The hub, based at the University’s state-of-the-art Centre for Automotive and Power Systems Engineering benefits from the European Union, University and industrial partners’ funding help launch a £3.5 million project to pilot new low-carbon technologies and energy-storage products.

Businesses will have access to the University’s specialist research facilities and academic expertise to help develop new products and processes, including in the automotive and energy fields.

Welsh Government Finance Secretary, Professor Mark Drakeford, said: ‘We are committed to driving forward cutting-edge research in the low-carbon economy and collaboration between business and universities will help us achieve this. Reducing our carbon footprint is a key priority of the Welsh Government, helping Wales to realise its energy-efficiency potential and to become a major exporter of energy efficiency technology and know-how.’

Professor Julie Lydon, Vice-Chancellor, University of South Wales, commented on the University’s ‘extensive experience of working in collaboration with a wide range of external bodies in all sectors of the economy [and] has an excellent reputation for expertise in the field of battery/energy storage research, on which the Smart Energy Storage Solutions operation will be based. The extensive range of knowledge available … will help SMEs involved … to capitalise on existing academic and research strengths and the resulting innovation will maximise the contribution of Welsh businesses to future economic growth.’