PROFESSOR DYLAN JONES-EVANS

On Friday, I attended a conference at Aston University - where I completed my Ph.D - to establish a new academic network ( UNITE) on the whole area of university-industry linkages. In particular, this symposium examined the importance of this phenomenon for each of the four regions of the UK. For the two smallest regions - Wales and Northern Ireland - it was noted that much remains to be done in boosting research and development and ensuring that the millions spent on university research is translated into increased wealth and prosperity in the economy. For example, the latest statistics show that less than two per cent of UK business research and development is carried out in Wales and whilst this situation has improved during the last few years, we need to encourage more Welsh companies to engage in research activities as well as continuing to attract high value-added business projects that spend a higher than average proportion of their turnover on R&D in Wales. To this extent,...

Many will have been interested in the news that, after three years of a lengthy process, the Welsh Assembly Government have finally announced that they will grant the licence required for the construction of the proposed Beaumaris Marina, enabling the construction of a 400 berth development to the south side of Gallows Point on the Menai Straits. Economic projections indicate that the marina could create approximately 140 new jobs in the local area across a wide range of businesses, in addition to those created directly by the marina, generating in excess of £8 million per annum in the local area. However, what excites me more about this development is the creation of 40,000 square foot of space for marine support services which could form the nucleus for a significant new industry within the region. As various reports have demonstrated, North Wales is punching well below its weight in terms of the marine industry, despite the huge potential for the sector. There is certainly scope for...

AFTER a long hiatus, it is interesting to see that the issue of lower taxation is being discussed in academic and political circles yet again. Last month, we saw the proposal, by Professor Patrick Minford , that one way of reforming the UK tax system would be to introduce a flat tax of 15% across people of all incomes and on all commodities. This, he believes, would encourage more people to work and encourage fewer people to seek to avoid paying taxes. At the same time, the CBI called for lower business taxation, suggesting that the cumulative effect of post-1997 business tax rises was expected to hit £80 billion by 2010, while a KPMG survey of the UK's largest companies found that there were increasing concerns over rising business taxes. As a result, the tax burden for UK businesses has become higher than that of the US, and is set to overtake Germany and the Netherlands in the forthcoming tax year. Only France will have a higher business burden and, ironically, it has recently b...

LAST week, just before the closure of the WDA, a number of the enterprise agencies in Wales received notice – only a few days before the end of the financial year – that the budget for developing and supporting new businesses would be substantially cut. As a result, a considerable number of jobs will be lost within these bodies, which deliver various business support packages across Wales and act as a vital catalyst in encouraging entrepreneurship. As usual, the timing of the decision was immaculate, especially as the latest start-up figures from Barclays demonstrated a decrease of nearly 13% in the number of new businesses being established in Wales: There were 2,000 less businesses starting up in Wales in 2005 as compared to the previous year. The main axe on business support will allegedly fall on South East Wales, which contains some our poorest and least enterprising communities, and where providers will see their funding in aiding start-ups almost halved. Coincidentally, South Ea...