Royal Visit to Sony UK Technology Centre, Celebrating 40 years in Wales

Sony UK Technology Centre (UKTEC), world-leading manufacturer of professional and broadcast camera systems, has announced The Prince of Wales will be visiting the site as part of his summer visit to Wales.

The royal visit will take place on Tuesday 1^st July.  The theme of The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall’s visit is "Celebrating Wales, Past, Present and Future".

As part of the visit The Prince of Wales will be welcomed by the site’s Managing Director, Steve Dalton OBE as well as key representatives from the Sony Corporation.

The Prince of Wales and key guests will be taken on a tour of the state-of-the art facility and shown how the site has developed in the forty years it has been present in Wales.

The tour will include an outline of the site’s cutting-edge and lean manufacturing techniques which has increased efficiency and product assembly time by 30% and in turn, aided the site in being crowned Britain’s Best Factory.

His Royal Highness will also be shown the organisation’s third-party manufacturing business which includes the manufacturer of the well-known credit-card sized mini-computer, the Raspberry Pi , whereby Sony UKTEC won the multi-million pound deal from the overseas market.

Ahead of the visit Mr Steve Dalton OBE, commented: “It is an honour to be one of the companies The Prince of Wales will be visiting during his annual summer visit to Wales. The Sony operation has been present in Wales for forty years and within this period we’ve had some successes and some challenges we’ve had to face.

“However, since we’ve changed our business operation to be Sony’s only full manufacturer of professional and broadcast cameras in Europe, we have grown from strength to strength. As a site, we have developed and diversified our business operations to ensure we are sustainable as well as be a key employer in South Wales. 

“We look forward to welcoming His Royal Highness to the site and showing him how our operations have developed since he was last here.  We also look forward to showing His Royal Highness some of the innovative technologies that we are producing. ”

His Royal Highness will also be shown the site’s business incubation centre which provides start-ups, established organisations and entrepreneurs with business support services.  The centre also provides tenants opportunities to draw upon the site’s knowledge and expertise in design, manufacturing and business development, to help them to expand their business.

His Royal Highness originally opened Sony’s first site in Bridgend, Wales in 1974 and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened Sony’s second facility in Pencoed in 1992.

During the week as well as celebrating innovative technology which has successfully been manufactured in Wales The Prince and The Duchess of Cornwall will, between them, officially open the Aber Valley Heritage Museum and visit the award-winning town of Usk.

For a full itinerary for this year’s summer visit, go to: www.princeofwales.gov.uk/news-and-diary