Article by Gareth Evans in The Western Mail, 28 Jan,2010.
Swansea University Aerial View
Ambitious plans by Swansea University to develop a £500m science base are due to be unveiled next month.
Swansea University Vice Chancellor Professor Richard B Davies said the expansion would allow redevelopment of the “dated” Singleton Park site, which will remain home to the university’s award-winning medicine and science institutes. Traditional core subjects such as history and maths will also be given room to expand.
Professor Davies said: “To build on these strengths, while improving the employability of all our students, the focus of the Fabian Way Campus will be on working closely with industry in the fields of engineering, business and ICT.
“The focus of the redeveloped Singleton Campus will remain on core academic disciplines and the wider contribution that the university makes to health and medicine and to the rich culture of our society and our diverse environment.
“The health and medicine areas will continue to build links with industry to help create a life science cluster of high-technology companies.
He added: “Although all universities anticipate some reductions in public funding over the next few years, Swansea University receives significant funding from other sources.
“As a result, I am confident that the university will be able to continue with its investment plans during this period of economic uncertainty.”
Professor Davies said the expanded campus would act as a commercialisation hub for the whole region and could create 11,000 much-needed jobs, accommodation for around 4,000 students and generate £3bn into South-West Wales.
“The figures come from a very detailed economic modelling of the project – but no-one can predict them exactly,” said Professor Davies.
Rolls-Royce will manage one of several business-led research facilities housed on-site. The heavyweight engineering company was the first to sign up earlier this month.
Owners of the 100acre site, British Petroleum (BP), will gift the land to Swansea University as part of a national multi-billion-pound remediation and land transfer project.
A spokesman for BP said: “We are delighted to be supporting the university with former BP land and wish it luck with its future plans.”
The scheme is being developed in partnership with the Prince’s Foundation, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea councils and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Professor Davies said the outlook was bright, adding: “Swansea has so much more to offer and we know that we can go much further. Our ambitious plans for a second campus and the redevelopment of our Singleton Campus will ensure that we will be celebrating our centenary in 10 years’ time with excellent facilities and well equipped to maintain our remarkable momentum.
“We can all be proud of everything Swansea University has achieved in the last 90 years, and we can look forward to the future with optimism and anticipation. I believe our best is yet to come.”
The Western Mail 28 January 2010
