The new avant-garde aquaculture facility is closer after the ambitious plans approved by Stirling Council. The hub will be funded through a £17 million investment from the UK Government, as part of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal. The National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH), which builds on the University's renowned Institute of Aquaculture, will gather together experimental aquatic facilities, including a new tropical aquarium, state-of-the-art laboratories, and space dedicated to business incubation and acceleration.
The budget is part of an investment deal in innovation and infrastructure worth more than £214 million from the UK Government and Scottish Government, moreover regional partners, including Clackmannanshire Council, Stirling Council, and the University of Stirling itself.
The NATIH will be of great service to the Scottish aquaculture sector, a core industry in Scotland with plans to double its output by 2030. The hub will deliver and increase the economic, social, and environmental benefits for the industry, and inform modern commercial aquaculture markets.
"Scotland has huge potential for growth in aquaculture, which represents a significant opportunity for rural and coastal communities", UK Government Minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, said, who added that this hub "will keep Scotland at the cutting edge of a global industry, bring in new jobs and investment, and ensure sustainability remains at the forefront".
But not just in Scotland, aquaculture is one of the world's fasting growing sectors, with an estimated global growth rate of 8%. NATIH will position University of Stirling expertise at the forefront of this expansion. The impact of this pioneering work will be felt not just in Scotland, but internationally, where the aquaculture sector has a prominent footprint in Africa, Asia and South America.
Professor Simon MacKenzie, Head of the University's Institute for Aquaculture, said: "There is an enormous role for aquaculture to play in ensuring that the world has a secure and sustainable supply of food. The Hub will develop and reinforce a strong working relationship between the University's researchers and the global aquaculture industry, ensuring that the ideas, interventions and solutions developed will have a meaningful impact where they are needed most, and deliver jobs, growth and prosperity".