About
SWITCH: Wales’ Net Zero Accelerator
As Wales and the UK transition to cleaner energy and a greener economy, SWITCH will help accelerate the path to Net Zero, develop future skills and jobs, and improve people’s wellbeing.
Delivered by leading universities in collaboration with industry, SWITCH is delivering research that tackles real life issues addressing fuel poverty and energy security, improving housing and transportation, and delivering industrial decarbonisation.
Spearheaded by Swansea University and centred around the Swansea Bay region, SWITCH brings together groups from the Universities of Swansea, Cardiff and South Wales, a wide range of academic and industry partners, and thousands of committed individuals.
Built on a history of innovation
South Wales has a regional strength in decarbonisation research over decades of multi-disciplinary research projects which have successfully delivered practical solutions for industry and developed new technologies and skills for our future workforce in a green economy.
SWITCH brings together these established projects and partnerships, making it easier to connect with the right people, skills and facilities to help accelerate the decarbonisation of industry and society across south Wales.
The Four Pillars of SWITCH
SWITCH Connect
A specialist virtual network of leading academics, industry representatives, project managers and communications professionals with oversight of all SWITCH projects, funders, partners and contributors. Its role is to ensure that all projects are sufficiently resourced; enable effective communication across connected projects; share best practice and seek out new opportunities for collaborations, scale-up and roll-out, right across the programme.
SWITCH Skills
A dedicated skills agency with a mission to identify, plan, resource and deliver a dynamic education, skills and training regime, designed to support the growth of sustainable industries in Wales. It will power a future skills revolution; starting in schools, leading up through further and higher education and into the workplaces of the future. SWITCH Skills will promote lifelong learning and opportunities for everyone in society, as Wales looks to ensure a fair transition to new ways of working and living.
SWITCH Harbourside
A purpose-built, physical space in the heart of the Swansea Bay region that will provide a focal point for SWITCH partners to meet, collaborate and innovate. SWITCH Harbourside will be an exemplar building that not only showcases what can be achieved in a Net Zero future but also provides access to knowledge and technology that can be used by SWITCH partners.
SWITCH Innovation
An initiative that supports local authorities to team up with industry to secure funding for innovative, Net Zero projects. The SWITCH team will use its knowledge, contacts and research expertise to support councils across Wales to access Innovate UK funding, to collaborate on projects that will meet climate goals, as well as contributing to skills growth and job creation within their regions.
Read more about SWITCH Harbourside
Read more about SWITCH Skills
Our innovation themes
SWITCH projects and expertise span disciplines and industries, technologies, and academic approaches.
By connecting this regional innovation ecosystem, we are supporting the necessary industrial transformation and societal decarbonisation through research, training and industrial-scale demonstrators.
Only by working together can we address the Net Zero challenge. Find out how you can access our research expertise and get help on the journey to Net Zero or industrial decarbonisation.