Gethin While

Gethin While leads the Smart Living scheme supporting and stimulating innovative projects for decarbonising the energy system at early pre-market stages across Wales. Projects are usually ‘place-based and needs-led’ and delivered in partnership for and with local governmental actors, linking into commercialised whole system later stage WG and other public and private investment. In recent years Smart Living has focussed on the SBRI Contracts for Innovation approach, supporting feasibility and prototyping projects for whole systems decarb and hydrogen deployment, numbering around 40 projects since 2021.

An Oxford graduate and Welsh speaker from Glamorgan with a long career in regional development and innovation in HEIs, Gethin has worked in Welsh Government (WG) in various comms and policy roles from 2012. Before joining WG he was engaged in a series of EU funded INTERREG climate change and adaptation innovation projects at Cardiff University and USW. These included IMCORE (2008 - 2011), a transnational project to develop adaptive management and capabilities in areas of coastal North West Europe facing climate change.