‘shopfront’ to engage with users, automate the creation of RIS networks, and provide business support
templates and training that can be supplemented by additional support from project partners.