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extract from a consultation document
1. By the year 2031 futurologists have predicted that businesses will no longer have dedicated buildings for their operations, instead adopting a “shared coffee-shop approach with wireless broadband and low energy laptops and furniture will include near-field wireless technology to recharge portable personal appliances without cables” . In short, “buildings will be smart, wireless and flexible” allowing businesses to simultaneously address both the green and financial aspects of the sustainability agenda.
2. Wales must not only improve its knowledge based economy, but also utilise its excellent environmental education credentials to develop advanced research and development projects into high-tech solutions to the sustainability questions facing the agenda. Whereas the traditional manufacturing side of the Welsh economy will continue to decline in the coming years, there are ample opportunities to develop technology start-ups and exploit existing projects such as the Centre for Alternative Technology (Machynlleth), the IGER at Aberystwyth and the Research & Enterprise Partnership between Aberystwyth and Bangor universities. 3. To aid Wales’ steps towards a truly 21st century, sustainable economy, the Welsh Assembly Government must: • Provide leadership in addressing the ‘people problem’ of re-organising as a result of changing to a sustainable business model. • Support the development of R&D projects across Wales, particularly in the green technology sector and continue to support R&D spinout from universities. • Further invest in transport infrastructure, particularly a high speed rail line to London and better links to the rest of the UK. • Re-focus agricultural development from traditional methods to new techniques such as greenhouse growing (greenhouses heated by renewables) and more fundamentally, take a non-traditional view of the purpose of a farm in a sustainable Wales.
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