Dr. Mel Edwards

Dr. Mel Edwards is an independent consultant and is the former Head of Economic Development and Tourism for Swansea City and County Council.

He has over 18 years of senior management and strategic planning experience, having been involved in a wide range of regeneration, business development and marketing projects. He has extensive expertise in local and sub regional strategy development and was an Adviser to the Welsh Local Government Association on European Affairs.

Mel worked on the Denbighshire Economic Growth Strategy and Convergence Activities Framework and is working with Old Bell 3 on the North West Wales Spatial Development Strategy. He has also undertaken a number of programme evaluations and business reviews on behalf of Regional Development Agencies and Local Authorities in Engalnd and Wales.

Mel was a member of the Business Connect Wales board, the Objective 1 Business Assets Strategy Partnership and the Objective 1 Innovation / R&D Strategy Group. He was instrumental in establishing the Swansea Intellectual Property Rights Initiative, the fore-runner to IP Wales, and was involved with the development of the Technium network from the outset.