Bouygues UK to Build Barry Waterfront Campus and Advanced Technology Centre for Cardiff and Vale College

Bouygues UK to Build Barry Waterfront Campus and Advanced Technology Centre for Cardiff and Vale College

(IN BRIEF) Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) has awarded Bouygues UK the contract to build the Barry Waterfront Campus and the Advanced Technology Centre in South Wales, under the Mutual Investment Model (MIM). Worth £119 million, the project will provide facilities for vocational and higher education in fields such as AI, composites, and net-zero technologies. Both campuses will be carbon neutral and aim to address skills shortages in STEM disciplines. The project will create job opportunities and provide apprenticeships for the local community, with construction set to begin in 2025 and completion in 2027.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARIS, 5-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC) has awarded Bouygues UK, the UK subsidiary of Bouygues Construction, the contract to build two key facilities in South Wales: the Barry Waterfront Campus (BWC) and the Advanced Technology Centre (ATC). This agreement, under the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) programme, is valued at £119 million (€143 million), with the new campuses set to open in 2027.

The Barry Waterfront Campus will be built on a brownfield site and serve as a centre for further education, focusing on vocational training. It will accommodate up to 900 students and offer a wide range of courses, including art and design, personal care, hospitality and catering, and hairdressing and beauty therapy. The campus will feature a health and beauty salon and a restaurant run by the students themselves, allowing them to apply their skills in a real-world setting while serving the local community.

The Advanced Technology Centre, located at Cardiff Airport, will focus on key growth areas such as AI, advanced composites, rapid prototyping, electronics, and net-zero carbon technologies. The ATC will serve around 2,000 students, with facilities including flexible classrooms, workshops, a higher education business centre, a manufacturing facility for advanced composites, labs for robotics and mechatronics, and a “green skills house” to train students in renewable technologies.

Both campuses will meet the Welsh Government’s strict decarbonisation requirements and will be carbon neutral in their operational phase. Bouygues UK, in partnership with the Welsh Education Partnership Company, is committed to ensuring the project brings a long-term social impact, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) disciplines. This initiative aims to support skills development and address shortages in these fields.

During the construction phase, Bouygues UK will employ local contractors to promote job creation and skills development in the area. Apprenticeships and training courses will also be offered to provide career opportunities for the local community.

The buildings have been designed by Sheppard Robson Architects, with construction set to begin in June 2025, and completion expected by mid-2027.

Philippe Bernard, CEO of Bouygues UK, commented, “This project embodies our commitment to creating buildings that are both sustainable and beneficial to society. Our support for Cardiff and Vale College in developing these campuses is a clear demonstration of our contribution to the training of future talent and to the ecological transition in education.”

Bouygues UK has a strong track record in building educational facilities across the UK, with notable projects including Pencoedtre High School, Westminster City School, Cardiff Innovation Campus, and Bath School of Management. Bouygues Construction has also completed major projects globally, including the BCA Academy in Singapore, the Rolex Learning Center in Switzerland, and the Centrale Supélec engineering school in France.

ABOUT BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION

Bouygues Construction employs 35,600 people around the world, all driven by the greatest and most exciting responsibility of all – building for life. In more than 50 countries, we improve daily life for millions of people by creating structures and buildings that serve life and address all our needs: shelter, healthcare, education, work, entertainment, travel, access to lowcarbon energy, etc. At every stage of a project, we put all our expertise and our experience into designing, renovating and building differently so that we can meet the critical imperatives of the environmental transition and achieve construction that is sustainable and less resource-intensive. Every day, we make sure that everyone is safe, and that human rights and ethical standards are respected. Committed to strong values, the men and women of Bouygues Construction work passionately alongside their customers and partners so that our footprint becomes ever more positive. In 2024, Bouygues Construction generated sales of €10.3 billion.

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SOURCE: Bouygues S.A