CEW Awards 2026: Winner

Wynne Construction has won Building Project of the Year £5m+ at the prestigious industry awards for Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW) 2026 awards, held at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.

Delivered in partnership for Wrexham University, CanfodAu (Centre for Engineering and Innovation), a project of national significance for Wales and a major investment within the Ambition North Wales Growth Deal’s High Value Manufacturing programme, earned the accolade.

The centre has been designed to strengthen North Wales’ position as a hub for advanced manufacturing, research and innovation, providing specialist facilities that connect academic expertise with industry need.

Built within a live campus environment, the project provides industrial microwave and composite manufacturing facilities, creating open-access research, fabrication and testing capability for SMEs, researchers, and industry partners.

The net zero carbon in operation building also reduced embodied carbon, which are greenhouse gasses produced during construction, by 40 per cent and was delivered using a BIM digital-first approach, including a full digital twin.

The 18-month-long build saw stage four completed within six weeks, with the overall project finished six weeks ahead of programme.

In addition, the scheme safeguarded more than 400 jobs, and utilised local talent by recruiting 80 per cent of apprentices from North Wales, with nearly 60 per cent of the workforce residing in the country.

To support Wales’ economy, supply chain spend was also targeted throughout the build with 76 per cent attributed to regional SMEs, nearly a third of which operate in areas of high depravation.

Wynne Construction’s work also increased biodiversity by 30.5 per cent across the university’s campuses, planting trees and wildflowers at its Northop site to create a feeding and nesting ground for small animals, birds, and insects.

Wynne Construction managing director Chris Wynne said: “We’re incredibly proud to see CanfodAu recognised with this award. It is a fantastic achievement and a real reflection of the hard work, skill and commitment shown by our project team, supply chain and partners throughout.

“Delivering a technically complex, low-carbon facility within a live university environment required strong collaboration from everyone involved, and I would like to thank the whole team for their dedication in achieving such an excellent result.”

CanfodAu will help upskill more than 1,000 people in advanced manufacturing and hydrogen technologies, supporting skills development, inward investment and long-term economic resilience across North Wales.

Wrexham University, capital projects manager Paul Moran said: “Winning this award is a great achievement for everyone involved. It was quite a complex project involving a lot of partners, but we achieved something extraordinary.

“CanfodAu houses one of the UK’s few non-privately owned mid-scale composite and microwave facilities, creating an open-access innovation platform where researchers and industrial partners can design, fabricate and test advanced components under controlled conditions.

“These facilities will help us train the engineers of the future as well as connect us with local companies and provide them with the opportunity to access equipment and technology that wasn’t available in the region before.”

Wrexham University’s deputy vice chancellor Paul Davies said: “We are absolutely delighted that CanfodAu has received this prestigious recognition. This award reflects the strength of the partnerships that made the project possible and the shared commitment to delivering something truly impactful for our region.

“CanfodAu is a powerful example of what can be achieved when universities, industry and public sector partners work together with a clear, common purpose – creating opportunities for innovation, skills development and economic growth within our community.

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all our partners and funders, whose support has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life. This facility not only strengthens our role as a hub for future-focused research and collaboration but also forms a key part of our wider campus enhancement strategy, ensuring we continue to provide exceptional environments for learning, discovery and enterprise.”

Ambition North Wales chair and Wrexham County Borough Council leader Cllr Mark Pritchard added: “CanfodAU is a trail-blazing development, and I’m delighted that the building has been recognised with such a prestigious award.

“I’d like to thank Wynne Construction, Wrexham University, and all partners involved, for their positive collaboration throughout the project. The development really demonstrates how funding via our North Wales Growth Deal is delivering for the region – promoting research, building on our regional strengths in sectors such as manufacturing and creating new high-value jobs.”

The cutting-edge development forms part of Wrexham University’s wider 2030 vision and strategy, which aims to position the higher education institute as a provider of sector-leading teaching environments and educational opportunities.

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