Billions of pounds of investment, supporting thousands of high-quality jobs, have flowed into North Wales in the past year.

Investment by a range of companies is helping secure a sustainable future for a region which is primed to build on its rich history in high value manufacturing by embracing generational revolutions in technology and industry.

The landmark Wales Investment Summit that took place yesterday saw more than 300 industry and business leaders from 27 countries around the world gather in Newport to explore exciting investment opportunities across Wales, including in North Wales. Of those attending,150 are new to Wales.

Wylfa on Anglesey was recently confirmed as the site of the UK’s first small modular reactor nuclear power station, in a partnership between the UK Government, Great British Energy-Nuclear and Rolls-Royce SMR. Hailed as ‘the most significant industrial investment in North Wales for a generation’, the £2.5 billion scheme will employ 3,000 people.

Global energy tech company Eni has also recently been awarded an Economic Licence from the Authorities to start work on a carbon capture and storage scheme under the sea off North Wales.

Through its operating company Liverpool Bay CCS Ltd, it will see almost £700 million invested into infrastructure for CO2 in Wales alone. CO2 will be transported from industrial sites through underground pipelines and stored under the seabed in depleted natural gas reservoirs, unlocking industrial renewal and decarbonisation opportunities. The construction phase, which is now underway, is expected to provide work for 1,000 people in Wales, out of around 2,000 during the entire build-out of the project.

Connecting to Eni’s Transportation and Storage network, Heidelberg Material’s Padeswood facility will be the world’s first cement plant with a fully decarbonised cement production process. It will capture around 800,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, secure 200 jobs and create 50 new positions. Up to 500 jobs will also be created during construction.

More jobs will also be delivered by the recently announced North Wales AI Growth Zone, which will unlock billions more in investment.

Other investments include a £170 million investment in a state-of-the-art factory in Shotton by Knauf Insulation, will see the company create around 140 jobs, with more in local supply chains. Kellogg’s is also investing £75 million to create Europe’s largest cereal factory in Wrexham. Kellanova, the company which manufactures the cereal, is doubling capacity at the factory, creating 130 jobs in the process.

And the First Minister Eluned Morgan attended the official opening of the new Siemens Healthcare Technology Centre of Excellence in Llanberis last month. It is safeguarding more than 400 existing roles, creating 100 highly skilled new jobs, and will see Siemens pioneer a new generation of allergen tests to support faster, more accurate diagnosis worldwide.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, yesterday said:

We have raised the profile of Wales as an outstanding investment destination with key sectors that boast world class capabilities, and North Wales is benefitting with high-quality jobs in key sectors.

The Investment Summit will further spotlight how we are creating the right conditions for foreign investment to flourish, particularly in industries that will define the next decade.

The First Minister yesterday said:

Investment is vital to creating jobs and growing the Welsh economy. The Wales International Investment Summit will show the world what a great place North Wales is to invest in.

Phil Hemmens, Senior Advisor for Eni CCUS Holding, yesterday said:

Eni is proud to be continuing our long-standing presence in North Wales through the development of our Liverpool Bay Transportation and Storage network, as the backbone of the broader HyNet cluster. The project will see significant investment into infrastructure in the region, as well as creating and safeguarding thousands of jobs.

Investment in North Wales over the last year builds on the £1 billion announced to redevelop Shotton Mill in Deeside, North Wales, in September 2024. It will see Eren Holdings create the UK’s largest paper manufacturing site, safeguarding 147 jobs and creating a further 220 positions.

In 2024–25, Wales secured 65 Foreign Direct Investment projects, a 23% increase year-on-year and the second highest growth in the UK. These projects created 2,470 new jobs and safeguarded 1,652 more, the highest of any part of the UK.