MS, Cabinet Secretary for
Economy, Energy and Planning: I am providing an update on the
work of four Short Term Reviews which were taken forward across
the summer to help inform delivery of our Economic Mission. These
reviews have been put in place to listen to our partners to focus
on continuous improvement, but also crucially exploring areas for
new solutions.
All four reviews brought together external expertise from across
industry, academia, public services as well as trade unions. They
align with our objectives in the Economic Mission and in turn,
have enabled input into the UK Industrial Strategy, where we
continue to work in collaboration and at pace with the UK
Government. Our economy is continuing to evolve and change,
it is crucial that we can get upstream and listen to the
practical barriers and challenges which are impacting on our
business environment now and possibly in the future.
Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Productivity and Green
Skills
Firstly, I am delighted to announce the publication of two
reports, focusing on key areas of strategic importance within our
Economic Mission: SME Productivity
and Green Skills. These
reports provide crucial insights to areas where we can drive
cross-government delivery and where we can focus on continuous
improvement but also explore new solutions.
Small and medium-sized enterprises make up large proportion of
the Welsh economy, and understanding the challenges and
opportunities they face is crucial for driving sustainable
growth. The insights from these reviews will help inform our
ongoing efforts to boost productivity, support innovation, and
ensure that businesses have the green skills needed to thrive in
a low-carbon future. We look forward to working with partners
across the sector to turn these findings into meaningful action.
Floating Offshore Wind and Artificial
Intelligence
Further reports were also delivered regarding Floating Offshore
Wind and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The first of these
concluded at the end of 2024 and this work was carried on via the
Offshore Wind Task and Finish Group who published the port
prospectus and the Action plan in June. The report on AI has been
completed and is directly feeding into the development of an AI
Action Plan, which will be published in the autumn. This includes
directly embedding the recommendations within our delivery, we
fully accept the findings of the expert group.
Next Steps
These reviews are already influencing our delivery, and we are
determined to accelerate our focus on jobs, whilst building a
Welsh economy which is taking the lead in areas of future
potential. The recommendations of all four groups have been
accepted and will shape our delivery. I intend to develop update
reports by early Spring, which will demonstrate the actions we
have taken.
I would like to thank all members of the expert groups. This
collaborative approach has demonstrated social partnership in
action. This ensures that policy development reflects a broad
range of perspectives and is grounded in the lived experiences of
workers, employers, and communities. This will in turn help to
align economic growth with fair work, sustainability, and
regional equity. We will continue to work closely with our
partners in the next steps to focus on delivery.
