The Swansea Waterfront project – which is likely to form a key part in the up and coming Swansea Development Plans Conference – has been hailed for ensuring local businesses benefit. A commitment to procuring local contractors and using a local supply chain has enhanced the benefits to the region.

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), who’ll be presenting at the conference, is one of those who’ve been part of the project as they welcome their first students to the site in late 2018. The first phases, which is to provide a home for faculties including architecture, computing, engineering, education and communities, as well as a new library, is well under way with a total of 22 Welsh subcontractors working on the project to date – and £18.5m worth of contracts being secured by Wales-based businesses.

Mike Bessell, Project Manager at UWTSD SA1 said of the scheme: ”The economic achievements of the project to date are astounding, with many local companies securing contracts, and jobs created for both university graduates and the wider community.”