Welcome to Launchpad Leaders.  This new blog series will bring together two powerful forces in Wales’ net zero ecosystem: the innovative businesses driving low-carbon solutions in South West Wales, and our student journalists – the next generation of storytellers who will shape how that future is understood. Created in partnership with students from Cardiff University’s … Continued

Tidal energy is one of the most dependable low-carbon energy sources, offering a constant and predictable supply of power driven by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon.  Porpoise Power was co-founded by Adrian Thomas, Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Oxford, alongside John Kennedy, Hillary Struthers and Martin Hall. Bringing together … Continued

AI-powered sonar systems could change how marine environments are monitored, particularly in the turbid waters along the UK’s coastline.  PEBL, a community interest company (CIC), is working to unlock this potential with a goal to make marine monitoring more accessible and affordable for researchers, industry and coastal communities.  In conversation with Managing Director Christian Berfer, … Continued

What if the water we usually throw away could help power a net zero future? Across industrial sites, contaminated wastewater is an unavoidable by-product — costly to treat and energy-intensive to transport. But what if that same water could be transformed into something valuable?  The CWTCH project is doing exactly that, exploring how contaminated wastewater … Continued

Wales is quickly becoming a hotspot for marine energy innovation, and at the heart of this momentum is the Lobe-Tendon Anaconda – an innovative wave energy converter developed by Checkmate Sea Energy (an affiliate of Checkmate Flexible Engineering), to reimagine how the power of the ocean can be converted into clean electricity. Thanks to Launchpad … Continued

A new Clean Energy Investment Prospectus for Wales has been revealed today (02 February) — outlining the scale of the investment opportunity for clean energy and a pipeline of projects with the potential to unlock over £20bn of investment over the next decade. Created by Net Zero Industry Wales (NZIW) in partnership with Acre, the … Continued

Our relationship with Acre first began when they contacted us and offered to support our EmpowerCymru conference in 2025. They proposed hosting a clean energy investment roundtable – and we said yes, of course. The result was a room full of engaged people who wanted to support energy infrastructure investment here in Wales, and were … Continued

A landmark moment for the UK battery industry has arrived; a new cylindrical sodium-ion cell built with Welsh materials and homegrown innovation. Believed to be the first of its kind made in the UK using fully UK-manufactured anode and cathode materials, the demonstration 18650 cell highlights the rapid acceleration of the nation’s sodium-ion capabilities. Backed … Continued

Net Zero Industry Wales, the South Wales Industrial Cluster, and partners across the region are preparing to bid into UKRI’s Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) – a £500m revenue grant fund which will run over a five-year period. We are seeking expressions of interest for anchor projects and wider project opportunities from stakeholders across local … Continued

Net Zero Industry Wales spoke to Lucy Hoggins, Director of Resilience Sustainable Solutions (RSS), about its project with WEPA UK to explore innovative, sustainable packaging options. Lucy launched the business in 2014; she talked to us about the project’s aims and ambitions, and what funding might be available for other businesses looking to undertake their … Continued