News
Scottish biotech start-ups are struggling to commercialise
The MRI scanner. Insulin. Football dugouts. All cultivated in Aberdeen.
All having a global impact, providing inspiration for further innovation – and all a small snapshot of what just one Scottish city has given the world.
Source: Business Insider
Scotland is critical to UK growth - but more must be done to harness potential
A wave of global instability heralds the start of what the Prime Minister has referred to as a ‘post-globalisation era’ in which a rules-based international system is abandoned by governments in favour of cutting deals based on their ‘national interests’.
Source: Business Insider
Scottish universities awarded £2m to ‘shape the future of science’
Five Scottish projects have been awarded more than £2m to tackle some of the most pressing health and environmental challenges.
Researchers based at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow have secured part of a £9m government fund for their projects which are poised “to push the boundaries of knowledge”.
Source: Holyrood
Growth target: Can Scotland's life sciences sector hit £25bn by 2035?
By its own measure, Scotland’s life sciences sector is an overachiever. Leaders hoped it would reach a turnover of £8bn by 2025. Reaching that target, set in 2017, meant doubling the value of the sector within just eight years, driving growth in everything from drug development to agriculture.
Source: Holyrood
The Scottish tech ecosystem is showing significant momentum
Over the past decade or so, Scotland has developed a burgeoning technology ecosystem, with a growing number of companies adding significant value to the economy and supporting innovation in key areas such as net zero and life sciences.
Source: Business Insider
Wobble Genomics at the forefront of RNA Sequencing
Midlothian Science Zone Business Forum took place on Tuesday 18th March 2025 led by Wobble Genomics, specialists in long-read RNA sequencing. This cutting-edge technique of next generation sequencing reads lengthy sequences of RNA molecules, which offers a more comprehensive view of genetic information in the detection of genetic variations, compared to traditional short-read.
Scotland’s Life Sciences Conference & Awards 2025: Uniting industry leaders to shape the future
Scotland’s thriving life sciences sector, a key driver of innovation and economic growth, is set to take centre stage in 2025 with the launch of Scotland’s Life Sciences Conference, sponsored by Moderna.
Source: The Scotsman
More lab space is needed to support Scotland's life sciences boom
Scotland, particularly the central belt, is a powerhouse of life sciences talent. This region boasts a rich synergy between companies, universities, colleges and networks, fostering a collaborative environment that drives innovation. However, a significant challenge threatens to stifle this burgeoning sector, the acute shortage of suitable lab space.
Source: The Scotsman
W2W aims to increase Scottish female angel investor numbers
Scotland’s first all-female business angel syndicate, Investing Women Angels (IWA), and its sister organisation AccelerateHER have launched a new initiative designed to attract more businesswomen into angel investing – an imperative in addressing the equity gap between male and female-led companies.
Hutton hunts for soil ambassadors across Scotland to help dig deep
Scientists at The James Hutton Institute are leading a nationwide soil sampling campaign to help major European project, ECHO, to collect a total of 16,500 samples across Europe.
This call to participate in a citizen science project may be of interest to individuals in Midlothian Science Zone.
If you’d like to become involved as a soil ambassador, find out how you can participate here > https://echosoil.eu/become-an-echo-ambassador
Source: The James Hutton Institute