National Productivity Week 27th November 2023 | Visit Website

A diverse community of
leading experts, policymakers
and practitioners

The Institute’s key research themes
are led by ten academic partners
spread across the UK.

We’re a UK-wide research
organisation exploring what
productivity means for business

Businesses are crucial to solving
the UK’s productivity problems.

Business

Wales Productivity Forum

Wales has a population of 3 million, concentrated in the areas of Swansea, Cardiff and Newport, the South Wales Valleys and the north-east corner. Wales has a strong industrial heritage, centred on coal, heavy manufacturing and industry with a shift towards service sectors, tourism and technology. Wales’ output per hour is 17.2% below the UK average and it has three of the 10 least productive parts of the UK, and none in the top 10.

Cymru translation

Cymru Wales RPF logo

The Wales Productivity Forum is led by the University of Cardiff. It is involved in the implementation of research insights, the design of practical business and policy interventions, and in providing input to the development of the Institute’s future research agenda.

Members include stakeholders from policy, community and business leaders from local, national and multinational enterprises.

Key Contacts

Robert Lloyd Griffiths OBE

Wales Forum Chair
Non-executive Chair of Business Wales

Andrew Henley

Professor Andrew Henley

Wales Forum Lead
Cardiff University

Committee

Andrew Cooksley MBE

ACT Training

Chris Nott OBE

Capital Law

Cynthia Ogbonna

Non executive director

Dr Erin Gill

ARUP

Peter Marissen

Admiral Group

Professor David Blackaby

Swansea University

Professor Max Munday

Cardiff Business School

Professor Mike Woods

Aberystwyth University

Professor Melanie Jones

Cardiff Business School

Professor Gill Bristow

Cardiff University

Jonathan Price

Welsh Government

Professor Phil Brown

Cardiff University

Steve Dalton OBE

Sony UK Technology Centre

Professor Rick Delbridge

Cardiff Business School

Dr Janet Wademan

Van Helsing Limited

Rhian Elston

Development Bank of Wales

Giles Thorley

Development Bank of Wales

Dr Helen Tilley

Wales Centre for Public Policy

Adam Jurd

Welsh Government

The Welsh economy has a sizeable productivity gap with the UK, and,  although the gap has not widened further over the past decade, the long-term slowdown of productivity over the longer term is a major factor of concern. Wales has experienced serious deindustrialisation over the past 50 years from a former legacy of coalmining and metals production, particularly in the south Wales valleys. But today, Wales still benefits from relatively good productivity performance in manufacturing, but weak productivity performance in other sectors, notably services.

Since the establishment of Senedd Cymru (formerly the National Assembly for Wales) in 1999, Wales has experienced devolved powers regarding health, education, transport, economic development and business support, agriculture and environment, and some limited fiscal powers. Find insights into Welsh productivity below.