“Inspiring” – senior business leaders from CBI full of praise for new Bay Campus

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Senior figures from the CBI described Swansea University’s new Bay Campus as “inspiring”, following their visit to the £450 million project now taking shape on the Swansea seafront.

Lucy Thornycroft, Head of Construction and Manufacturing for the CBI, and Ian Price, Assistant Regional Director, visited the new Bay Campus to see the enormous progress made since construction began on the site in May 2013.

The CBI is the UK's premier business lobbying organisation, providing a voice for employers at a national and international level

400 x 227The visit was hosted by Swansea University, and the CBI were accompanied around the site by representatives from the University’s development partner St. Modwen, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, Vinci Construction UK, and Leadbitter, a Bouygues UK company.

Picture:  At the new Bay campus are (l-r): Lucy Thornycroft, Head of Construction and Manufacturing for the CBI UK; Craig Nowell, Swansea University; Ian Price, CBI Assistant Regional Director.

The CBI were able to see at first hand the sheer scale of the project and learn more about its unique delivery with a range of different contractors.  They also learned about the impact on the local economy, with  contracts being awarded and opportunities for training and employment.

Lucy Thornycroft, Head of Construction and Manufacturing for the CBI UK, said:

“The inspiring development of the new Swansea Bay Campus will help deliver the next generation of desperately-needed highly skilled engineers and business leaders of tomorrow, and foster increased collaboration with industry.

The scheme is a fantastic example of how construction is a catalyst for growth, with thousands of local jobs created and hundreds of companies working on this cutting-edge development.”

Ian Price, Assistant Regional Director for the CBI said: “

“Supporting critical projects like the new Swansea University Bay Campus could put Wales in the economic slipstream, driving additional investment through a more competitive and connected economy”

Craig Nowell, director of estates and facilities management for Swansea University said:

We are delighted to be working so closely with our construction partners on this project, to deliver the most comprehensive transformation in Wales, improve our facilities and have a really positive impact on the local and regional economy.

Bay campusThe new Bay campus  - recent statistics:

•    Since May 2013 more than 1100 workers (1175 up until Feb 2014)  have been inducted to work at site (800 at Vinci and 300 at Leadbitter)

•    Almost 80% of the workforce is from Wales with 25% living within 10 miles of the Bay Campus

•    There are almost 230 subcontracting opportunities with 61% already being let to companies and over 175 companies expressing an interest in supplying / providing services

•    Almost 120 different companies have employees working at the Bay Campus

•    Since February 2013 more than 260,000 man hours have been worked on site, reaching a peak of more than 55,000 man hours in February 2014