With building work almost complete, the High Value Engineering (HiVE) project is looking to welcome its first cohort of students to its high-tech facility.

The 22,000-square-foot HiVE facility in Ebbw Vale, Wales, is the result of a £12m investment by the UK and Welsh governments to turn a redundant factory into a state-of-the art training and education establishment.

Kitted out with various technologies, robotics and manufacturing equipment, the HiVE will to be used by both post-16 students and businesses, as well as by local primary and secondary schools, to help expand students’ STEM knowledge and skills.

Alexis Dabee-Saltmarsh, lecturer in motorsports, aeronautical and composite engineering at nearby higher education college Coleg Gwent, has been involved in the project since its inception.

Q How do you feel about the project coming to fruition?

As we prepare to welcome our first cohort of students in 2025, I am thrilled to be part of an initiative that addresses the growing need for...