Remember The Matrix Reloaded? That scene when Neo realises he’s not the first; that there’ve been many versions before, each one an iteration trying to fix the flaws of the last? Well, welcome to the sequel, WDA 2.0.
For those of us who’ve been watching Wales’ economic performance since the original Welsh Development Agency (WDA) was scrapped in 2006, there’s a sense of déjà vu; only this time, the stakes feel higher.
We’ve now had nearly two decades of policy drift, bureaucratic chop-and-change and missed opportunity. Productivity’s still flat, investment in innovation lags behind the 海角视频 average and too many of our businesses never make it past the start-up phase.
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Despite all the promise of devolution, we’ve yet to crack the code of sustainable, Wales-led economic growth. And with Plaid Cymru’s Making Wales Work laying out a fresh and compelling argument for change, it’s time to talk seriously about a return to something bold - but better. Enter WDA 2.0.
Why WDA 2.0?
The original WDA had flaws, sure; but it had ambition, clout and, crucially, a commercial mindset. Since its abolition, Wales’ business support system has become a patchwork; fragmented, top-down and oddly disconnected from the people it’s meant to serve. We’ve centralised everything into oblivion and buried enterprise under layers of well-meaning paperwork.
We spent too long chasing inward investment while ignoring the slow burn of With Plaid Cymru committed to bringing home-grown firms. The result? A hollowed-out “missing middle”; too few medium-sized Welsh companies with the staying power to create jobs, drive exports and anchor communities.
What Should It Look Like?
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Let’s be clear, this isn’t nostalgia for the 1990s. WDA 2.0 has to be something new. Think arms-length, independent and fiercely strategic. It needs commercial freedom, regional depth and a clear mission.
It should:
- Be accountable to, but operationally free from, the civil service.
- Back Welsh-owned businesses to start, scale and stay Welsh.
- Promote exports and trade on Welsh terms; not as a branch of someone else’s supply chain.
- Build regional offices that understand their patch and act on local intelligence.
- Integrate policy and finance; not let them drift on separate islands.
- Champion a Welsh version of the German Mittelstand; rooted, resilient, long-term businesses that put people and place first.
Not Just Economics; It’s About Power
Economic development isn’t just about GDP charts and job creation numbers; it’s about who owns what and who decides. Right now, too much of Wales’ economy is controlled from outside; by shareholders, by parent companies or by distant governments. WDA 2.0 is a chance to rebalance that; to root ownership, investment and decision-making firmly in our communities.
It’s not just economic strategy; it’s economic democracy.
The Big Questions
- Of course, WDA 2.0 can’t just be a shiny new logo and a few regional offices. We need the hard stuff:
- Transparent governance and measurable outcomes.
- Serious devolution to regions beyond Cardiff Bay.
- Long-term planning that’s immune to election cycles.
- Partnerships with businesses, universities and local councils that actually work.
- We also need an honest debate about where it fits; in relation to the Development Bank of Wales, to (or, outside of, but reporting to) Welsh Government departments and within the wider 海角视频 (or post-海角视频) constitutional future.
Time to Get On With It
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Like Neo standing in front of the Architect, Wales now faces a choice. We can keep cycling through broken systems; patching up the code of a programme that no longer serves us. Or we can take the red pill; step into the unknown and start rebuilding on our own terms.
WDA 2.0 isn’t about going backwards. It’s about rewriting the economic operating system of Wales. One where decisions are made closer to the people they affect; where enterprise is nurtured not neutered; and where long-term prosperity is driven from the ground up; not by the Mandarins in the Bay.
The matrix of bureaucracy, centralisation and short-termism has failed. It’s time to unplug.
Let’s rebuild the engine room – and this time, let’s get it right.
- Wil Williams is co-founder of LearnerMetrics and a former chief executive of the Alacrity Foundation.