'The Unwritten Future' by Paul Wong, Director at Lee Wakemans

13th July 2018

If I was to ask you about what next week would look like, you would probably come back with something quite similar to what today looks like. But when someone invents something, the next day is very different and it may change lives forever. Many of us are helping to change and shape the future. Mostly in small ways, sometimes in big ways. All of this requires inspiration (what do we want the future to look like?) and perspiration (the hard work to make it happen). Scientists, engineers, inventors, artists, authors, designers, are all about making the future happen. So what should the future of Wales look like in say 2030? What is the inspiration, the vision? If we do not stretch our imagination, we will not stretch our achievements. We recently partnered with Techniquest on some fantastic initiatives to promote STEM subjects, to show just how exciting science can be and demonstrate how an understanding of science, technology, engineering and maths can lead to fantastic careers and ground-breaking futures.

Our 'Inspire, Design, Create' campaign challenged primary school students to imagine what the future will look like. We are ran a competition in conjunction with Techniquest and Cardiff University's Welsh School of Architecture, in which we asked thirteen Cardiff Primary Schools to design a science museum of the future. The information this initiative produced will feed into Techniquest's community consultation process, as they define what the next decade will look like for their set up in Cardiff Bay.

The children had the advantage of not being bogged down in processes (imagine!) and with the help of STEM ambassadors and role models from the Welsh School of Architecture, they produced some fantastic designs.

We were so impressed with the mixture of creativity and scientific knowledge in the winning entry from Coed Glas Primary School in Llanishen, Cardiff. They have the inspiration, and hopefully with the right motivation, they will form part of the future generation that will shape our tomorrow. For more, see our campaign video.

At Lee Wakemans, we are very proud to have been appointed as project managers on the extension and reimagining of Techniquest. This project will touch the lives of thousands of people in Cardiff and the surrounding area for years to come. We are also delighted to be lead sponsors of Techniquest's Individual Giving Campaign and working on another exciting campaign together; making the future happen.