Digital technology in £1.5bn Welsh economy boost hope

'Revolutionary opportunities' for business have been hailed by entrepreneur Sir Terry Matthews

Wales is "punching above its weight" in digital innovation, Economy Minister Edwina Hart has said, as Newport hosts a major conference on new technology.

She hopes the sector, employing 24,000 people in Wales, can add £1.5bn to the Welsh economy over five years.

Wearable technology and cyber security are among the themes of Digital 2015, with Google and Microsoft attending.

Hi-tech tycoon Sir Terry Matthews said such "revolutionary opportunities" for business had never existed before.

Start-ups

"Digital 2015 will showcase these opportunities and bring together thousands of like-minded digital leaders, innovators, creators and decision-makers," said Sir Terry, whose Celtic Manor Resort is welcoming more than 2,000 people to the event on Monday.

Games such as Tomb Raider offer opportunities for growth and innovation

Traditional manufacturers such as Airbus will be represented alongside games creators such as Ian Livingstone, dubbed the "father of Tomb Raider".

South Wales was named in a Tech Nation report in February as being one of the UK's top five "digital clusters", with a pool of entrepreneurs and good access to public finance.

Mrs Hart said the Welsh government was "funding research and development, supporting new start-ups and attracting inward investment to ensure Wales is at the forefront of the global digital economy".