The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Center (SAIC) alongside Highlands and Island Enterprise (HIE) will conduct a two-phase scoping study this week as a means to gauge industry opinion regarding a proposed Center of Excellence for Scotland.
“Aquaculture is a hugely important industry, both for Scotland’s economy and its communities,” said SAIC Aquaculture Innovation Director Jason Cleaversmith in a press release. “It’s also a highly ambitious industry, with producers keen to increase production to meet growing global demand for protein sources. A national Centre of Excellence would help fulfil those growth ambitions, whether it be a single facility or a node that links to existing facilities around the country. We’re not going into this with any preconceived ideas – we want to find out what the industry needs in order to grow towards 2030 and beyond.”
The first phase of the scoping study will involve a live polling on Wednesday, 25 May, during the Aquaculture U.K. 2016 event. Phase two will follow when independent consultant and former MD of Marine Harvest Scotland Alan Sutherland convenes with a cross-section of the Scottish aquaculture industry, including producers, processors and equipment suppliers, government agencies, academics and other relevant stakeholders.
“Everyone involved in Scottish aquaculture wants to see the sector produce more, export more, employ more people, generate more revenue and be an even greater success – something that a dedicated Centre of Excellence for aquaculture can help bring about,” said Sutherland. “Early feedback suggests there’s a lot of support for the concept and I’m confident that this scoping study will reinforce that.”
Once the scoping study draws to a close, the results will be compiled and summarized in a formal report to be shared with the aquaculture sector.
Both SAIC and HIE are also working with consultant firm Imani Development to map out Scottish aquaculture priorities through to 2030, to complement the scoping study.
“Key growth opportunities, emerging technologies, gaps and constraints – these are just some of the issues we are seeking industry opinion on in order to identify the critical success factors required for smart, sustainable growth through to 2030 and highlight the priorities for innovation and investment,” Cleaversmith said.
