Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has expressed his delight that Wrexham University has been given the green light to deliver a specialist centre for research and development.
This week it was announced that as part of the North Wales Growth Deal, The North Wales Ambition Board has given its approval to the full business case for Wrexham University’s Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC).
Mr Rowlands, a keen supporter of the city’s university and its continued success said he was absolutely delighted that funding was continuing to help with investment in North Wales.
He said:
This is really great news for North Wales as the project will be delivered across two of the university sites, the OpTIC Technology Centre at St Asaph and the Plas Coch campus in Wrexham.
I am really pleased to see what the university is achieving and this latest news just shows how important it is fast becoming not only in the education sector but also in development, research and business.
Wrexham city itself continues to be a destination favourite with visitors, with a little help from Wrexham AFC, and it really is great to see the university also proving to be a great attraction.”
I would like to congratulate everyone at the university for all their hard work and for helping to continue to put the place firmly on the higher education map.
The project will deliver a specialist centre for research and development, business collaboration and skills development in optics, photonics and composites as lightweight alternatives for manufacturing. It will also integrate hydrogen as a substitute fuel source contributing to sustainable practices in industry.
A key part of the project is to attract investment to North Wales and create local employment, with between 70 and 90 new jobs projected as a result of the project, and more than 1,000 people trained to deliver innovative solutions for the future.
Approval at this stage means the project can now move forward to start on site early in 2024, with North Wales firm, Wynne Construction already appointed as the main contractor for the build at Plas Coch. Engagement across the region will continue throughout 2024, with the facilities due to open by the autumn of 2025.
The project forms part of the University’s £80m Campus 2025 strategy, dedicated to improving university campuses, ensuring that students have access to best facilities and learning environment.
The dedicated new facility on the Plas Coch site in Wrexham will sit at the heart of the campus and is the first low carbon project to be delivered as part of the exciting campus redevelopment strategy, while the OpTIC facility in St Asaph will have critical infrastructure upgrades to deliver close environmental control within the laboratories.
Professor Maria Hinfelaar, Vice-Chancellor at Wrexham University, added:
Investment from the North Wales Growth Deal for the development of the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre is a key step to enhance our links with industry and key employers across the region.
The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and waste from manufacturing is well-known, as are the potential cost and efficiency benefits. However, as ever-changing technology can be confusing for many, the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre aims to provide the facilities and researchers from the University which will help and support businesses to develop and implement the best solutions.
Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:
It’s great to see progress with the North Wales Growth Deal approving this important project. Wrexham University already does incredible research and development in this area, and I’m delighted that funding from the UK Government and our partners.
Sam Rowlands AS yn croesawu mwy o fuddsoddiad i un o brifysgolion y Gogledd
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi mynegi pa mor falch yw bod Prifysgol Wrecsam wedi cael y golau gwyrdd i ddarparu canolfan arbenigol ar gyfer ymchwil a datblygu.
Yr wythnos hon, cyhoeddwyd bod Bwrdd Uchelgais Gogledd Cymru wedi rhoi sêl bendith i'r achos busnes llawn ar gyfer Canolfan Opteg a Pheirianneg Menter Prifysgol Wrecsam (EEOC).
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands, cefnogwr brwd o brifysgol y ddinas a'i llwyddiant parhaus ei fod wrth ei fodd bod cyllid yn parhau i helpu i fuddsoddi yn y Gogledd.
Meddai:
Mae hyn yn newyddion rhagorol i'r Gogledd gan y bydd y prosiect yn cael ei ddarparu ar draws dau o safleoedd y brifysgol, y Ganolfan Dechnoleg OpTIC yn Llanelwy a champws Plas Coch Wrecsam.
Rwy'n falch iawn o weld beth mae'r brifysgol yn ei gyflawni ac mae'r newyddion diweddaraf hwn yn dangos pa mor bwysig yw hi nid yn unig yn y sector addysg ond hefyd ym maes datblygu, ymchwil a busnes.
Mae dinas Wrecsam ei hun yn parhau i fod yn gyrchfan boblogaidd gydag ymwelwyr, gyda rhywfaint o help gan Glwb Pêl-droed Wrecsam, ac mae'n wych gweld y brifysgol hefyd yn atyniad gwych.”
Hoffwn longyfarch pawb yn y brifysgol am eu holl waith caled ac am helpu i barhau i roi'r lle yn gadarn ar y map addysg uwch.
Bydd y prosiect yn darparu canolfan arbenigol ar gyfer ymchwil a datblygu, cydweithredu busnes a datblygu sgiliau mewn opteg, ffotoneg a chyfansoddion fel dewisiadau amgen ysgafn ar gyfer gweithgynhyrchu. Bydd hefyd yn integreiddio hydrogen fel ffynhonnell danwydd yn lle cyfrannu at arferion cynaliadwy mewn diwydiant.
Rhan allweddol o'r prosiect yw denu buddsoddiad i ogledd Cymru a chreu swyddi lleol, gydag amcangyfrif o 70 a 90 o swyddi newydd o ganlyniad i'r prosiect, a 1,000 a mwy o bobl wedi'u hyfforddi i ddarparu atebion arloesol ar gyfer y dyfodol.
Mae cymeradwyaeth ar hyn o bryd yn golygu y gallai'r gwaith adeiladu ddechrau ar y safle yn gynnar yn 2024, gyda chwmni Wynne Construction o'r Gogledd eisoes wedi'i benodi'n brif gontractwr ar gyfer yr adeilad ym Mhlas Coch. Bydd ymgysylltu ar draws y rhanbarth yn parhau gydol 2024, a disgwylir i'r cyfleusterau agor erbyn hydref 2025.
Mae'r prosiect yn rhan o strategaeth Campws 2025 gwerth £80m y Brifysgol, sy'n ymroi i wella campysau prifysgolion, gan sicrhau bod gan fyfyrwyr fynediad at y cyfleusterau a'r amgylchedd dysgu gorau.
Bydd y cyfleuster newydd pwrpasol ar safle Plas Coch yn Wrecsam yng nghanol y campws a dyma'r prosiect carbon isel cyntaf i'w gyflawni fel rhan o' strategaeth ailddatblygu gyffrous y campws, tra bydd cyfleuster OpTIC Llanelwy yn cael ei uwchraddio'n hanfodol i'r seilwaith i ddarparu rheolaeth amgylcheddol agos o fewn y labordai.
Ychwanegodd yr Athro Maria Hinfelaar, Is-Ganghellor Prifysgol Wrecsam:
Mae'r buddsoddiad gan Gynllun Twf Gogledd Cymru ar gyfer datblygu'r Ganolfan Opteg a Pheirianneg Menter yn gam allweddol i wella ein cysylltiadau â diwydiant a chyflogwyr allweddol ledled y rhanbarth.
Mae pawb yn gwybod bod gwir angen lleihau allyriadau carbon a gwastraff o weithgynhyrchu ac yn gwybod am y manteision cost ac effeithlonrwydd posibl. Fodd bynnag, gan fod technoleg sy'n newid yn gyson yn gallu bod yn ddryslyd i lawer, nod y Ganolfan hon yw darparu'r cyfleusterau ac ymchwilwyr o'r Brifysgol a fydd yn helpu a chefnogi busnesau i ddatblygu a gweithredu'r atebion gorau.
Dywedodd Ysgrifennydd Cymru, David TC Davies:
Mae'n wych gweld pethau'n siapio gyda BargenTwf y Gogledd yn cymeradwyo'r prosiect pwysig hwn. Mae Prifysgol Wrecsam eisoes yn gwneud gwaith ymchwil a datblygu anhygoel yn y maes hwn, ac rwyf wrth fy modd bod cyllid yn cael ei ddarparu gan Lywodraeth y DU a'n partneriaid.
