Green light for University of Stirling research hub

Stirling Council has approved plans for a £17M world-class research and innovation facility at the University of Stirling.

The National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH), which builds on the University’s internationally renowned Institute of Aquaculture, will bring together experimental aquatic facilities, including a new tropical aquarium, with state-of-the-art laboratories, and space dedicated to business incubation and acceleration.

The Hub is funded through a £17M investment from the UK Government, as part of the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal.

Aquaculture, the cultivation of fish, crustaceans, aquatic plants, algae and shellfish in water environments, is one of the world’s fasting growing sectors, with an estimated global growth rate of 8%. NATIH will position University of Stirling expertise at the forefront of this expansion, delivering and increasing the economic, social and environmental benefits for the industry, and informing modern commercial aquaculture markets.

Professor Simon MacKenzie, Head of the University’s Institute for Aquaculture, said: “This is an important milestone in the development of the National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub. There is an enormous role for aquaculture to play in ensuring that the world has a secure and sustainable supply of food.

“The Hub will develop and reinforce a strong working relationship between the University’s researchers and the global aquaculture industry, ensuring that the ideas, interventions and solutions developed will have a meaningful impact where they are needed most, and deliver jobs, growth and prosperity.”