News
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.
Ingenza launches UNVAIL: an AI-Powered platform unlocking next-generation proteins
Ingenza, a world-leading engineering biology CRDMO based in Midlothian Science Zone on Pioneer - Edinburgh Technopole, has announced the launch of UNVAIL, an AI/ML algorithm that consistently uncovers unique biocatalysts and other proteins with properties superior to current industrial benchmarks.
Scotland has the science but it needs to join the dots
As Scotland’s life sciences community prepares to gather in Glasgow for Bio Now: Bio Insight 2026 Conference, there is much to celebrate. Scotland has world-class research, exceptional universities, a strong pipeline of scientific talent and a growing community of innovative businesses.
Source: The Scotsman
New app could help farmers worm fewer lambs
A new farm trial is testing whether sheep farmers can worm fewer lambs without compromising growth, welfare or flock performance.
The two-season project is evaluating SmartWorm, a decision-support app that combines EID data, lamb growth rates, weather, grazing conditions and farmer observations to identify which individual animals actually need treatment.
The trial includes regular veterinary oversight, routine worm egg counts and laboratory support from the Moredun Research Institute, which is carrying out parasite monitoring and resistance testing.
Source: FarmingUK
UK’s £750m supercomputer milestone as turf cut at Easter Bush Midlothian
Construction on the site of the UK's Next National Supercomputer has begun on Easter Bush, Midlothian. The University of Edinburgh was chosen as the new supercomputer’s home in recognition of EPCC’s long-standing leadership in high performance computing.
Converge welcomes latest cohort with “astonishing breadth and depth of innovation”
Congratulations to Arvaan Mukherjee, Co-Founder and CTO of PhytoVenomics, on being selected as a participant in the 2026 Converge cohort ‘KickStart Challenge’, designed for aspiring entrepreneurs to test, validate and prepare to launch an innovative business ideas. The Roslin Innovation Centre tenant start-up is creating safer, more reliable and globally accessible, next-generation anti-venom solutions.
Why universities are the glue uniting talent, industry and patient need
Universities have a unique role to play in accelerating health technologies out of the lab and into the hands of the clinicians and patients who really need them. But while Scotland continues to lead the way on innovation, change is urgently needed to accelerate pathways to clinical adoption.
Source: The Scotsman
Innovation unlocked by Scotland's aligned national ecosystem
Scotland combines world-class research and clinical excellence with international connectivity and access to a skilled workforce, often with strong talent retention levels which I believe is one of Scotland’s most underappreciated strengths, says Mark Hanna
Source: The Scotsman
Salmon study supports £200m innovation drive
An £8.5m project to boost health and welfare in farmed salmon is contributing to a sector in which innovation spend has surged to almost £200 million within a decade, according to an independent report.
Innovation has broadened across every major area of salmon farming, the review into the sector concludes.