Photo: SAIC
The Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster (SAIC) is preparing to launch its first funding call under new arrangements designed to broaden access to aquaculture research and development support in Scotland, and is now inviting expressions of interest to identify eligible projects.
The organisation, formerly known as the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre, has grown to more than 400 members including producers, universities, technology companies and retailers, and said the changes would allow it to work more directly with businesses, including smaller operators that may not require the larger academic collaborations that have previously made up much of its work.
SAIC, which was hosted by the University of Stirling for 13 years, has now moved to Inverness, placing it closer to the Highlands and Islands, where much of Scotland’s aquaculture production and supply chain activity is based.
The organisation has secured £1.4 million in annual funding from Crown Estate Scotland, which is being administered by the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate, for a minimum of five years, and will be supporting collaborative research and development (R&D) projects.
Sarah Riddle, who joined SAIC in 2020 and now leads the organisation as principal officer, said the move marked “a new start” for the centre.
“While it’s a new chapter, we are still made up of the same committed and knowledgeable team, working towards the same mission and ambition: helping aquaculture to grow sustainably through applied, high-quality R&D projects,” Riddle said in an announcement last month.
“What’s different now is that we can broaden our engagement to work with companies directly, supporting smaller operators which often do not have the need for complex academic projects that formed the majority of our previous work,” she said. “That opens up new opportunities to deliver on our aims of enhancing fish health and wellbeing, improving climate resilience, and supporting production efficiency.”
“With the foundations laid, we are excited to help Scotland’s aquaculture sector access the funding it needs to deliver innovation, sustainable growth, and a more prosperous future for our coastal and rural communities. Funding is the catalyst for taking the projects that will make that happen forward,” Riddle added.
With the aim of establishing a pipeline of innovation projects eligible for its forthcoming funding round in Autumn 2026, the Cluster is now inviting expressions of interest from potential collaboration partners, which will for the first time include small and medium-sized enterprises and higher education institutions, the organisation said in a separate announcement.
“The opportunity is open to industry and academic partners working to support the sustainable growth, productivity, resilience and international competitiveness of the sector,” SAIC stated, noting that proposals must align with its strategic priorities, including finfish, shellfish, seaweed and other species, finfish health and welfare, environmental sustainability, sector and production capacity, climate resilience, and the transition to net‑zero.
The projects should involve at least two partners, and matched funding is compulsory for all participants.
At this stage, SAIC said, the expressions of interest will be evaluated to confirm eligibility and project fit, identifying projects which will then be invited to make a full submission to the forthcoming funding call. The successful projects will receive the funding by the end of the year.
Expressions of interest should be submitted to the SAIC no later than 23:59 on 26 June 2026, and more information can be found on the SAIC website.