Today's Top Stories

Monday, 16th January 2023

ECONOMY | Welsh Business Activity Rises at Quickest Rate Since June - The headline NatWest Wales Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the month-on-month change in the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – registered 52.0 in December, up from 49.8 in November.

EDUCATION | £5 Million Fund to be Created to Support Innovation in Further Education - A new £5 million Innovation Fund is to be established to support Further Education (FE) colleges look at new ways to support learners, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles has announced.

FREEPORT | Developing New Routes to Market for our Innovative SMS’s Across Wales - As part of a new series focused on the ambitions and opportunities of the Celtic Freeport bid in South Wales, Business News Wales spoke with Phil Jones, CEO of Business in Focus about the opportunities a freeport in South West Wales will have on SME’s across all regions of Wales.

GROWTH | Distribution Firm Gears up for Growth with £1m Extension- Work has started on a £1 million extension at a distribution firm that’s gearing up for growth – creating 10 new jobs in the process.

WARNING | Floods Across the UK Prompts RICS to Re-issue Flooding Guidance - RICS re-issued its popular consumer guides on flooding amid reports across the UK, with particularly hefty downpours in Wales and the South West and many red and yellow weather warnings in place.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES | Thomas Carroll Launches Insurtech Start-up TCi Futures - Thomas Carroll insurance brokers has launched a new insurtech company, TCi Futures.

GROWTH | Fourth Acquisition for Fast-growing Flotek Group - Saecom, one of Wales’ leading telecommunications companies, has been acquired by the Flotek Group as the IT & Comms MSP progresses its ambitious growth strategy. The deal marks Flotek’s fourth acquisition of 2022.

EXPORTS | An Export Support Opportunity for Tech Innovators Across Wales - Business News Wales spoke with Tramshed co-director Mark John, about the opportunities for Welsh technology companies with an ambition to scale their products into international markets.

GROWTH | Geldards Law Firm Announce Trio of Partner Promotions- As part of its annual promotion round, leading Cardiff law firm Geldards has announced a raft of promotions including three new partners across different disciplines.

RETAILS | Women's Activewear Business Dryad Champions Sustainability, Collaborating with Nike- Welsh sportswear brand Dryad is collaborating with Nike and LuluLemon designers to create sustainable women’s activewear

HR & PEOPLE | ¾ of UK Workers Job Hunting, with 1 in 10 Moving to a New Industry - Nearly three-quarters (71%) of UK workers are going to be looking for a new job this year, with nearly one in ten (9%) hoping to move into an entirely new industry, new research reveals.

TOURISM | Snowdon Mountain Railway to Return to the Summit for the First Time Since 2019 - The railway’s summit service will recommence and Hafod Eryri, the summit visitor center, will reopen in May

SKILLS | Game-on for Cutting-edge Esports Programme - It's game on for a cutting-edge college course that has moved through the levels since being launched a year ago.

SKILLS | Aspire 2Be, Part of Educ8 Group Launches New Leadership & Management Apprenticeship- Aspire 2Be, a multi-award-winning learning technology company, this week announced the launch of the ILM Leadership & Management Qualification, offering levels 4 and 5.

CARDIFF CAPITAL REGION | Media Cymru: An Innovation Pipeline Primed for Action - When Media Cymru launched to huge applause in October, it heralded the arrival of a true ‘world-first’: a £50m investment to make the CCR a global hub for media production and innovation.