ASTUTE 2020 (Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies) – Please note this project has now closed.

Project description

ASTUTE 2020 can support greater levels of research, development and innovation across a variety of sectors by strengthening knowledge and expertise to create higher-value goods and services, improve efficiency, aiming to drive productivity and growth within the Welsh manufacturing industry.

ASTUTE 2020 collaborations inspire manufacturing companies to improve and streamline their manufacturing processes, manufactured products and supply chain, generating sustainable, higher value goods and services and bringing them to a global market.

Delivery model

ASTUTE 2020’s true industry academia collaborations provide companies with unique access to:

• World-class academic experts across a University partnership
• Highly qualified researchers and technical experts,
• State-of-the-art research facilities and experimental equipment
• Intelligent systems, advanced techniques and bespoke software

Thereby encouraging stimulation of ideas and facilitating the adoption of change through research, development and innovation.

ASTUTE 2020 builds on the most successful aspects of the previous ASTUTE project (2010 – 2015). ASTUTE has successfully demonstrated that we are in an excellent position to support companies via knowledge exchange and intensive collaborative RD&I projects in manufacturing technologies.

Geographical coverage

The project will benefit local authority areas within the West Wales and the Valleys Programme area.

Specific targets

	Targets
Activity	Enterprises co-operating with supported research institutions
	Enterprises receiving non-financial support
Innovation	Patents registered for products/processes
	Private investment matching public support in innovation or R&D projects
	Enterprises supported to introduce new to the firm products/processes
	Enterprises supported to introduce new to the market products/processes
Growth	Employment increase in supported enterprises
Long Term Benefits	Further increase in employment
	Increased investment by the company
	Increased spend by the company in local supply chain
	Increased external investment into the company
	Predicted increase in sales revenue
	Predicted increase in export revenue
	Savings in energy, GHG emission and waste

Contact details

Name: Rhian Jeffs
Email: info@astutewales.com
Telephone: 01792 606378
Address: Swansea University, Bay Campus, College of Engineering – Engineering Central A114, Fabian Way, Swansea, SA1 8EN
Website:
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Additional details

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Progress

COVID-19 Pandemic Recovery Support

Progress to end August 2019

ASTUTE 2020 is actively working with the manufacturing industry across Wales, collaborating on industry demand-led projects.

To date, more than 80 companies have been involved with ASTUTE 2020’s applied research collaborations enabling transformational and sustainable growth across Wales’ manufacturing industries.

33 collaborations have been completed to date resulting in the companies increasing their workforce, improving and investing into new or existing processes, launching new products and attracting external investment.

Progress to May 2018

ASTUTE 2020 has been operational since 1st July 2015 predominantly in West Wales.

Benefiting from an extra £8m granted on the 1st February 2018, ASTUTE 2020 are now able to support manufacturing businesses across the all of Wales, including Cardiff, Newport, the Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire, Powys, Flintshire, and Wrexham.

ASTUTE 2020 has received a healthy number of enquiries from manufacturing companies. The project approval process with industrial participation is working well and there is a healthy pipeline of projects in the approval process and ongoing collaborations.

Nine collaborations have been completed to date providing valuable support to the companies that have, as a result, increased their workforce, invested into new or improved existing processes, launched new products and attracted external investment.