Aquaculture is a significant contributor to Scotland’s economy, generating UK£468 million in gross value added in 2023 and supporting 2200 jobs. The latest Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey reported that salmon farming achieved a production value of over UK£1.3 billion in 2024. Scottish salmon remains the UK’s most valuable food export, and earlier figures indicated that approximately 12,000 people were employed across aquaculture production and its associated supply chain.
The proposed Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster (SAIC) will play a critical role in enhancing the sector’s resilience, productivity and climate readiness. As an independent organisation, it will cover finfish, shellfish and seaweed production, overseeing research while connecting academia, industry and government stakeholders. Its work will focus on delivering research, technology development and knowledge exchange to address environmental pressures, productivity challenges and the impacts of climate change. Its independent status will allow it to operate across the entire sector, making it the only body of its kind in Scotland.
The previous Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre, a legacy project under the University of Stirling, was funded by the Scottish Funding Council until 2023, followed by interim support from the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council until March 31, 2026. During this period, it addressed key environmental and biological challenges while supporting major government strategies, including the Blue Economy Vision and the Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture, by generating evidence, reducing innovation risk, promoting best practice and enabling collaboration across regulators, researchers and industry.
Without sustained support for innovation, Scotland risks declining competitiveness and an inability to effectively manage biological challenges within the sector. This business case therefore proposes new arrangements to ensure the long-term continuation of aquaculture innovation support, building on the work previously delivered. The Scottish Government has collaborated with industry stakeholders, Crown Estate Scotland, the legacy SAIC, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the University of Stirling to develop proposals covering governance, funding and key deliverables.
The preferred option is the establishment of a new independent legal entity, with Crown Estate Scotland providing UK£1.4 million annually over five years to the Scottish Government, which will then allocate funding to SAIC through a grant agreement. Approximately half of the funding is expected to support core operations, with the remainder dedicated to seed funding for research and development projects. The Scottish Government will oversee the grant arrangement, while Crown Estate Scotland will supply the funding under a back-to-back agreement.
The creation of an independent organisation will enable Scotland to maintain and strengthen its position as a global centre of aquaculture innovation. The new SAIC will support high-quality, collaborative research aimed at reducing environmental impact, improving production efficiency, enhancing climate resilience and reinforcing international competitiveness. It will also provide a platform for expanded global collaboration and increased export of expertise, technology and intellectual property.
