A research project is aiming to provide Welsh Government and businesses with solid data to help them provide a boost to the economy by keeping talent within Wales.
GlobalWelsh, in collaboration with Welsh Water, is spearheading a study to investigate the scale of the brain drain from Wales, the motivations behind it, and what could entice expatriates to return or support Welsh businesses from abroad.
Led by Dr Sarah Louisa Birchley, a Professor at Toyo Gakuen University in Tokyo, the aim is for the research to help shape future policies and economic strategies for Wales.
The project has sought to gather 5,000 responses from the Welsh diaspora worldwide, focusing on their cultural background, use of the Welsh language, feelings towards Wales, and entrepreneurial activities.
The comprehensive survey is designed to replace anecdotal evidence with solid data, said Dr Birchley.
She said:
“We need some solid data behind what we’re thinking about, and that can hopefully feed into future policy, plans, and directions for Wales.”
Dr Birchley, originally from Cwmbran, has lived in Japan for more than two decades, where she has extensively researched diaspora entrepreneurship.
The project aims to highlight the opportunities within the Welsh diaspora, including those with entrepreneurial ventures.
Dr Birchley explained:
“We’ve asked them what would encourage them to set up one of their headquarters in Wales or what would encourage them to move back.”
Now Dr Birchley plans to use the summer months to analyse the results of the survey and of qualitative interviews which ran alongside it.
She said:
“Once we’ve got this information, it will be interesting to consider what Welsh Government can do with it, and what organisations like GlobalWelsh and Welsh Water can do with that information to make Wales better and to help it prosper.
“We’re hoping that politicians, business owners, and people seeking new talent for their companies will look to this data and find answers in it.”
This project also aligns with previous studies by GlobalWelsh, such as the Connector Programme, which reached out to high-net-worth individuals within the Welsh diaspora to gauge their perspectives on Wales. These initiatives highlighted various issues, including governmental, infrastructure, and educational challenges. But Dr Birchley’s earlier work also highlighted a willingness among the diaspora to contribute financially to Welsh start-ups.
“There are talented Welsh people outside of Wales, and our work is about harnessing that and finding out what they can do for their country,” Dr Birchley said.
