Businesses, universities and colleges across Wales set to benefit as government investment aims to boost defence contracts, technology development and skilled jobs.

A NEW industry group designed to strengthen Wales’s growing defence and security sector has been launched today (Mar 9), bringing together businesses, universities and colleges from across the country.

The Wales Regional Defence and Security Cluster aims to help Welsh organisations access opportunities within the expanding UK defence industry, while developing new technologies and supporting high-skilled jobs.

Wales already has a significant defence and aerospace presence, employing around 16,000 people. The sector generates turnover of approximately £3.7 billion and contributes about £1.5 billion in gross value added to the Welsh economy.

The launch follows the signing of the Wales Defence Growth Deal Memorandum of Understanding, which allocates £50 million to Wales as part of a £250 million UK-wide investment in regional defence growth.

With UK defence spending expected to rise to 2.6% of GDP by 2027–28 — and potentially reach 5% of GDP on national security by 2035 — ministers say the new cluster will help ensure Welsh companies benefit from the increased investment.

Industry leaders say the initiative will support businesses of all sizes, particularly smaller firms, by helping them access Ministry of Defence contracts, strengthen supply chains and expand their role within the defence sector.

At present Wales receives around three percent of total MOD spending. The aim of the new cluster is to increase that share to at least five percent as defence spending rises nationally.

The cluster will be industry-led and chaired by representatives from Airbus Defence and Space and Thales, with support from the Welsh Government and the Ministry of Defence.

It will also link companies with Wales’s eight universities and further education colleges, which carry out research in areas including cyber security, opto-electronics and artificial intelligence.

The Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Rebecca Evans said: “Wales is already home to eight of the world’s top ten global defence companies. As defence spending increases across the UK, this cluster will bring businesses, universities and government together to create good jobs, strong supply chains and lasting economic growth.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “In an increasingly uncertain world, Wales’s role in the defence of the United Kingdom is becoming ever more important.

“With the signing of the Defence Growth Deal and the establishment of the Defence and Security Cluster we are ensuring that Wales is well placed to contribute to national security as well as economic growth.”

Defence Minister Luke Pollard MP added that the initiative would help Welsh businesses play a leading role in developing future defence technologies.

“Wales is central to the defence of the UK,” he said. “This cluster will help Welsh businesses of all sizes lead the way in the technologies that will define our security for decades to come.

“By making defence an engine for growth, we are creating skilled opportunities while securing our future together.”

SCHOOLS, families, local businesses and visitors from across Pembrokeshire came together in St Davids on Saturday 28 February for a colourful St David’s Day celebration marking the culmination of a major community arts project.

Hosted by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority at Oriel y Parc, Taith y Chwedlau / Journey of the Legends formed the centrepiece of a wider half-term programme inspired by Welsh legends and supported by Welsh Government funding. The project combined storytelling, art, music and bilingual activities, in the lead-up towards the annual parade through the city.

The celebration was attended by the First Minister for Wales, Eluned Morgan, along with invited guests, community groups and visitors, as St Davids burst into life with dragon wings, daffodils, boar headdresses and other handmade creations produced during workshops and drop-in sessions in the weeks leading up to the event.

Preparation for the parade involved extensive outreach work with local schools and community groups, as well as workshops and activities at the Authority’s sister sites, Carew Castle and Castell Henllys. In total, 255 participants took part in workshops and community sessions, including 102 school pupils and 153 children, young people and adults from various groups.

The project was delivered with artist Kate Evans and storytellers Phil Okwedy and Michael Harvey, who worked with participants to explore Welsh legend through a contemporary story rooted in creativity, community and environmental awareness.

Led by the dynamic drumming of Samba Doc, the procession set off from Oriel y Parc at 2pm, bringing music, movement and a strong sense of Welsh hwyl to the High Street of Britain’s smallest city.

Beyond the parade itself, Taith y Chwedlau continued along the High Street through a trail hosted by 16 businesses. Story stops were illustrated by Oriel y Parc team member Elen Beynon, while Chapel Chocolates in St Davids kindly supported the prize.

Oriel y Parc also hosted the Makers Bizarre Handmade Craft Market, which added to the day’s festive atmosphere and gave residents and visitors the chance to support local makers.

Rachel Perkins, Manager of Oriel y Parc, said: “Taith y Chwedlau was about much more than a single afternoon’s parade. It was the result of weeks of creative work with schools, community groups, artists, storytellers and businesses, all coming together to celebrate Welsh culture in an imaginative and inclusive way. It was wonderful to see so many people taking part, and to welcome the First Minister to share in such a vibrant community event.”

As part of the wider St David’s Day celebrations, visitors to Oriel y Parc, Castell Henllys and Carew Castle were welcomed with complimentary bunches of daffodils over the weekend.

To find out more about events, exhibitions and opening times at Oriel y Parc, visit www.orielyparc.co.uk

PHOTO:

Participants in the Taith y Chwedlau / Journey of the Legends parade bring colour and creativity to the streets of St Davids.

Research suggests legacy of pit closures still shaping health and mortality across former mining communities

A NEW academic study has found that communities with a history of coal mining experience dramatically higher rates of deaths linked to suicide, alcohol misuse and drug poisoning.

Researchers from Bangor University analysed mortality data from across England and Wales and found that so-called “deaths of despair” are 53% higher in areas with a coal mining past compared with places without a mining history.

The study, published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, examined patterns of mortality between 2015 and 2023 and is believed to be the first research of its kind to investigate the long-term health impact of coal mining’s decline.

Long shadow of industrial decline

The term “deaths of despair” refers to deaths caused by suicide, alcohol-related disease and drug poisoning. It was originally coined by researchers in the United States to describe rising mortality among working-class communities experiencing economic decline.

The Bangor study suggests similar patterns are visible in Britain, particularly in areas where coal mining once dominated local economies.

Researchers say the data points to the lasting impact of industrial collapse, economic instability and deep-rooted health inequalities that continue decades after pits closed.

Lead author Eurwen Williams, who conducted the research while training as a clinical psychologist at Bangor University, said the findings reflect the lived reality of many communities.

“As a clinical psychologist, reflecting on our research into deaths of despair in former coal mining communities, I am struck by how clearly the data echoes the lived realities of growing up and practising in North Wales,” she said.

“Behind every data point is a life lost and the story of a community living with the consequences of industrial decline, economic instability, and longstanding health inequalities.

“Distress does not arise in a vacuum; it is profoundly shaped by social and structural change.”

Warning for the future

Co-author Dr Christopher Saville said the findings highlight how persistent health inequalities can become once industrial communities lose their economic base.

“It is sad to see just how persistent these health inequalities are,” he said.

“At a time when we are talking about AI causing a new wave of deindustrialisation, it is vital that we learn the lessons from the last time around and avoid some of the mistakes that were made.”

Lessons from the coalfields

Coal mining shaped large parts of Wales for generations, particularly the South Wales Valleys where entire towns grew around pits.

However, the industry’s rapid decline during the late twentieth century, culminating in widespread pit closures in the 1980s and 1990s, left many communities facing unemployment, economic hardship and social upheaval.

Researchers say the study demonstrates how those changes may still be affecting public health decades later.

While the coal industry itself has largely disappeared, its social legacy remains deeply embedded in many former mining areas.

The researchers say their findings underline the importance of tackling structural inequality alongside individual health support.

Communities still paying the price

The study concludes that the health consequences of industrial decline can persist across generations if communities are not supported through economic transition.

Researchers say the findings should inform future policy decisions, particularly as new technological changes threaten to reshape labour markets once again.

The authors warn that without careful planning and investment, new waves of economic disruption could produce similar long-term consequences for communities across the UK.