Scotland launches new industrial biotechnology center

Funded by the Scottish Funding Council and supported by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, the new Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) has been launched, involving all 13 Scottish Higher Education Institutions that are active in biotechnology research and will be co-ordinated by the University of Strathclyde. IBIOC is said to be a key element of the National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology – Towards a Greener, Cleaner 2025.

The Scottish Funding Council has contributed an initial £10 million towards the innovation centre, which is set to leverage over £45 million of investments within its first five years from various sources including industrial membership contributions and through external funding agencies such as RCUK, Horizon 2020 and TSB.

An independent economic assessment forecasts that IBioIC will generate around £130 million of GVA and 1,500 jobs within five years, both directly through the innovation centre and indirectly through companies involved in growing the industrial biotechnology market.