Will the Minister detail the benefits achieved from investing £.9 million to support the establishment and work of the Legal Innovation Lab Wales at Swansea Law School?
The Legal Innovation Lab Wales (LILW) Operation, led by Swansea University, is supported by European Regional Development Funds via the Welsh Government. Originally awarded £3.9m EU funds in 2019, the impact of Covid-19 has meant the EU funds have been reduced with a revised grant allocation of £3.4m now in place.
The aim of the funding is to support a niche research facility, creating a unique capability to support theoretical and applied research in the areas of Legal Tech, and Cyber Security and the operation is supported by EU funds until 30 June 2023.
So far in terms of achievements and benefits, Swansea University has secured 8 ‘new specialist researchers’ and 49 ‘collaborations’ with a range of international partners. The collaborations to date have contributed towards the key target of research income accumulated ahead of profile, with £2m achieved to date against a final target of £3.5m; with further collaborations being developed.
An example of the types of collaboration taken forward by the LILW Operation includes the LILW software development team, currently working with ‘Include UK’, a third sector organisation to create a prototype app which is supporting people to make the changes they want and need, to reduce offending.
The LILW team are also continuing their work on the ‘DRAGON-S’ project, led by Professor Nuria Lorenzo, supporting the development of two prototypes that will help to firstly spot when a child is being groomed online, and then shield them automatically. This project has both LegalTech and Cyber Threats elements to it and will be concluded towards the end of 2022. Further examples are available from the LILW website - https://developer.legaltech.wales/#projects
The Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO) continue to engage and monitor progress closely. An independent evaluation, which will assess the success and benefits achieved by the operation, will take place towards the end of the operation in 2023.