If you have driven past the new Copr Bay development in Swansea or seen the developments at Yr Egin in Carmarthen, you have witnessed the physical evidence of the Swansea Bay City Deal. This massive investment programme, worth £1.3 billion, is reshaping the economic landscape of South West Wales. While the new arenas and office blocks grab the headlines, the underlying current of this deal is digital.
A core pillar of the City Deal is the Digital Infrastructure programme. The aim is to future-proof the region by improving connectivity across urban and rural areas. This includes full-fibre rollout and the expansion of 4G and 5G networks. In plain English, this means faster, more reliable internet access is becoming the standard from Pembrokeshire’s coast to the valleys of Neath.
This infrastructure upgrade removes a historic barrier for Welsh businesses. In the past, poor connectivity often limited the scope of digital services a company could reliably run. With these barriers falling, customer expectations are rising. Clients and customers now expect seamless online experiences, instant booking confirmations, and rapid communication, regardless of whether they are dealing with a solicitor in Swansea city centre or a marine engineering firm in Pembroke Dock.
The City Deal is structured around specific projects that act as magnets for investment. Understanding these hubs helps local businesses anticipate where growth will come from.
These hubs create a "ripple effect". As larger companies and innovative start-ups move into these spaces, they require a supply chain of local services. They will be looking for partners who speak their language, businesses that are digitally efficient, professional, and secure.
As the regional economy matures, competition naturally intensifies. In a crowded market, a generic website built on a standard template is rarely enough to stand out. Template websites often suffer from "bloat", unnecessary code that slows them down, and they lack the flexibility to grow as your business evolves.
At Pedwar Ltd, we see this often. A business starts with a template because it is cheap and quick. But as they try to integrate a new booking system for their growing fleet, or a custom CRM to manage an influx of enquiries, they hit a wall. The template breaks, or the plugins conflict, and the business grinds to a halt.
To capitalise on the growth driven by the City Deal, your digital foundations need to be solid. This is why we build custom websites from the ground up, including our own proprietary CMS system. It allows us to build exactly what you need, nothing more, nothing less. If you are a marine operations company needing a specific client portal, or a retail business requiring a bespoke e-commerce flow, custom development ensures your technology is an asset, not a bottleneck.
We are now well into the delivery phase of the City Deal. The tangible benefits are appearing, and the digital landscape of Wales is changing. To ensure your business is ready, consider a few key areas:
Pedwar Ltd is based right here in Swansea. We understand the local market because we are part of it. We work with clients ranging from solicitors’ firms to service providers across the UK, but our heart is in Wales. We offer the personal service of a dedicated developer, meaning you can pick up the phone and speak to the person actually writing your code, not an account manager in a distant call centre.
The Swansea Bay City Deal is an invitation to step up. It provides the pipes and the platforms; it is up to local businesses to build the services that run on them. Whether you need a complex e-commerce solution or a streamlined brochure site, we explain your options in plain English and deliver solutions that work.
If you are ready to upgrade your digital presence to match the region’s ambition, get in touch with us today.
We're proud to have been recognised as Wales' Most Trusted Web Design & Development Company for 2025. This award reflects our commitment to delivering exceptional digital solutions and outstanding client service that sets the standard for excellence.
