Connecting Mid Wales: Digital and Transport Infrastructure 2026

Key Points

• Economic objectives in Mid Wales require connecting people, firms, and places in Powys and Ceredigion, which are among the most rural regions in Wales.
• The recently approved Mid Wales Regional Transport Plan serves as a 5-year roadmap, addressing active travel, public transport, road, and rail connectivity in Mid Wales.
• The growing Mid Wales, a partnership between the public and private sectors, aims at harmonizing investment, infrastructure, and skills development towards economic growth in the region.
• With a £50m budget allocated from the UK and Welsh governments’ joint funding, the Mid Wales Growth Deal will fund several projects, namely digital infrastructure projects, commercial property investments, and innovation initiatives, including a Green Futures Innovation Park project worth £50m at Aberystwyth University.
• Currently, digital connectivity varies across Mid Wales and efforts are being taken to pinpoint digital gaps using creative means of mapping through bin lorries that can capture data using mobile data-capturing devices. There are also plans to extend full fibre broadband connections to all the business parks.
• According to the Mid Wales Digital Skills Analysis report, 73% of businesses in Mid Wales consider awareness of AI an important skill, requiring basic and advanced levels of digital skills across various sectors.

Wales (Wales Times ) August 17, 2026 – The economic ambitions of Mid Wales depend on the ability to connect people, businesses and places across Powys and Ceredigion, two of the most rural counties in Wales, according to regional leaders and business organisations. As reported by Business News Wales, the new Mid Wales Regional Transport Plan gives the region a five-year framework for improving transport across active travel, public transport, roads and rail, making it easier to identify priorities and sequence investment.

How Is the Regional Transport Plan Designed to Improve Connectivity?

The Mid Wales Regional Transport Plan, covering Powys and Ceredigion, establishes a coordinated five-year approach to transport improvements across the region. As outlined in reporting by Business News Wales, the plan addresses active travel, public transport, roads and rail infrastructure, providing a structured framework to prioritise and sequence investment.

Transport for Wales has indicated that bus franchising will be introduced in Mid Wales by 2030, aiming to make services in Powys and Ceredigion more integrated, consistent and reliable. The regional transport strategy is part of broader efforts under Growing Mid Wales, a partnership arrangement between the private and public sectors, including Welsh Government, to align investment, infrastructure and skills planning.

What Role Does the Growing Mid Wales Partnership Play in Regional Development?

Growing Mid Wales functions as a regional partnership and engagement arrangement between the private and public sectors, working with Welsh Government to coordinate economic development across Powys and Ceredigion. As reported by Ceredigion County Council, the partnership has focused on turning regional ambition into practical delivery, with discussions highlighting how investment, infrastructure, skills and employer demand can be better aligned to support people, businesses and communities across the region.

Cllr Glyn Preston, Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys at Powys County Council, stated that Growing Mid Wales is helping to bring partners together so employers can find clearer routes to advice, training and support. Cllr Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Carbon Management at Ceredigion County Council, said infrastructure, skills and opportunity needed to be considered together, noting that digital infrastructure was critical to creating a more level playing field across Mid Wales.

How Is the Mid Wales Growth Deal Funding Infrastructure and Innovation Projects?

The Mid Wales Growth Deal, jointly funded by the UK Government and Welsh Government, is designed to leverage further public and private investment across the region. As reported by Insider Media, the Green Futures Innovation Park project at Aberystwyth University has received outline plan approval, with a phased programme of investments valued at about £50m, including a potential investment of up to £14.3m through the Mid Wales Growth Deal.

The Mid Wales Commercial Property Investment Fund, launched in May 2025 and delivered through the Mid Wales Growth Deal, has supported projects representing a combined project value of approximately £11.12 million, with an estimated Fund contribution of around £3.96 million. According to Powys County Council updates, the fund has enabled established businesses across Powys and Ceredigion to develop, extend, refurbish or repurpose sites, with proposals including the creation of more than 10,000 sqm of commercial floorspace and the potential creation of over 100 new roles.

What Progress Is Being Made on Digital Infrastructure and Skills?

Digital connectivity across Mid Wales remains varied, with efforts underway to identify and address remaining gaps in fibre, mobile connectivity and other forms of provision. As reported by Business News Wales, innovative approaches are being used to map connectivity gaps, including the use of bin lorries equipped with advanced mobile data-capturing devices during recycling collections to identify areas with weaker coverage.

The Mid Wales Growth Deal’s Digital Programme is backing full-fibre links for business parks that currently lack access to gigabit-capable connectivity. According to Powys County Council, the project will deliver fast, reliable and future-proof full-fibre broadband to business parks, helping local businesses grow, improve productivity and remain competitive in an increasingly digital economy.

A Mid Wales Digital Skills Analysis found that digital capability is now essential across sectors including agriculture, construction, retail, manufacturing, health, education and public services. The report found that 73% of Mid Wales employers view AI awareness as important, although many organisations remain at an early stage of adoption and are seeking practical guidance on how to use it safely and effectively.

Mark Price, Business Development Director at Pugh Computers, told the Unlocking Mid Wales podcast that the region’s digital needs now extend well beyond the technology sector, with businesses across sectors increasingly looking for packaged support to understand available tools, use them securely and embed them in day-to-day working. Dr John Davies, CEO of SudoCyber, said the challenge was often less about the technology itself and more about helping people use it with confidence.

How Are Tourism and Business Sectors Being Supported Through Connectivity Initiatives?

Tourism businesses in Mid Wales are being supported through multiple initiatives aimed at improving digital capability and physical infrastructure. As reported by Travel and Tour World, Mid Wales tourism firms have adopted AI through 14 workshops, learning how smarter digital tools can boost visibility, attract visitors and increase bookings.

The Welsh Government has announced a £4.5 million investment in cycling tourism infrastructure, delivered through the Brilliant Basics capital fund, with £2 million available during 2026-27 and a further £2.5 million allocated for 2027-28. Applications for funding opened on 10 August 2026, with submissions closing at 1pm on 25 September 2026.

As reported by Business News Wales, the Mid Wales Growth Deal’s Digital Programme, including the LoRaWAN Business Grant, is helping businesses adopt smart technologies to improve efficiency, productivity and decision-making. The programme is part of broader efforts to showcase how evidence-led investment planning, Growth Deal projects and wider regional programmes can help develop a pipeline of opportunities, ensuring future skills provision is aligned to employer demand and long-term economic growth.

Background of the Development

The economic development challenges facing Mid Wales have long been recognised, with the region’s rural geography presenting particular difficulties in terms of connectivity, access to services and economic opportunities. Around one in three people in Wales live in rural areas facing higher costs, lower pay and unequal access to services, according to Welsh Government analysis.

The Growing Mid Wales partnership emerged as a response to these challenges, bringing together Powys and Ceredigion County Councils, Welsh Government, UK Government, and private sector partners to coordinate economic development efforts. The Mid Wales Growth Deal, backed by £110 million from the UK and Welsh Governments, was established to leverage further public and private investment across the region.

The new Mid Wales Regional Transport Plan represents a significant step forward in coordinating transport investment across the region, providing a five-year framework that covers active travel, public transport, roads and rail. This aligns with broader Welsh Government initiatives, including a White Paper published on issues and challenges facing rural Wales, with proposals designed to support thriving rural communities, businesses and public services.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Businesses, Residents and Tourism Operators in Mid Wales

The coordinated approach to connectivity infrastructure, digital skills development and business support through Growing Mid Wales and the Mid Wales Growth Deal is likely to have significant implications for businesses, residents and tourism operators across Powys and Ceredigion.

For businesses, improved digital infrastructure and clearer pathways to skills development should enhance productivity and competitiveness. The full-fibre broadband rollout to business parks will help local businesses grow and remain competitive in an increasingly digital economy. The Mid Wales Commercial Property Investment Fund’s support for commercial premises development should address the shortage of suitable business premises in the region, unlocking more than £11 million of investment and creating more than 10,000 sqm of new or refurbished employment space.

For residents, particularly young people, the alignment of infrastructure investment, skills development and employment pathways should create clearer routes into digital careers and higher-value work. As Cllr Glyn Preston noted, Mid Wales cannot afford to lose thousands of young people each year because they feel the right opportunities are not available locally. The work to improve visibility of training options, expand flexible learning and strengthen links between employers and education providers should make digital skills more accessible to people across the region.

For tourism operators, the combination of improved physical connectivity through the Regional Transport Plan and enhanced digital capability through AI workshops and other initiatives should improve visibility and accessibility for visitors. The £4.5 million cycling tourism infrastructure investment ahead of the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2027 should provide lasting benefits for communities where tourism takes place.

However, the success of these initiatives will depend on sustained implementation and coordination across partners. As Cllr Clive Davies stated, the task now is to connect the pieces more effectively so that infrastructure investment, skills development and employment pathways reinforce each other. The five-year framework provided by the Regional Transport Plan should help maintain momentum, but long-term commitment from all partners will be essential to realise the full economic potential of improved connectivity across Mid Wales.