3 February 2022

“Universities play a fundamental role in driving the Welsh economy and supporting communities. They transform lives, create opportunities and feed the growth of new businesses.

“The Levelling Up White Paper includes a great amount of detail, much of which will take time to work through.

“However, we must emphasise the urgency with which Welsh universities need clarity on the replacement of EU structural funds. The UK Government reaffirmed in October’s spending review their commitment to match the receipts of structural funds in Wales. It is difficult to identify in the white paper how this funding will be provided.

“We are also keen to understand the process through which the innovation acceleration pilot areas were identified. Welsh universities have diverse research and innovation strengths, have delivered groundbreaking knowledge exchange activity through multi-university collaborations and are embedded in communities that span economically prosperous areas through to the some of the most disadvantaged areas of the UK. It is disappointing that Wales has not been included in this pilot programme and we would urge a reconsideration.”