Why did you enter the Wales STEM Awards?  

For a STEM company based in Wales these Awards are the perfect match for us. It is a great way of being recognised for the hard work and achievements that we have accomplished.

What did winning mean for you or your business? 

It was a great achievement, not only for the company, but also to recognise the hard-work for the whole team.

What’s been a challenge for you or your business during the last year and how did you overcome it? 

Part of our role at Design Reality is finding solutions to our clients’ problems. Whether you need a shatter proof casing for an industrial monitor, Wi-Fi connectivity for a therapeutic device, or a 3d printed prototype – our business is to overcome difficulties.

What’s been a highlight for you or your business over the last year and why? 

We’ve been to 16 exhibitions, welcomed four new members to the team, expanded our additive manufacturing capabilities, launched a new product licensing service and won an impressive six awards!

But a particular highlight for me is how much we’ve been able to accomplish in promoting industrial design and electronic engineering in education. To encourage tomorrow’s brightest minds, today.

What are your goals for 2023? 

At Design Reality, we are taking active steps towards a better, more sustainable future, through design, production and investment.

As a Design Agency, we’re involved in every aspect of product development, from concept to prototyping, development to production. And, as a result, we’re able to make positive sustainable changes to the products we develop through the way in which we design them. For example, we designed a multi-award-winning respirator as a reusable alternative to single-use respirators. With millions of single-use respirators used each year by the NHS alone, we are actively trying to reduce waste through design.

We’re also looking at ways we can invest in more sustainable living ourselves. Whether its car-pools for staff, our flexible working from home policy, or our plans to invest in a new eco-friendly production facility – we’re doing all we can to live more sustainably.

What, in your opinion, can be done to inspire more young people to pursue careers in STEM? 

Improving the collaboration between STEM education and the Innovation strategy for Wales would help ensure that young people leaving education have the right skills to deliver the strategy in the future.

What, or who, is exciting you in the STEM sector in Wales? 

It’s our vision to see Wales become known as a hub for STEM development across the world. We’re doing our part, but it’s amazing to see specific award events dedicated to STEM in Wales.

What do you think could be done to help the STEM sector in Wales? 

Improving the collaboration between STEM education and the Innovation strategy for Wales would help ensure that young people leaving education have the right skills to deliver the strategy in the future. We’ve partnered with local schools and universities, like Wrexham Glyndŵr University, to do our part in realising this goal; but there’s still much to be done.