New writing work ✅

Good morning everyone,

Hope you’re having a great kick off to the weekend 🙂

Being born and raised in the Swansea valleys, I’m fascinated by what’s driving Wales forward on the global stage. While doing a bit of reading the other day, I came across some research being done about universities across the country, and ended up writing a whole article about it! Let’s take a closer look at this in today’s blog.

Hello and Welcome to Sweeney’s Blogs!

University helped shape who I am today as a person. Whether through the people I met, the confidence I built, or the challenges I faced, I’m incredibly grateful for it all 🎓

Universities teach you so much more than just the course you’re enrolled in. I got to learn who I was when I was away from home, I learnt how to cook (well, the basics anyway 😂), I met people from all over the world, and I learnt so much about myself.

However, now, more than ever, they are shaping the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Did you know that Wales also has the highest proportion of student startups per capita in the UK, with estimations forecasting that approximately 2,000 new startups, with a predicted turnover of around £551 million, could be established for the Welsh economy by 2028.

In my latest piece for Startups Magazine, I explore the growing role universities are playing in Wales’ start-up scene. From supporting student-led businesses to encouraging innovation and creating space for ideas to grow, it’s an exciting time for the country and for budding entrepreneurs across the country.

However, as well as being highly promising, it is also rather fragile.

Many of these institutions are facing real pressures: course cuts, funding challenges, even campus closures. So, how do we protect the parts of our education system that are driving so much of our future? 😅

Check out my full article, entitled “Universities: The Future of Welsh Startups?” to find out more.

I’m hoping to take on more writing work like this soon, so be sure to keep an eye out! We had the food and drink Substack last week, start-ups in Wales this week, what’s next? Who knows? Huge thanks to Anna and the team at Startups Magazine for letting me publish this.

That’s all for today’s blog. What do you think? What would you like to see me write about next?

I’d love to hear your thoughts 😊

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day!