Edinburgh Innovation Hub Opens to Support Scotland's Next Generation of Innovative Businesses

(left to right) Cllr Norman Hampshire, Leader of East Lothian Council; Mark Cook, Chair of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub; Stephen Flynn; Melanie Ward; Laurence Rockey, Chief Executive, East Lothian Council and Sir Paul Grice, Principal of Queen Margaret University.

Edinburgh Innovation Hub (EIH) was officially opened today by Parliamentary Under Secretary for Scotland, Melanie Ward and Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn.  

The Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a £40 million joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University (QMU) and will be a nationally significant centre for innovation-driven business growth, creating new high-value employment, and is the anchor project of the planned Edinburgh Innovation Park.  EIH is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD) and is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council.

Edinburgh Innovation Hub is led by Chief Executive Marian McNeil, who has overseen the project since March 2025. It offers flexibility of space across a range of Cat 2 laboratories, offices and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by small to medium enterprises with a particular focus on life sciences, food and drink, tech, start-ups and allied companies and has received significant interest from potential tenants.

The HUB is a best in class innovation facility developed as the first phase of Edinburgh Innovation Park. A new and unique development for innovation-led enterprise adjacent to QMU and minutes by train from Edinburgh City Centre. The HUB is a well-connected base for forward-thinking companies to locate their business. It benefits from its own over-ground station, linking by train to the centre of Edinburgh in just five minutes and 15 minutes to Edinburgh’s airport

EIH welcomed its first tenant, Forge Minerals, in December 2025 followed by Aurora Avionics and Riverwood Ecology. Only this week a new tenant has just signed a lease and will be moving their Life Sciences business with approximately 40 employees into EIH.

Ms Ward and Mr Flynn met representatives from EIH, East Lothian Council, QMU, ESESCRD and the contractor Heron Bros on-site today as well as having the time to meet with the tenants and hear how they have benefited from being based at EIH. They were both particularly interested to hear how each company has already grown, providing additional highly skilled and high value employment in the region. 

Forge Minerals is redefining what’s possible in mineral processing. Their breakthrough approach to producing high-performance magnesium carbonate creates a low-carbon alternative to today’s resource-intensive materials. By uniting cutting-edge engineering and fast-cycle laboratory experimentation, they are building scalable processes designed to sustainable alternative with no green premium. Forge exists to unlock new opportunities for cleaner manufacturing, smarter materials and the next generation of climate-positive technologies.

Forge Minerals is redefining what’s possible in mineral processing. Their breakthrough approach to producing high-performance magnesium carbonate creates a low-carbon alternative to today’s resource-intensive materials. By uniting cutting-edge engineering and fast-cycle laboratory experimentation, they are building scalable processes designed to sustainable alternative with no green premium. Forge exists to unlock new opportunities for cleaner manufacturing, smarter materials and the next generation of climate-positive technologies.

Ian Spencer, Forge Minerals CEO said:

“Opening our first laboratory in the new Edinburgh Innovation Hub is an important milestone for Forge Minerals. As we ramp up our testing and development programme, we need a purpose-built space that allows rapid experimentation, iteration, and technical validation. EIH offers exactly that—along with the crucial ability to scale our footprint as we grow. For a fast-moving startup, being able to expand within the same facility is invaluable. We’re proud to be the first tenant to launch a lab here, and we’re excited to work with EIH to advance the technologies that will underpin sustainable minerals for the future.”

Aurora Avionics designs and manufactures modular, scalable avionics systems for launch vehicles and satellites. The company works with European and APAC customers including DLR (German Space Agency), TASA (Taiwanese Space Agency), Pangea Propulsion, HyImpulse, ATMOS Space Cargo and Alpha Impulsion. Aurora Avionics’ modules are light, robust and enabled to plug and play with other hardware. The company is a key player within the burgeoning Scottish Space scene and has grown their team since moving into EIH.

RiverWood Ecology Ltd. is a specialist freshwater ecology consultancy and aquatic invertebrate laboratory, founded in 2017. They help organisations understand, protect and restore UK rivers, lochs and wetlands through robust ecological evidence. RiverWood combines taxonomic expertise with rigorous quality control to turn complex biological data into practical insight. Their services span field surveys, water-quality monitoring, laboratory identification, data analysis and clear environmental reporting. This work supports conservation, habitat restoration, pollution investigations, environmental assessment and regulatory decision-making. They work with environmental charities, regulators, consultancies, infrastructure and water-sector clients throughout the UK.

Rachel MacKay-Austin, CEO said: “At the Edinburgh Innovation Hub we are expanding our specialist laboratory capacity and helping advance science-led solutions for freshwater biodiversity”.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, Leader of East Lothian Council, said:

“I’m delighted that the Edinburgh Innovation Hub has welcomed its latest tenant and wish them all the best for a bright and successful future.

“East Lothian is one of Scotland’s fastest growing areas and the council is determined to further grow the local economy and help deliver more high-quality jobs in skilled sectors for our residents.

“Working together with our partners at QMU, the creation of the EIH is already attracting innovation-led enterprises to the region to help realise our aim of making East Lothian the best place in the country to live, work and do business.

“The major investment in this project by the council and UK and Scottish Governments will bring benefits to the county for generations to come.”

Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen Margaret University said:

“The official opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a landmark moment for Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and our partners, and the establishment of the Hub is a major step forward in our ambition to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration. Located alongside our campus, the Hub will strengthen links between academia and industry, creating new opportunities for research, knowledge exchange and partnerships that deliver innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

“We are proud to be at the heart of this transformational venture. Acting as a gateway to QMU for the businesses based there, the Hub will help drive investment, support job creation and generate lasting economic and social benefits for East Lothian, the Edinburgh city region and beyond, while enhancing opportunities for our students, graduates, researchers and partners.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland Melanie Ward said:

“The opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a vital step in backing Scottish innovation and building a modern, resilient economy. Significant UK Government investment of over £28 million is giving startups the specialised lab space they need to accelerate breakthroughs, scale up quickly, and create high-skilled jobs across the region.

“This project shows the tangible impact of targeted UK Government support. While the Hub acts as a flagship engine for the regional economy, its impact links directly into communities right across Scotland.

“By connecting cutting-edge innovation with national supply chains – from Scotland's space sector to freshwater ecology – we are using targeted regional investments to bring growth, high-skilled jobs, and economic opportunities to every postcode across Scotland.”

More information on the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is on the website.

City Region Deal continues to boost jobs, investment and growth in Fife

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal is continuing to deliver strong results for communities across the region.

Now valued at over £1.6 billion, the city deal remains the largest additional investment secured by any Scottish city region or growth deal. It is helping to grow the local economy, improve key infrastructure and support the development of sustainable communities.

So far, the programme has created more than 22,000 job opportunities, delivered over 5,500 new homes, and contributed over £2.8 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the regional economy.

As part of the Deal’s innovation strand, Fife is benefitting from a ten‑year £59 million Industrial Innovation Investment programme, known as the Fife i3 Programme. This programme is helping to expand the supply of modern business space and serviced employment land across Mid and South Fife.

New business units totalling 6238 sqm have already been built in Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Levenmouth, Dalgety Bay and Dunfermline, supporting 215 jobs to date. In addition, 6.58 hectares of employment land has been serviced, with some sites sold to the private sector in Dalgety Bay, Dunfermline and Lochgelly.

The latest phase of work will see even more new units delivered in Glenrothes, Levenmouth and Kirkcaldy, alongside further site‑servicing projects in Levenmouth and Kirkcaldy.

The programme gives priority to businesses that demonstrate innovation and are committed to Fair Work, the Real Living Wage, and Low Carbon policies, helping to ensure high‑quality employment and long‑term economic resilience in Fife.

Councillor Altany Craik, spokesperson for finance, economy and strategic planning, said he was delighted to see the new units open for business:  “The Fife i3 Programme is all about creating conditions for start-ups and SMEs (small/medium-sized enterprises) to grow and innovate, and with that comes direct and indirect employment, increased demand for local services, and major benefits for supply chain businesses both here in Fife but across Scotland more generally"

Fife Council’s Economic Development team has led the development and promotion of the new units and employment land, working to secure new occupiers and attract inward investment to the Business Park.

For more information, visit www.investfife.co.uk or email fifemeansbusiness@fife.gov.uk.

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.

Borders Innovation Park development progressing as City Region Deal marks mid-point

At the half way point in its 15-year programme, the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal is continuing to deliver, including the development of the Borders Innovation Park.

At the current Borders Railway terminus at Tweedbank, phase two of the project is progressing, creating further high quality business space.

£29m project to support businesses, jobs and growth

Costing £29 million, including contributions from the City Region Deal, ScottisH Borders Council and South of Scotland Enterprise, the project is being completed in three phases. It is stimulating business growth and associated job creation, enhancing the area’s inward investment offer, particularly to high-value sectors, and supporting existing businesses to improve their competitiveness and grow. 

Attracting better quality, higher paid jobs is also helping to address inequalities in the area, providing greater opportunities for local people and also encouraging others to relocate to the Scottish Borders.

Councillor Scott Hamilton, Executive Member for Economic Growth and Developing the Borders

“The creation of the Borders Innovation Park is one very visible sign of the how the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal is delivering for the Scottish Borders.

“Thanks to the Deal funding, our own investment and support from partners we are creating much needed business space which is helping deliver additional and new job opportunities.

“The City Region Deal is also supporting the Borders in other ways, including through the Regional Housing Programme, projects aiming to transform the energy efficiency of housing and tackle transport issues, and through the Integrated Regional Employability and Skills Programme. The latter has included the piloting of a Telecoms Academy within the Borders to support local jobseekers.

“As we now move into the second half of the Deal programme we need to continue to grasp the opportunities this funding and the collaborative work with partners across south east of Scotland provides.”

Ongoing project works

Construction of the Borders Innovation Park began in July 2020, with the first building in phase one opened in July 2022. It is fully occupied and construction of the phase two building is underway, and due for completion this summer. It will accommodate up to four businesses.

Delivering on the Deal

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal has delivered impressive results since launching in 2018, and has now reached the halfway point of its 15-year programme. So far, it's contributed £3.6billion to regional economic growth.

The Deal was signed in August 2018 and involves East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Fife, City of Edinburgh councils and ourselves, along with universities and colleges, the private sector, the third sector and relevant public sector agencies.

The 15-year Deal is worth £1.6bn, which includes £600m of Government funding and £1bn of funding from other partners.

The Borders Innovation Park project is part of the Research, Development and Innovation Programme within the Deal. Over 15 years, the UK and Scottish Governments have committed a combined £350 million to support the development of a number of initiatives in this part of the programme. Including partner contributions, this is worth a total of £791 million alone.

Data-Driven Innovation 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.

2025 closed with the news that the DDI programme was named Collaborative Initiative of the Year by the Institute of Economic Development, with judges describing DDI as a flagship model of collaborative economic development, delivering innovation, skills, and infrastructure at scale.

The year also marked the conclusion of DDI's investment phase and completion of the final two Hubs. In April, Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) was officially opened by the University of Edinburgh Chancellor, HRH The Princess Royal, alongside Jenny Gilruth MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, the Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh and other city representatives.

The DDI Hubs continue to deliver significant economic benefit, with many examples noted throughout the report. By combining strengths across the University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University and City Region Deal partners, the initiative is driving inward investment, including support to grow emerging companies.

Achievements against targets are:

Talent: The programme exceeded its course target by 15%, meaning that the full end-of-programme Talent target has been achieved. In 2024/25, DDI saw more than 37,000 completions – an 18% increase from 2023/24.

Research: DDI delivered £188 million in research activity – a 17% increase compared with 2023/24. The programme delivered £778 million worth of activity in total, which represents 79% of its total research target.

Adoption: The programme generated £20 million in income alone, representing 21% of total activity to date. DDI has exceeded its end-of-programme target by 79%.

Entrepreneurship: The initiative supported 90 early-stage data-centric companies, surpassing its unique company end-of-programme target by 53%. DDI has exceeded its follow-on funding target by nearly 1,000%, with DDI companies receiving £225 million funding in 2024/25 alone.

DDI's Senior Responsible Officer, Professor Kim Graham, said: "Delivery of these outcomes requires commitment, imagination and ambition. I am grateful to our DDI staff and students for their hard work and thank our industry, third sector and civic partners, as well as the Scottish and UK Governments, for helping make the Edinburgh & South East City Region DDI programme so successful. The City Region Deal is evidence that local innovation funding – focused on growing regional sectors through the application of emerging future technologies – delivers to modern industrial strategies, boosting economic productivity, entrepreneurship and jobs."

Read the full report here