Institute Of Welsh Affairs

**Agenda** 1600 - 1605 Welcome and introduction to ‘Our Smart Region’ project * Auriol Miller, Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs 1605 - 1615 Keynote speech - The difference smart technology can make * Alan Fletcher, Business Development and Lab Manager, Knowledge Media Institute, Open University  1615 - 1645 Laying the foundations for a Smart Region * Ann Beynon, Member of the Valleys Taskforce (Chair)  * Brian Popperwell, Chief Operating Officer, Next Generation Data * Prof. Paul Harrison, Pro Vice Chancellor Innovation and Dean of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales * Michael Powell, Rural Programmes Manager, Monmouthshire County Council To include Q&A session 1645 - 1655 Presentation of ‘Our Smart Region’ project report * Keith Watts, Smart Region Project Coordinator, IWA 1655 - 1725 What could a Smart Region look like? * Valerie Livingston, Director, Newsdirect Wales (Chair) * Alan Fl

Today in Wales 24% of people are living in poverty, and most of those people are women. Women are consistently over-represented in low paid, part time, insecure and temporary work.  Oxfam Cymru commissioned three discreet but interlinked pieces of research looking at decent work for women in Wales, and each brings a distinct perspective and set of recommendations to the table. Joining Auriol Miller to discuss the findings of the research and the recommendations are:  * Natasha Davies, Chwarae Teg * Dr Claire Evans, Cardiff Metropolitan University * Chris Johnes, Building Communities Trust

Monday 6th August, Senedd, Cardiff There’s been much to celebrate in Welsh media in recent years: from the success of prominent dramas such as Dr Who and Keeping Faith / Yr Bore Mercher, to new production studios, increased viewing figures and a rise in online and community journalism. There have also been a number of challenges, not least the effects of global trends in consumption and viewing habits on traditional forms of media. This discussion considered how sustainable indigenous content production is here in Wales. How can we ensure content continues to be produced and its benefits felt in Wales? What does this mean for the workforce of today and the future? Can content production in Wales survive in a global media landscape without compromising delivery to audiences at home? This event was chaired by Elis Owen, Freelance Producer and Chairman of It's My Shout training scheme. He was joined by: Emma Meese, Media & Training Development Manager, JOMEC, Cardiff University Ifan Morgan J

IWA & Cardiff University discussion hosted by Eversheds Sutherland LLP in Cardiff on 14th June 2018. Introduction from Professor Karen Holford (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Cardiff University). Keynote speech: Hannah Blythyn AM, Minister for Environment, Welsh Government Followed by panel discussion and Q&A Chair: Auriol Miller, Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs Panellists:  - Hannah Blythyn AM, Minister for Environment, Welsh Government  - Gail Tudor, Filmmaker and Founder, Plastic Free Aberporth  - Professor Steve Ormerod, Professor of Ecology, Cardiff University  - Oliver Hazell, Managing Director, GD Environmental

Final panel and Q&A session from the IWA Re-energising Wales event "Harnessing the potential: renewable energy in the Swansea Bay City Region" at the National Maritime Museum, Swansea on 30th April 2018. A response from Swansea Bay City Region representatives:  - Chair: Dr Jane Davidson, Pro Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement and Sustainability, University of Wales Trinity Saint David  - Gill Kelleher, Policy & Engagement Manager, SPECIFIC  - David Jones, Project Director, Marine Energy Wales  - Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council  - Ioan Jenkins, Development Director, Tidal Lagoon Power

Feedback from the leaders of the breakout sessions at the IWA Re-energising Wales event "Harnessing the potential: renewable energy in the Swansea Bay City Region" at the National Maritime Museum, Swansea on 30th April 2018. Question posed to the groups was:  “What are the short and medium term opportunities to make progress towards 100% renewable energy in the Swansea Bay City Region (SBCR)?”. Groups were as follows: 1\. Buildings (Led by Keith Watts, IWA) What are the short and medium term opportunities to drive energy efficiency measures and on-site generation of renewable energy across the SBCR building stock. What is already happening, and what can we build on?  2\. Harnessing offshore wind and marine energy (Led by Auriol Miller, IWA) What are the short and medium term opportunities to harness offshore wind and marine energy in the SBCR? What is already happening, and what can we build on?  3\. Onshore Renewable Electricity Generation (Led by Stuart Irvine, Swansea University)

Panel session and Q&A in response to presentations from the IWA Re-energising Wales event "Harnessing the potential: renewable energy in the Swansea Bay City Region" at the National Maritime Museum, Swansea on 30th April 2018. Panel: - Chair: Emma Pinchbeck, Executive Director, Renewable UK - Professor Stuart Irvine, Director of Centre for Solar Energy Research, Swansea University - Johnny Gowdy, Director, Regen - Professor Calvin Jones, Professor of Economics, Cardiff University - Shea Buckland-Jones, Re-energising Wales Project Co-ordinator, IWA

Presentations from the IWA Re-energising Wales event "Harnessing the potential: renewable energy in the Swansea Bay City Region" at the National Maritime Museum, Swansea on 30th April 2018. * Welcome and introduction to the IWA - Auriol Miller, IWA * Introduction to the Re-energising Wales project - Shea Buckland-Jones, IWA * Introduction to the Swansea Bay City Region exemplar case study - Professor Stuart Irvine, Swansea University * Findings from the Swansea Bay City Region case study - Johnny Gowdy, Regen * Economic impact of the case study - Professor Calvin Jones, Cardiff Business School

Panel session "How can small nations, regions and cities use their soft power capital to strengthen global engagement?" and closing remarks from Jenny Scott, Director, British Council Wales From the IWA & British Council event on Thursday 26th April 2018 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.  - Chair: Sara Pepper, Director of Creative Economy, Cardiff University  - Geraint Talfan Davies, Former Chair, Welsh National Opera  - Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society  - Shain Shapiro, CEO, Sound Diplomacy  - Nic van der Marliere, Representative of the Government of Flanders in London Closing remarks and launch of British Council series Imagining Wales' Global Future  - Jenny Scott, Director, British Council Wales

Panel session "What is Wales' soft power capital?"  From the IWA & British Council event on Thursday 26th April 2018 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.  - Chair: Carole Green, Business Correspondent, ITV Cymru Wales  - Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales  - Roger Lewis, Chairman, Cardiff Airport  - Kully Thiarai, Artistic Director, National Theatre Wales  - Professor Iwan Davies, Senior Pro-Vice Chancellor, Swansea University and Chair, Global Wales

Panel session "Why should small nations, regions and cities develop and deploy their soft power resources?"  From the IWA & British Council event on Thursday 26th April 2018 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.  - Chair: Sir Ciarán Devane, CEO, British Council  - Rebecca Matthews, CEO, Aarhus 2017 - European City of Culture  - Michel Lafleur, Assistant Deputy Minister, Bilateral Affairs, Québec Ministry for International relations  - Professor Gary Rawnsley, Professor of Public Diplomacy, Aberystwyth University  - Professor JP Singh, Professor of Culture and Political Economy and Director, Centre for Cultural Relations, University of Edinburgh

"Wales Soft Power Barometer 2018": Jonathan McClory, Creator and Author of The Soft Power 30, Portland Communications Speech and presentation from the IWA & British Council event on Thursday 26th April 2018 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.

Introduction and keynotes speeches from the IWA & British Council event on Thursday 26th April 2018 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff.  - Introduction from Auriol Miller, Director, IWA  - Introduction to soft power and cultural relations: Sir Ciarán Devane, CEO, British Council  - Keynote speaker - Wales and the world: Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister, Wales

This debate addressed the issues concerning how Brexit will impact Cardiff and Wales’s international prosperity, influence, and security and why/how that affects us in the UK. The British Foreign Policy Group co-hosted the event, “Life After Brexit” in partnership with the University of South Wales’ Global Choices programme and Capital Law at the University of South Wales Cardiff Campus on Friday 9th March.

Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, former British Ambassador to the EU and author of Article 50, gives a lecture on what life will be like after the UK has withdrawn from the European Union. The British Foreign Policy Group co-hosted the event, “Life After Brexit” in partnership with the University of South Wales’ Global Choices programme and Capital Law at the University of South Wales Cardiff Campus on Friday 9th March.

North Wales’ huge land and natural resource potential makes the region a centre for excellence for energy generation and a powerhouse for the north Wales economy. This timely event explored and identified different energy supply options that could meet both climate change targets and deliver maximum benefit to the region and its people. Discussing these issues were: * Professor Calvin Jones, Professor of Economics, Cardiff Business School * Keith Jones, Environmental Adviser (Wales), National Trust * Oliver Lancaster, Future of Energy Projects Manager, Wales & West Utilities * Rachel Shorney, Stakeholder & Community Engagement Manager, SP Energy Networks * Dr. John Idris Jones, Director, Morlais Energy Limited * Chair: Professor Paul Spencer, Dean of College of Physical and Applied Sciences, Bangor University

The [Expert Panel on Assembly Electoral Reform](http://www.assembly.wales/en/abthome/about_us-commission_assembly_administration/panel-elec-reform/Pages/Assembly-Electoral-Reform.aspx), the McAllister review, reported in December 2017 and made a series of proposals for using new powers to reform elements of the National Assembly for Wales' electoral system. It was asked to make recommendations which could be implemented in time for the Assembly elections in 2021.  Just some of the proposals they made included:  * Increasing the number of Assembly Members to at least 80, and more like 90 * Proposing using different systems by which AMs are elected. First choice being STV, and a viable alternative being Flexible List * Lowering the voting age for Assembly elections to 16 year olds * Integrating a gender quota into the electoral system, and allowing AMs to job share Ahead of the debate in the Assembly later,  unpicking the issues at play, Rhea Stevens is joined by: * Jess Blair, Direct

IWA & Cardiff University discussion hosted by Eversheds Sutherland LLP in Cardiff on 31st January 2018. Introduction from Rhea Stevens (Policy, Projects and External Affairs Manager, IWA). Chair: - Professor Marcus Longley, Chair, Cwm Taf University Health Board  Panellists:  - Dr Rachel Rahman, Senior Lecturer, Psychology Department, Aberystwyth University  - Dr Kerry Bailey, GP, Consultant in Public Health, and Health Lead, We Predict  - Dr Mike Reddy, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales

IWA, Cardiff University & Wales in London Economy discussion hosted by Bristows LLP in London on 22nd November 2017. Introductions from Huw Hampson Jones (Chair, Wales in London) and Auriol Miller (Director, Institute of Welsh Affairs). Chair: Rachel Lomax, Former Deputy Governor, Bank of England Panellists: - Gerry Holtham, Hodge Professor of Regional Economy, Cardiff Metropolitan University - Margaret Llewellyn OBE, Non-Executive Director, Development Bank of Wales - Eurfyl ap Gwilym, IWA Trustee - Lynne Miles, Associate Director - Economist, Arup

Auriol Miller talks to Chris Johnes and Sarah Lloyd-Jones about models of local economic regeneration, promising examples and next steps.