Wales leading learning body, ELWa, is helping to support the Pembrokeshire based Darwin Centre for Biology and Medicine to hold a watershed conference at Pembrokeshire College.

The two-day special conference on 'Marine Science and Innovation - a Pembrokeshire Vision' - which began yesterday (Thursday) will be attended by top international scientists and local experts, each a specialist in their particular field.

Areas to be covered at the conference include Pembrokeshire's unique marine environment, the biology of marine model systems, public understanding of science and commercialisation of marine systems, and how to educate on the marine environment.

The Darwin Centre for Biology and Medicine is an initiative which aims to bring the cutting edge science and entrepreneurship into education and everyday life through schools, festivals, and public understanding and science and health.

Pembrokeshire is now its principal base and centre of activity and was launched two years ago to celebrate the achievements of science.

Elizabeth Gossage from the Darwin Centre said: "If Wales is to be internationally competitive, it is vital that schools and new businesses have access to the topics we are discussing at the two-day conference. At present there is no mechanism for this, and they do not have the infrastructure, resources or facilities to develop them.

"For example, no school is able to carry out the full DNA technology required by the curriculum. Health and safety regulations alone prevent this. This can only be done properly by using a centre with such facilities and with an R&D programme that is internationally competitive."

Danny Fellows, ELWa regional chairman for South West Wales said: "The Darwin Centre has the potential to be a flagship in Pembrokeshire, for research and development, science education, invention and innovation, entrepreneurship and cultural development. This is why this marine conference is so important to Pembrokeshire and Wales."