Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:33 pm on 3 November 2021.
Minister, I'd just like to echo what my honourable colleague John Griffiths has just said, that south-east Wales has got a lot of potential, particularly in technology. I recently visited Forth in Chepstow, which is an innovative biomarking tracking platform, which helps people navigate their way to better health. This company is one of a number of technology businesses—another is Creo Medical—based in south-east Wales, attracted to the region by pleasant surroundings and good motorway and rail links to the midlands and the south-west of England. We all know that Silicon Valley in California is a global hub for technological innovation and is one of the wealthiest regions in the world. What consideration would you, Minister, now having done the visit to Newport East, across the region, and I'm sure to many parts of Wales, given the current situation—? What would you feel about creating a technology hub in south-east Wales that can be marketed as a base for innovation and skills, providing a vibrant community for enterprise and helping, ultimately, to transform the Welsh economy?