Centres of Excellence in Technology and Industrial Collaboration (CETIC) Programme

In 1995, TIP was commissioned by the then Welsh Development Agency, now Welsh Government, to review the demand for and performance of an existing network of 14 facilities, loosely described as Centres of Expertise in Wales, and to develop a strategy for further development, expansion and long-term funding. A new programme was developed by TIP and launched under the title ‘Centres of Excellence in Technology and Industrial Collaboration (CETIC)’ – a network and programme of twenty centres with world-leading expertise.

To achieve this, we identified circa 40 industrial manufacturing sectors operating across Wales, including existing and emerging sectors. We then undertook a mapping exercise of universities and RTOs in Wales that had the potential to support and advance such sectors, identifying that there was little direct university and enterprise knowledge exchange.

To address such market failure, we organised a business planning competition in which universities and RTOs would prepare plans (a new skill for most applicants), with TIP providing one-to-one support which focussed on a detailed gap analysis and clear presentation of relevant technical capability through which such gaps could be addressed.

As a result of this exercise, 20 CETICs were created in subjects ranging from Wound Healing, Magnetics, Biocomposites and Precision Engineering.