Thales Technology Day takes place in Wales

Thales has held a Technology Day in Wales following an announcement of plans to establish a world class centre of excellence for digital and cyber security in the region.

In May, Economy Secretary Ken Skates announced plans for the innovative new centre that would be at the heart of the Welsh Government’s Tech Valleys project.

Thales, a world leader in digital and cyber technology, is seeking Welsh Government support for a programme that would see it establishing a new National Digital Exploitation Centre (NDEC) in Ebbw Vale.
 
Thales plans to work with the Welsh Government, Blaenau Gwent Council and the University of South Wales (USW) in establishing the centre, which would act as a catalyst for digital and cyber educational training and research facilities.
 
Professor Julie Lydon OBE, USW’s Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, says:
 

This centre would be a significant step in developing South Wales’s reputation as a leading region in the growing global market for cyber graduates and research knowledge. We want the centre to harness the academic research and graduate education together with the market insight and technological capability of industry. It’s an exciting combination that would be good for our local communities, for Wales, and for UK plc.

Gareth Williams, Vice-President of Thales UK’s security and cyber business, says:

“We are delighted the Welsh Government is eager to work with industry and academia on developing this critical capability and skillset within Wales."

“One of the major benefits of this digital centre is to develop a talent pipeline of people in this increasingly important sector. As well as developing specific skills, it will also enable businesses – large and small – to use digital transformation in a safe and secure way. 

 
The Technology Day was an opportunity for businesses, stakeholders and students to get a glimpse of the innovative technology and capability Thales is capable of bringing to Wales as well as an opportunity to see concepts of the NDEC.
 
Among the capability exhibits were the Williams Racing F1 car, provided through Thales’s work as Official Supplier to Williams as well as a virtual reality and scale model of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Navy’s new aircraft carrier for which Thales provides the vital communications system.
 
The NDEC isn’t the only Thales presence in Wales. In 2017, Thales supported South Wales Police in the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final with intelligence gathering prior to and during the game.

Thales also recently supported the inaugural Blaenau Gwent business awards ceremony in Ebbw Vale celebrating the achievements of the entrepreneurial individuals and small medium enterprises in the region.