News
Royal honour for SRUC Head of Research
A lifelong devotion to animal genetics, which included meeting the world’s most famous sheep, has led to an honorary OBE for SRUC’s Head of Research.
Eileen Wall, Professor of Integrative Livestock Genetics at SRUC, has been honoured for services to Agricultural Science, her scientific contribution to livestock improvement and her leadership of research and innovation at national and international level.
How UK's closer ties with Germany are spurring Scottish business links
Scotland’s startup sector is starting to look like an attractive prospect for German investors.
Against this backdrop, activity is ramping up. This month Germany’s consulate in Scotland convened an event for startups, investors and policymakers at the Glasgow campus of Barclays and backed by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and British Chamber of Commerce in Germany. The aim was to explore ways to boost collaboration between the startup ecosystems of Scotland and Germany.
Source: The Scotsman
Dyneval turns microscale motion into actionable insights
Midlothian Science Zone Business Forum took place on Tuesday 3rd February 2026 at Bush House, on Pioneer – Edinburgh Technopole, for the launch of the Lumero S1, a ground-breaking particle size analyser from Dyneval Ltd.
Scottish Gov bets £328m to turn innovation into industry
A new report details the Scottish Government’s progress so far in transforming breakthrough research into commercial success, and outlines big plans for the future. The Scottish Government has pledged to invest more than £328 million to transform the country’s bleeding-edge research into commercial success, a huge cash outlay which the SNP hopes can power new businesses, products and services – making the country an “innovation nation”.
Source: DIGIT NEWS
Scottish equity investment tops £1bn as investors focus on fewer but larger deals
Equity investment into Scottish companies rose by almost a third to over £1 billion last year, even though the number of deals increased by less than 1%, a new report has shown.
The figures suggest investors are becoming more selective and refining their focus with fewer but larger deals and more capital deployed overall, according to Mercia Ventures.
Source: Scottish Financial News
Midlothian junction upgrade reaches final design stage
As one of the flagship infrastructure investments of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, the Bush Loan junction upgrade has now moved into its final design phase.
This development will improve vehicle safety, reduce traffic speeds, ease access to employment and research sites and enable future development across Midlothian Science Zone, whilst addressing Transport Scotland’s safety concerns.
Source: Scottish Construction Now
Retaining top business talent
New investment has been announced to help attract and retain high-growth life science companies in Scotland.
A £35 million Life Sciences Accommodation Programme from Scottish Enterprise will improve the availability of affordable premises to businesses in the sector as they commercialise and expand.
Scottish Enterprise launches £35m Life Sciences drive
Scottish Enterprise is backing ambitious life sciences companies to succeed in Scotland, helping to improve the availability of affordable premises for high-growth businesses in the sector as they commercialise and expand. The new £35 million Life Sciences Accommodation Programme has been announced by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, and will launch later this year.
Source: DIGIT NEWS
DDI programme publishes latest annual report
The University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University’s Data-Driven Innovation (DDI) initiative has published its latest Annual Review, highlighting achievements from the academic year 2024-25.
Twelve case studies feature in the review, covering start-ups and spin-outs, research, and partnerships delivering positive impacts for a range of industry sectors.
Bush Loan Junction Upgrade Reaches Final Design Stage as Major City Deal Project Hits Halfway Mark
As one of the flagship infrastructure investments of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, the Bush Loan junction upgrade has now moved into its final design phase. Midlothian Council has confirmed that engineers are preparing detailed designs following planning approval, with contractor appointment expected in mid‑2026 and construction scheduled to begin later this year.