News
Edinburgh highlighted as investors broaden outlook
In a ranking by research consultancy ING of 40 locations, Edinburgh is fifth while Glasgow is in the top 15. Commissioned by construction and civil engineering company McLaughlin & Harvey, it finds that the future of UK life sciences development could expand beyond the best-known towns and cities as technology changes the market and factors such as access to housing, talent, infrastructure and favourable planning conditions become increasingly important.
Source: Daily Business
Edinburgh leads Scotland in life sciences rankings
Edinburgh has been ranked as the UK’s fifth most promising location for future life sciences development, emerging as Scotland’s highest-rated city in a new study that suggests the industry’s next phase of growth could increasingly take place beyond the “Golden Triangle” of London, Oxford and Cambridge.
Source: The Herald
Scotland’s 358-strong ‘untapped innovation cohort’ presents a real opportunity
More than 350 Scottish businesses have been identified as part of an “untapped innovation cohort” that could boost economic growth.
Publishing research into the UK’s innovation economy and access to public funding for high-growth companies, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) - part of NatWest Group - said Scotland was home to 1,737 “innovative” businesses, 59 per cent (1,027) of whom are recipients of public funding and 367 classed as university spinouts.
Source: The Scotsman
Growing Scotland's life sciences sector
Life sciences firms will gain direct access to investors, healthcare networks and commercial partners in the United States through a new Scotland-Massachusetts partnership.
The ‘Scotland-Massachusetts Bio-Bridge’ will bring business leaders from Massachusetts to Scotland to explore investment and collaboration opportunities.
World Cup connection helps spark new Scotland-US partnership
The UK and Scottish governments have joined together to fund science collaboration with the United States.
Venture Café Edinburgh hosted the official launch of the Biobridge programme, a new partnership connecting Scotland's life sciences ecosystem with Massachusetts.
The “Scotland-Massachusetts Bio-Bridge” will bring business leaders from Massachusetts to Scotland to explore investment and collaboration opportunities.
Source: The Herald
Female powerhouses are fuelling Scottish economy
If you want to see today where the Scottish economy is firing on all cylinders, look at your women business champions.
The number of visible, scaling female founded or co-founded businesses has surged by a staggering 81 per cent over the past year. These 139 powerhouses – including the likes of pizza disrupter Ooni, creative arts giant LS Productions, and life sciences firm Amici – now generate £1.5 billion in revenue and employ more than16,000 people.
Source: The Scotsman
Scottish Government launches life sciences strategy with £25bn ambition
The Scottish Government has launched a life sciences strategy in a bid to push the industry's value to £25 billion in the next decade.
Business minister Richard Lochhead announced "targeted" investment in the sector on Thursday which the Government has said will focus on economic growth, innovation and transform care.
Source: Business Insider
Midlothian’s Ambitious Plans for Inclusive & Sustainable Economic Growth
Midlothian councillors have approved two key documents that set out the Midlothian Council Economic Development Service‘s roadmap for delivering inclusive and sustainable economic growth over the next two years.
Boosting university spin-outs
New initiatives taking advantage of Scotland’s world-class reputation as an innovation nation have been announced by the Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes. A new package of funding has been launched to help transform Scottish university and college spin-outs into growing businesses. Just over £4.5 million will be split across the Proof of Concept Fund, the Spinout Pipeline Project, the Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint, and a scheme to help prepare future generations for careers in tech-based businesses.
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