Cyber Wales is set to receive £50,000 of investment to help provide opportunities for networking and knowledge sharing, as well as supporting skills development and innovation.

The investment is the result of a £700,000 fund created by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to support the UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration, a network of 20 UK cyber business clusters, employers and local organisations, which includes Cyber Wales and its network of nine Welsh cyber clusters.

Cyber Wales will play an integral role in UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration initiative.

John Davies, the founder and chairman of Cyber Wales, has been selected as a board member of UKC3 and appointed as its Cyber Skills Growth Lead.

Mr Davies said: “This is a very welcome initiative from DCMS and a fantastic way to increase collaboration between the UK cyber clusters, encourage innovation, and accelerate the development of cyber skills."

The influence of Wales’ cyber 'ecosystem' already extends globally, as Cyber Wales has memorandums of understanding and collaboration agreements with more than 40 countries.

Wales also leads the way in cyber education with initiatives such as the National Cyber Security Academy at the University of South Wales, the Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Analytics at Cardiff University, and the Cyber Threats Intelligence Centre at Swansea University.

UKC3 was established to help cyber security businesses build partnerships and programmes that break down barriers to growth, such as skills gaps and a lack of business support, and provide a focal point for engagement within the industry.

Announcing the funding, UK Government minister for digital infrastructure Matt Warman said: “Our cyber security sector is already worth £8.9 billion and we’re working tirelessly to take its magnificent growth to the next level.”