: Dylan Jones-Evans.

I RECENTLY attended a conference held at the Celtic Manor to discuss the future competitiveness of Wales.

The main speaker was Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, live by satellite from Seattle in the United States.

As the guru of modern competitiveness, his vast tomes of work are required reading for every unfortunate business student, and form the basis for assessing whether your organisation or nation can hold its head high in the today's competitive business arena.

So it was quite apt to have this outstanding individual giving us two hours of his very expensive wisdom via satellite from America when discussing an economic strategy for Wales.

So what did he have to say about Wales that we didn't already know, given that the National Assembly had spent nearly two years doing the same thing, and had published their ambitiously titled document, A Winning Wales, only a few months earlier?

To be honest, much of what was said was not a revelation in itself. For example, key issues such as lagging educational achievement relative to the UK, low level of business formation, low private R&D and lack of financial and other business services, were key barriers to enhancing the business environment.

However, what was most striking about his talk, particularly to an academic like myself, was the importance he placed on the university sector in supporting economic development within growing regions. He went so far as to suggest that universities can be the driving force behind innovation in every region and that the provision of specialised talent and training are key to the development of successful economies.

Given the current debate about the various roles of the University of Wales, it is clear that there could be a real opportunity for the academic sector to demonstrate its real contribution in developing Wales as a competitive nation.

Currently, one of the best mechanisms for this role is the Teaching Company Scheme (TCS). This is a programme where a carefully selected graduate works full-time in a local company for two years. As well as receiving consultancy support from the University, the participating business also gets equipment, training and travel and subsistence support for the project - a real win-win situation for the graduate, the university and, most importantly, the small business.

The University of Wales Bangor is one ofthe leading UK universities in developing this scheme with local businesses and has pioneered programmes in music with Sain Records in Caernarfon and in tourism with the Trearddur Bay Hotel on Anglesey.

However, there are still not enough firms, particularly within rural Wales, that are taking advantage of the technological expertise available on their doorstep to help them develop their business.

Clearly, if we are to follow Porter's model for regional growth and create wealth and prosperity within North Wales, then localbusinesses need to take greater advantage of initiatives such as TCS to help make their ventures more innovative and competitive and to bring the university into their business.

Business Website of the week: www.tcsonline.org.uk - this website contains all the relevant information on the Teaching Company Scheme and its benefits to local business L Professor Dylan Jones-Evans is Director of the Centre for Enterprise and Regional Development at the University of Wales Bangor