Edinburgh Innovation Hub hailed as major benefit to East Lothian as City Region Deal marks its halfway point
/From Fife to the Scottish Borders, the Deal is delivering investment across housing, transport, innovation, culture and skills and employment.
The Edinburgh Innovation Hub, which welcomed its first tenant in December last year, is one major benefit for East Lothian thanks to investment and partnership working as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD).
Almost 30,000 jobs have been created or supported across the Deal region since 2018 thanks to ESESCRD, which is at the halfway point in its 15-year delivery timeline and has already contributed £3.6 billion in economic growth.
From Fife to the Scottish Borders, the Deal is delivering investment across housing, transport, innovation, culture and skills and employment.
The Edinburgh Innovation Hub (EIH), next to Queen Margaret University (QMU), is one of seven across the area designed to increase links between university research and industry
East Lothian Council welcomed an update report on the Hub in October last year, which showed that the completion of this £40m flagship development by the council and QMU signalled the project partners’ ambition to create a nationally significant facility to capture, support and grow innovation-led enterprise in East Lothian and the Edinburgh region.
EIH is a joint venture between East Lothian Council and QMU featuring flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by small to medium enterprises. The venture has been supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council as part of ESESCRD.
Councillor Norman Hampshire, Leader of East Lothian Council and now Chair of the ESESCRD Joint Committee, said: “The vision of creating a flexible, forward-thinking development space for innovative new and existing businesses, right here in East Lothian, has come to fruition thanks the collaboration and funding opportunities brought forward by the City Region Deal that has enabled the construction of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub.
“The halfway point of the Deal is an important milestone and I’m excited to see the other benefits that will come to East Lothian during the rest of the Deal period and beyond. Blindwells is one of the strategic sites identified as part of the Deal. Working with partners, we have produced a prospectus and are developing a business case that we hope will be supported by Government and draw in capital and revenue funding from the public sector, via the Deal and beyond, as well as significant private sector investment. The aim is for Blindwells to reach its full potential, with an infrastructure-first approach and high-quality affordable service provision. This could help to achieve many of the aims of the Deal in East Lothian including availability of quality and affordable housing, transport links, building strong communities and providing employment opportunities.”
EIH will help to initiate development of the wider Edinburgh Innovation Park on land adjacent to the QMU campus. The development was granted planning permission in principle in March 2019, as part of a wider mixed use development, including new homes and a new primary school, business & industry use and community facilities.
Councillor Hampshire added: “The emerging business park around the Edinburgh Innovation Hub has the potential to become a major economic driver for East Lothian, building on the Hub’s role in connecting university research with innovative businesses. As the wider innovation park develops, it will create an attractive location for high-growth companies, supporting new investment, high-quality jobs and collaboration between industry and academia.
“This project will deliver for the people of East Lothian. This growth means more opportunities to work locally in skilled sectors, reducing the need to commute while strengthening the region’s economy. The development will also stimulate wider benefits, from increased demand for local services and supply chains to improved infrastructure and community facilities linked to the surrounding mixed-use development. Together, the Hub and its surrounding business park will help position East Lothian as a centre for innovation and enterprise, ensuring the long-term economic benefits of the City Region Deal are felt by residents, businesses and future generations across the county.”
More information on the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is on the website and Blindwells updates are on the East Lothian Council website.
The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal is a 15-year, £1.7 billion programme designed to drive economic growth and create opportunities across the region. The Deal benefits from £600 million of equal investment from the Scottish and UK Governments, with regional partners contributing over £1 billion across five themes: Research, Development & Innovation, Integrated Regional Employability and Skills, Transport, Culture, and Housing.
