Cardiff digital incubator is first to get international award

A technology-based incubator in Cardiff has won an international award.

The @Wales innovation centre for digital companies has been awarded the best science-based incubator 2009 award by Science Alliance at its conference in Sweden.

It is the first time a British innovation centre has won the award. Previous winners include First Flight Venture Center in North Carolina, USA, and the Incubator d’Impresa di Città della Scienza in Italy.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transports said: “@Wales is one of a number of highly specialist business incubation and innovation centres supported by the Welsh Assembly Government and it’s great news it has not only been selected for such a prestigious award but that it is the first in Britain to gain this recognition.”

Peter Harman, Chief Executive of UK Business Incubation (UKBI), who accepted the award on behalf of @Wales said:

"It’s an honour to bring this award to Britain and Wales and shows that British business incubators rank with the best in the world."

The award is not the first for @Wales which in 2005 and 2008 won an (American) National Business Incubation Association 'Soft Landings' award for excellence in dealing with foreign companies opening offices in Wales.  In 2008, the First Minister Rhodri Morgan presented @Wales with a plaque to mark the 500th job created by the @Wales team.

9/12/2009