They joined Pro Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University, Professor Iwan Davies to view the construction project being undertaken with the regeneration specialists St. Modwen.  The £250m project will generate £430m of economic activity of which £390m will be in Wales,  creating 4000 direct construction jobs and a further 6000 jobs as well as over 1000 training and apprenticeship opportunities.

The campus will feature an Engineering Manufacturing Centre (EMC) housing state-of-the-art facilities to enable the University to carry out research and development, particularly through collaborative projects with industry in sectors such as advanced engineering, the digital economy and low carbon technologies.

Also located at the campus will be the SMaRT building – a purpose-built materials testing and research facility that is part-sponsored by Rolls Royce –an innovation hub, a resource centre, lecture halls and the College of Business and Economics. There will also be student accommodation on site.  The first phase of the campus will be completed by September 2015.

Dr Francis said: Dr Francis said: “This is an important new educational and economic development for my Aberavon constituency in which it is located and for the whole of Wales. The Campus has always had my fullest support from the earliest days and I will continue to give it my backing by encouraging a greater local and international understanding of its potential for students, researchers and businesses’.

Mr Rees said at the visit: “The campus will have a great impact on the area and the attraction of students, the attraction of business and the attraction of modern engineering innovation will be a major focus for the region. The project is moving forward quickly and I look forward to coming back in the future to see further progress”.

Professor Davies said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Dr Francis and Mr Rees to the Science and Innovation Campus to view the preparation of the major construction activity at the site.  The new Campus will be a transformational asset for the whole Swansea Bay City Region. The University will be working with global partners and companies on the new Campus and we are creating world class facilities for students.  The completion of the Science and Innovation Campus will increase the opportunities of commercialising our international calibre research which in turn will drive up skills and employment opportunities for our students and the regional supply chain. Swansea  University very much values the relationships it has developed with local, national and European government and applauds the personal support given by Dr Francis and Mr Rees in bringing this exemplar project to this stage of development.”