A unique partnership helping grow the Welsh economy by turning innovative ideas into reality using world class research continues to go from strength to strength.
The Airbus Endeavr Wales programme, which recently celebrated 15 years of success, is a joint venture between Welsh Government, Airbus Defence and Space, and Cardiff University – representing the university sector in Wales.
The Endeavr initiative, which gives universities and SMEs the opportunity to work with Airbus and develop innovative solutions to complex problems, has drawn £1.6m in funding from other sources in the last three years alone – more than the investment made by the Welsh Government and its partners.
It has now received a funding extension from Welsh Government and Airbus Defence and Space on a fifty-fifty basis.
One SME benefitting from the programme is cyber security start up Nisien, a spin out of Cardiff University who also lead the Wales Cyber Innovation Hub – a part funded Welsh Government programme to drive growth in the cyber security sector in the Cardiff Capital Region.
Nisien is working with Airbus on the detection of information that has been generated using AI, to accurately detect potential misinformation across online platforms in real time. Nisien has created 14 jobs this year.
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans met with the company recently.
She said:
“Nisien’s ground breaking work is exactly the sort of innovative solution we had in mind when we launched our Wales Innovates strategy.
“The Endeavr programme is acting as a catalyst to encourage cutting edge innovation from both academia and the SME community across the whole of Wales, embedding Airbus technology and capability within the Welsh business ecosystem.
“We may be a small nation, but by enabling collaboration between people, consortia and businesses to work towards shared goals, we can have a big presence and provide a valuable contribution to the overarching UK vision for innovation.”
Nisien CEO Lee Gainer said:
“The sector we are engaged in is crucial for the long-term growth of the Welsh economy. Endeavr’s support has been instrumental in creating high-skilled jobs and has played a pivotal role in helping our business gain a foothold and attract equity investment. We look forward to advancing cutting-edge R&D into Gen-AI detection and transforming it into commercially successful products.”
Stephanie Eden, Head of Design Authority and Technical Governance, and Airbus Endeavr Executive Committee member, said:
“The Airbus Endeavr Wales Programme supports our engagement with SMEs and Academia across Wales. Over its 15 years, Endeavr has helped many innovative ideas become reality by funding early stage research to support Airbus Defence and Space to deliver its technology portfolio. I look forward to seeing how Endeavr will support innovation in Wales in the future. ”
Welsh Version
Menter ar y cyd yn tyfu economi Cymru drwy arloesi sy’n mynd o nerth i nerth
Mae partneriaeth unigryw sy’n helpu i dyfu economi Cymru drwy droi syniadau arloesol yn realiti gan ddefnyddio ymchwil o’r radd flaenaf yn parhau i fynd o nerth i nerth.
Mae rhaglen Airbus Endeavr Wales, a ddathlodd 15 mlynedd o lwyddiant yn ddiweddar, yn fenter ar y cyd rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, Airbus Defence and Space, a Phrifysgol Caerdydd sy’n cynrychioli’r sector prifysgolion yng Nghymru.
Mae menter Endeavr, sy’n rhoi cyfle i brifysgolion a busnesau bach a chanolig (BBaCh) weithio gydag Airbus a datblygu atebion arloesol i broblemau cymhleth, wedi atynnu £1.6m o gyllid o ffynonellau eraill yn ystod y tair blynedd diwethaf yn unig – swm sy’n fwy na’r buddsoddiad a wnaed gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’i phartneriaid.
Mae bellach wedi derbyn estyniad ariannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru ac Airbus Defence and Space ar sail 50-50.
Un BBaCh sy’n elwa o’r rhaglen yw busnes newydd seiberddiogelwch Nisien, sy’n deillio o Brifysgol Caerdydd ac sydd hefyd yn arwain Hyb Arloesedd Seiber Cymru – rhaglen a ariennir yn rhannol gan Lywodraeth Cymru i ysgogi twf yn y sector seiberddiogelwch ym Mhrifddinas-Ranbarth Caerdydd.
Mae Nisien yn gweithio gydag Airbus ar ganfod gwybodaeth sydd wedi’i chynhyrchu gan ddefnyddio AI, i ganfod camwybodaeth bosibl yn gywir ar draws platfformau ar-lein mewn amser real. Mae Nisien wedi creu 14 o swyddi eleni.
Cyfarfu Ysgrifennydd Cabinet Llywodraeth Cymru dros yr Economi, Ynni a Chynllunio, Rebecca Evans â’r cwmni yn ddiweddar.
Dywedodd:
“Gwaith arloesol Nisien yw’r union fath o ddatrysiad arloesol oedd gennym mewn golwg pan lansiwyd ein strategaeth Cymru’n Arloesi.
“Mae’r rhaglen Endeavr yn gweithredu fel catalydd i annog arloesi blaengar o’r byd academaidd a’r gymuned BBaCh ledled Cymru gyfan, gan ymgorffori technoleg a gallu Airbus o fewn ecosystem fusnes Cymru.
“Efallai ein bod ni’n genedl fach, ond drwy alluogi cydweithio rhwng pobl, consortia a busnesau i weithio tuag at nodau a rennir,bydd gennym bresenoldeb mawr a gallwn wneud cyfraniad gwerthfawr i weledigaeth gyffredinol y DU o ran arloesi.”
Dywedodd Lee Gainer, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol Nisien:
Mae’r sector rydym yn rhan ohono yn hanfodol ar gyfer twf hirdymor economi Cymru. Mae cymorth Endeavr wedi bod yn allweddol wrth greu swyddi medrus iawn, ac mae wedi chwarae rhan ganolog wrth helpu ein busnes i ennill troedle a denu buddsoddiad ecwiti. Rydym yn edrych ymlaen at hyrwyddo ymchwil a datblygu arloesol i ganfod AI cynhyrchiol a’i drawsnewid yn gynnyrch masnachol llwyddiannus.”
Dywedodd Stephanie Eden, Pennaeth Awdurdod Dylunio a Llywodraethu Technegol, ac aelod o Bwyllgor Gweithredol Airbus Endeaver:
“Mae Rhaglen Airbus Endeavr Wales yn cefnogi ein hymgysylltiad â busnesau bach a chanolig a’r byd academaidd ledled Cymru. Dros ei 15 mlynedd, mae Endeavr wedi helpu i wireddu llawer o syniadau arloesol, trwy ariannu ymchwil cynnar i gefnogi Airbus Defence and Space i gyflawni ei bortffolio technoleg. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at weld sut y bydd Endeavr yn cefnogi arloesedd yng Nghymru yn y dyfodol.”
