January 19th 2024
£8m a year to expand innovation in Scotland
First Minister Humza Yousaf announces long-term funding for innovation to grow and support Scotland’s economy
Scottish Innovation Centres will receive annual funding of up to £8m through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). The centres already work with colleges, universities and research institutes to drive innovation in businesses, the public sector and third sector. SFC initially committed up to £155m for seven innovation centres for the period 2013-23.
The new funding will enable these centres to continue their successful work, strengthen existing relationships and maximise the positive impact of such innovation.
Photo by Matt Palmer
Mr Yousaf announced the long-term commitment while at the opening of the new National Retrofit Centre for Scotland, part of Built Environment Smarter Transformation (BE-ST) in Hamilton – which is one of the seven innovation centres. The new facility aims to help revolutionise the retrofit of Scottish buildings using new technologies, materials and processes such as Passivhaus. BE-ST also supports the construction sector in Scotland embrace innovations such as drones, robotics and exo-skeletons.
Other innovation centres include the Data Lab at the University of Edinburgh and, in Glasgow, both the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre and the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBIOIC).
In making the announcement, the First Minister said: ‘Innovation and collaboration are at the heart of our work to grow our economy and that is why I am delighted to announce funding of up to £8m per year for the SFC’s new investment plan for the innovation centres.
‘This is a long-term commitment that will deliver greater stability and allow them to sustain and deepen their impact.
‘The centres allow businesses and organisations to innovate by working with the best from academia to develop new products and processes. This will drive positive societal impact and economic prosperity across the country.’
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