Objectives & Achievements

Objective – To develop close working relationships between the primary economic development agencies in the region.

Through its meetings at senior level and its working groups SWWEF has ensured a common understanding of the opportunities for co-operation between key agencies in the region.

During the development of arrangements for the implementation of the Objective 1 programme for West Wales and the Valleys the forum ran workshops on sub-regional co-ordination and local and regional action plans. It provided the vehicle programme for agreeing sub-regional representation on the Regional Strategy Groups.

A current example is the SWWEF Regional Business Support Group which brings together the providers of business support to exchange best practice and promote co-ordination. The group is pressing for the development of a single database of businesses in the region that can be shared by support agencies and used by businesses as a tool for intertrading. This will avoid wasteful duplication of effort and could be a pilot for a pan-Wales project. The group will also be focusing on the development of the Strategic Frameworks for Business Solutions and Business Finance in the Convergence Programmes 2007-2013 to ensure that the particular needs of the region are taken into account and that a more strategic approach to project development is adopted.

Objective – to develop close working relationships between the private and public sectors in the region in the field of economic development

SWWEF member and observer organisations include CBI Wales, Institute of Directors Wales, West Wales Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses Wales and the SW Wales Regional Tourism Partnership. The Agri-Food Partnership has also been offered observer status. This breadth of representation has made a major contribution to understanding between the two sectors and to the strategies and priorities of the forum.

Objective – to develop co-ordinated strategies for economic growth and development

SWWEF has produced two major strategies for SW Wales: the South West Wales Regional Tourism Strategy (1998) and the South West Wales Regional Economic Framework (2005). Both have been vehicles for integration and co-ordination in their fields.

The South West Wales Regional Economic Framework identifies four priorities for action

• Developing a More Dynamic and Creative Business Base
• Developing Creative Human Capital
• Developing the Spatial Economy
• Raising the Profile of ‘the Creative Region’

Each priority is underpinned by a number of strategic actions and regional initiatives.

Other examples of strategic co-ordination undertaken by the forum include

• South West Wales Strategic Employment Sites: Priority Projects for Funding under Measure 6.3 of the West Wales and the Valleys Objective 1 Programme
• South West Wales Priority 4 Measure 4 Sub Regional Framework : a framework for the delivery of improvements to the learning system through the Objective 1 programme in South West Wales.
• Sites And Premises For SMEs In South West Wales : A statement of sub-regional priorities for Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Objective – to prioritise the actions needed to take forward the strategies and to promote their implementation

Objective – to prioritise the actions needed to take forward the strategies and to promote their implementation
In the context of the South West Wales Regional Economic Framework, the forum has identified and is pursuing the following priorities:

• The social economy
• Sector skills
• Waterfront development and marine leisure.
• Infrastructure (utilities in particular)
  • Sites and premises
  • Waste
  • Wind energy

Objective – to monitor the progress of the local economy and modify the strategies accordingly

The forum receives regular reports on the local economy and labour market. In particular

• The forum has been closely involved in the establishment and direction of WELMERC (the Welsh Economy Labour Market Evaluation and Research Centre) at the University of Wales Swansea
• In 1999 the forum’s tourism working group commissioned the South West Wales Serviced Accommodation Study
• In 2003, the forum’s business support group commissioned a study of labour market and business information needs and sources in the region
• In 2004/5 the forum undertook the South West Wales Regional Review of the Objective 1 programme for the Programme Monitoring Committee.

Objective – to undertake whatever action may be desirable to promote the economic development of the region in Wales, the United Kingdom, Europe and abroad.

The forum undertakes a wide range of activities to promote the economic regeneration of South West Wales. A few examples are given below:

• Major projects database – the forum assembled and maintains a database of major (>£2M) projects in the region which is promoted to local businesses to encourage local sourcing.
• Regional Business Support Group – the forum’s regional business support group consists of the business support providers in the region – WAG (DEIN and DELLS), the local authorities and Jobcentre Plus meeting regularly exchange best practice, to co-ordinate activities and to identify new initiatives. The group is currently working on the development of sub-regional projects for the 2007-2013 Convergence Programme in the context of the Assembly Government’s determination to promote a more strategic approach.
• Wales Screen Commission – the forum was closely involved in the establishment of the Wales Screen Commission’s regional offices. It co-ordinates local authority involvement in the commission, administers the regional management group and is represented on the central management group.
• RTA-ATN – the forum has been the lead partner in Wales of the RTA-ATN, a network of 14 regional socio-professional organisations in France, Spain, Portugal and the UK, of which all four Welsh regional economic forums are jointly a partner. Using Interreg funding, match funded by the Assembly Government between 2003 and 2006, the network has produced three substantial studies on maritime issues and innovation while promoting transnational understanding and exchange of experience. This has significantly raised the profile of Wales in the Atlantic Arc regions.