February 2020

Wales has a thriving tech scene. The sector is worth £8.5 billion to the Welsh economy, so it is not surprising that there are several groups and initiatives aimed at promoting STEM in Wales. Cardiff is becoming a hub for fintech, with Monzo and Starling both opening offices in the capital – Starling’s CEO and Founder Anne Boden is home grown Welsh talent, after all.

In days gone by, a business that wanted to secure investment would have needed to prove it was capable of turning a profit by, well, turning a profit. Pitching untested ideas for which there was no demand (for how could there be a demand for something so far unthought of?) would have seen budding entrepreneurs laughed out of the bank, or destined to fall to the cutting room floor of Dragon’s Den.

Since 2016, two of Wales’ leading technology firms, IQE and Cardiff University, have been working towards the creation of the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster – essentially, a Welsh version of Silicon Valley.

In recent years, the role of the leader in the workplace has shifted. No longer sitting alone in an office behind closed doors, forward-thinking leaders are immersed within the rest of their team, walking the walk instead of just talking the talk. At most firms, the focus isn’t just on the figurehead of the group; much more emphasis is being placed on empowering employees to become more independent and accountable for their actions.