Discover more about Wales' key industry sectors

Find out more about the eight key industry sectors in Wales. 

One of the first countries to write sustainability into its statute, Wales leads rapid innovation in marine energy initiatives and low-carbon projects.  With rich resources for academic collaboration, many companies are already involved with research and technology transfer projects with academic institutions.

Award-winning Swansea based device developer; Marine Power Systems is revolutionising the way that energy can be harvested from the world’s oceans.  A growing number of device developers, including Minesto, also choose Wales as their home.

Discover more about Wales’ innovation and leadership in the Renewables sector.

With world-leading academic expertise and a central Life Sciences Hub, Wales has strong credentials in Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy and is creating a world-leading Regenerative Medicine ecosystem.

Medical Technology is the largest sub-sector within Wales’ Life Science Sector, and the country is home to a number of large corporate multinationals as well as innovative start-ups arising from Welsh Academic Research such as Medaphor and Cyden.

Other facilities leading in clinical innovation and research include the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre (WWIC) and the £44m Cardiff University Brain Imaging Resource Centre.

Find out more about Wales’ strength in the Life Sciences sector and the companies that find their home in Wales.

With an established Financial and Professional Services Sector and home to some of the biggest FinTech companies including Starling Bank, Monzo, Curencycloud and home grown Admiral, Wales’ FinTech sector is flourishing. The UK’s first price comparison site Confused.com was launched in Wales and Wales is now a centre for online insurance aggregators with Moneysupermarket and GoCompare also calling Wales home. SMEs including Swansea based Vizolution and Cardiff’s AMPLYFI have carved a unique niche in the sector.

Wales grows its business talent in the sector through innovative programmes such as the National Software Academy and the Centre for Financial and Professional Services at the University of South Wales. Wales’ dedicated membership association FinTech Wales is committed to nurturing talent and developing the ecosystem for businesses to thrive in.

Find out more about the Fintech sector in Wales as well as how it is backed by Welsh Government.

Wales is at the heart of some of the most exciting new developments in advance materials and manufacturing, working with partners across aerospace, automotive and low carbon industry.

Within the eight universities, academic expertise is applied to research and development across manufacturing, engineering, next-generation power and fuel technology.  This includes the Hydrogen Centre at the University of South Wales undertaking R&D into Hydrogen technology, such as that powering Riversimple’s RASA – the latest and most radical hydrogen fuel cell car.

You can find out more information about the High Value Manufacturing sector and why world leading companies choose Wales.

Wales’ growing expertise in the tech sector ranges from a cutting-edge cybersecurity industry to work leading innovation in compound semi-conductors.

Home to over 3,000 homegrown and multinational technology operations and has emerged as the UK centre for Cyber, with South Wales acknowledged as the prime location for R&D and commercialism of security products and services.

With a world-leading compound semi-conductor cluster taking shape in Wales, a partnership of universities, research centres and innovative companies are driving forward the technology to power the next industrial revolution.

Discover more about Wales’ Technology sector and the companies involved.

Nurturing home-grown welsh film and TV, digital and music sectors from the grassroots and supporting companies seeking to work and invest in Wales.  With high quality infrastructure, government support and a strong ecosystem across the creative supply chain Wales is recognised globally as a centre for tv and film production.

International film and television is being shot against the magnificent backdrop of Wales’ natural landscape, supported by talented welsh crew, production and post production companies. Homegrown, globally successful exports such as Doctor Who, His Dark Materials, Hinterland, Torchwood and Sherlock were all filmed and produced in Wales.

Not just film, there continues to be significant growth in the digital and technology cluster, ranging from architecture to software design..

Discover more about Wales’ Creative sector.

With a wealth of natural resources, the food and drink industry in Wales is also at the forefront of developing new technologies in food production.

The only place in the UK where you can develop a food and drink product from concept to consumer in one location, over 240,000 people work in the industry in Wales which generates a turnover of £19.1 billion.

As well as homegrown success stories, exporting globally such as Penderyn and Castle Dairies, Wales is also home to a host of other international organisations such as Calon Wen, Coaltown Coffee and The Lobster Pot.

Find out more about Wales’ Food & Drink sector.

Tourism in Wales is a £5 billion industry with great potential for growth. Wales has three National Parks and five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The award-winning 1,400 km Wales Coast Path, as well as her mountains, rivers and lakes draw visitors from all over the world. Wales has a distinctive culture, with two living languages. It has four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and more castles per square km than anywhere else in Europe.

Beyond the National Parks, mountain, rivers, lakes – Wales is also investing in and internationally known for its adventure, wellness and hospitality offering with products such as Zip World and Go Below attracting visitors from around the world.

Discover more about the Tourism sector in Wales and key companies.