PROFESSOR DYLAN JONES-EVANS

After teaching in Turku and consulting in Berlin this week, I am today off sailing amongst the myriad of islands known as Saaristomeri (the Southwestern Archipelago). The thousands of islands and skerries are part of the biggest archipelago in the world and it is a great experience, although I haven't been out on a boat here for ten years. The plan is to sail this afternoon out to one of the largest islands, moor the boat, have sauna in one of the huts on the island, cook some steaks on the barbecue, and drink red wine before heading back tomorrow morning. Heaven!

Having been a regular visitor to Turku since 1994, I continue to be impressed by the range of industry within this Finnish region. For example, as well as having centres of excellence in high technology sectors such as biotechnology and information technology, Turku also has an industrially relevant heritage with the marine industry, building on the city's long history with shipbuilding, which dates back to 1737. Unlike the situation in the UK, the shipbuilding industry remains an important part of Finland's economic future, and Turku is one of the largest, and most modern European centres in this sector. For example, Voyager of the Seas - the world's largest cruise ships, was delivered from the Turku shipyard in 1999, and four sister ships are being built here. Given this, it is not surprising that there are now plans to establish a maritime and technology research and training centre in the city. This will support various maritime technology projects and offer a framework...

Back in Turku, Finland, for another stint as visiting professor. I arrived at around 1700 Finnish time last night (two hours ahead of the UK) minus my baggage, which thankfully arrived on a later flight. I spent a very pleasant couple of hours having dinner with my good friend Professor Antti Paasio whose father - Rafael Paasio - was once prime minister of Finland. Whilst Antti's politics are very different to mine, we both share friendship, an understanding of the importance of entrepreneurship, and an appreciation of red wine! This morning, I managed to get up fairly early, and just when the majority of Wales was turning over for another hour's kip, I was walking past the magnificent Turku Cathedral (pictured) on my way to give an eight o clock lecture at the Turku School of Economic s. The lecture went well - despite being four hours long - and I am looking forward to discussing entrepreneurship and growth with a diverse and international student class over the next few da...

Just got back from Amsterdam today after attending a meeting of ESBA - a pan-European small business representative group . On catching up with my newspaper reading (de rigeur if you are a budding politician!), I saw a letter from the press officer for the TUC in North Wales, who argued that businesses have not been involved in the Objective 1 projects because of a lack of verve and enterprise. I am very surprised at the anti-business tone of this letter as my experiences of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee concluded in its review of the funding stream that the application process is too slow and bureaucratic and that small businesses do not have much resources to devote to making applications which may actually take so long to be approved that the project is no longer relevant to the business or the region. In contrast, many public sector bodies have dedicated European Officers, funded from taxpayers or ratepayers money, who spend their entire time applying for projects on behalf o...

Brynle Williams AM, Gwyn Evans, North Wales Chair FSB, the author and Mike Learmond, FSB regional organiser, North Wales and Chester, outside the FSB stand at the Anglesey show   Last Sunday, I was the keynote speaker at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)’s Chairman’s Conference in Llandudno and called upon the FSB to re-examine their role in the light of the new Government of Wales Bill.  With over 9,500 members, the FSB has become a major lobbying organisation within Wales. However, this was not always the case and, to a large extent, we have devolution to thank for their increased presence within Wales.  Prior to the establishment of the Assembly, the FSB branch in Wales mainly followed the lead of the London office and was largely ineffectual in influencing Welsh Office policy. However, with the creation of a new democratic body in Wales, it saw the opportunity, as an organisation representing thousands of Welsh businesses, to make its mark in terms of persuadin...

A study was released by the World Bank last week examining the best places in the World to do business. Of interest is the fact that two small economies, namely Singapore (pictured) and New Zealand, were top of the list yet again. In contrast, the UK had slipped down to 6th place, being overtaken by Hong Kong. In terms of starting a business, countries such as Canada, Australia and Ireland were also above the UK, which was ranked 9th globally. For Wales, this raises the issue of whether we will ever be an attractive place to do business under the current financial and economic powers held by the Assembly. Certainly, there is growing discontent over the fact that we only have grants as the main weapon in competing with other nations for business. More importantly, the value of grants in attracting knowledge-based companies, seems to be declining every year.

Last Tuesday, we saw the return of another TV programme looking at entrepreneurs and their trials and tribulations in starting a business. “ A New Life: Risking it all ” is a Channel 4 production in which the millionaire and entrepreneur Martin Webb mentors new start-ups. The first episode examined two hairstylists establishing a new salon in Sheffield and, as usual with programmes of this type, was riveting viewing. Given the glut of new television series - such as The Apprentice , Dragon’s Den and Make Me a Million - which have appeared in the last few years, one would have thought that television channels in Wales would be scrambling to develop concepts around this highly popular format. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Apart from the WDA sponsored “ The Biz ” - which had one short season on BBC Wales - programme commissioners in Wales have avoided developing anything to do with the world of entrepreneurs. Yes, we have plenty of series on arts, farming, food, histor...

After two terms in South Wales, my two sons are starting back at their local school, Ysgol y Garnedd , in Bangor. There are three hundred children at the school, with half coming from non-Welsh speaking homes. Given the importance of a bilingual education within a Welsh environment, I am hopeful that both my sons will benefit greatly from being at the school and will be speaking both languages confidently in the next few years. Given the fact that Ysgol y Garnedd is no more than 200 yards from where we live, there is a superb after school club and there is overwhelming evidence of the benefit of a balanced bilingual education, my sons could not be in a better position for the beginning of their learning journey here in North Wales. However, it was with some surprise that I read that, allegedly, the country’s first bilingual state primary school was opening on the same day in Battersea, South London ( The Times, 5th September, page 4 ). Of course, unlike the Wix Primary School, the two...