Consultancy Services

WERU has a long record of providing research and consultancy services for organisations in both public and private sectors. WERU has experience in designing and managing surveys, constructing databases, conducting interviews & focus groups and in sophisticated analysis of survey findings. As part of Cardiff Business School, WERU has access to the most contemporary IT resources for the construction of databases and statistical analysis, as well as to its considerable intellectual resource.

An important theme of recent WERU research has been economic assessments and reports on regional industry sectors, and on major visitor and sporting events. Recent studies have included:

the development of tourism satellite accounts for the UK (DCMS) and for Wales for (WTB)
an evaluation of events including the Rally of Great Britain , Brecon Jazz and Rugby World Cup
the steel and coal industries (including research for the Steel Action campaign, Celtic Energy and the Welsh Office),
the media sector (including research for HTV, BBC Wales and S4C)
the heritage and culture industries (research projects for the Arts Council of Wales, and the Welsh Development Agency)
the higher education sector (projects for HEFCW, University of Bangor, and the University of Cardiff).
the forestry industry sector (research undertaken for the Forestry Commission and the Timber Growers Association)
the tourism sector (with research projects undertaken for the Wales Tourist Board, and Pembroke County Council)
WERU has also undertaken research exploring the role of infrastructure and facilties improvements in regional development. This has included assessments of the economic impact of a number of new operations, including the Big Pit and National Waterfront Museum Swansea, and actual and proposed trunk road improvements for organisations including the British Road Federation, Howard Humphries Limited, Road Management Group and the Welsh Office.

WERU has extensive general knowledge of regional business organisations having completed three extensive surveys of Welsh manufacturing and services industries. Together these surveys have formed the foundation for the construction of Input-Output Tables for Wales. These tables represent the most detailed map of industry purchases and sales in Wales, and have been utilised for specific sector assessments.

Other research projects have been undertaken in the following areas:

The small firm sector, with current research examining the transactions patterns of manufacturing SMEs, and with a current ERDF funded project exploring the development of innovative learning structures in SMEs in Industrial South Wales,
Regional policy, regional economic indicators and competitiveness. WERU staff have undertaken projects to improve the statistical base of the Welsh economy, including analyses of economic and social indicators for rural areas, and the estimation of unitary authority level GDP figures for Wales. Research projects are currently examining the methodology for regional policy evaluation in a Welsh context,
Inward investment and regional economic development,
The regional impacts of corporate rationalisation, particularly with respect to the financial and business services, and utilities sectors,
Rural development strategies and related evaluative tools,
Indicators of deprivation and poverty for small areas.
Other successful general and survey based research has been undertaken for organisations including the Assembly, WDA, Economic and Social Research Council, Cardiff County Council, SWALEC, Lowe Bell Good Relations, various County Councils, Wales CBI and others.

For further information on WERU services and activities, please contact Max Munday, Director on (0) 29 2087 5089, or Annette Roberts, Deputy Director on (0) 29 2087 5058