What we do
We offer the time and support of our data science team to give you a ‘data innovation health check’ or work with you on a collaborative project to tackle real challenges facing your business.
The Data Innovation Accelerator team will support you throughout your engagement with us. We have team members with the technical expertise and the administrative know-how to help you make sure that working with us is right for you.
Health checks
A DIA data innovation health check is carried out by our data science team and is bespoke to your business. We carry it out as 'de minimis' state aid, so you will need to show us that your company is eligible to receive de minimis aid before the health check process can begin. One of the key purposes of the health check is to ascertain if a collaborative project is feasible.
You will receive a report which:
- introduces data science and its applications in the business world;
- gives a number of worked examples of how data science can be applied, tailored to your needs and interests;
- makes recommendations to leverage your existing data to generate opportunities and to bring new products or services to market on your pathway to data innovation.
Collaborative projects
After the health check, we’ll invite you to propose an idea for a collaborative research, development and innovation project.
Our management board may then invite you to plan a project with us. The plan will need to be approved by the board before we draft a collaboration agreement for both the University and the company to sign.
Members of our data science team will work on the project, with their time commitment depending on the needs of the project. For example, one data scientist might work on the project for 10 hours per week for nine months, spending a day a week with you on your premises.
Companies need to contribute too by dedicating some staff time to the project and declaring other project-related expenses such as the purchase of a new software package.
When the project ends, we’ll help you to identify the tangible benefits that have already resulted from the work we’ve done together, or are likely to in the near future.
We’ll report these back to our funders in Welsh Government so that they can, in turn, report to the European Commission how the European Regional Development Funds have been used to create real impact on businesses in Wales.
Our target companies
Welsh Government has tasked us with supporting SMEs with a base in the East Wales region. This covers:
- Cardiff
- Newport
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Monmouthshire
- Powys
- Wrexham
- Flintshire.
If a company is part of a larger group or has partner or linked enterprises, its SME status may be affected. Check your SME status.
We will target prime data-driven sectors with the capacity to benefit from our support, including:
- ICT and cyber security
- advanced materials
- energy and eco-innovation.
However, we are keen to explore opportunities with a wide range of companies, so please don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you work in another sector.
You don’t need to have an R&D department to work with us on a project, but will need suitably knowledgeable staff to spend time on it.
More information
See more information about European Structural Funds 2014-2020
