18/06/2026
Scottish Government announces £150,000 funding for Scotland’s AAA sector
The Scottish Government has announced £150,000 funding to help Scotland become a world leader in animal health, aquaculture and agritech (AAA).
This is expected to support high-value jobs, particularly in rural and coastal communities, while driving export growth, inward investment and productivity.
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie announced the funding today (18 June) at the Highland Show.
It coincides with publication of a new report highlighting the significant contribution the sector could make to economic growth, food security and climate resilience.
Mr Fairlie said: “Scotland’s animal health, aquaculture and agritech sector represents a significant and growing part of our wider life sciences mix and is central to our ambition to grow the sector to £25bn turnover by 2035.
“This report highlights that, with the right investment and coordination, AAA can become one of Scotland’s most distinctive and internationally relevant innovation opportunities. This could deliver economic, environmental and social value, while contributing to global food, health and sustainability challenges.
“I’m pleased to announce that the Scottish Government is committing £150,000 funding to help realise the opportunities set out in the new report.”
The report was funded by SEFARI Gateway, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Enterprise (SE) and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE).
It highlights a clear opportunity for Scotland to develop a more visible, coordinated and internationally competitive AAA sector. This would involve sustained collaboration across government, enterprise agencies, industry, funders and research organisations.
Director of SEFARI Gateway Dr Charles Bestwick said: “It’s been a pleasure working with Scotland’s enterprise agencies and three of our SEFARI research institutes on this major piece of work, which reveals exciting opportunities for the AAA sector in Scotland.
“We have the chance to grasp huge economic and innovation benefits at local to international scale, cementing an ability to nurture new, grow existing and attract international AAA enterprises. At the same time this would improve our capability to tackle issues such as climate resilience and food security.
“As the report shows, there are challenges in achieving this, but Scotland is well placed to compete with global leaders such as Norway and the Middle East. We hope this report will provide the foundation for action to make that happen.”
The report has been published by the Moredun Research Institute, The James Hutton Institute and Scotland’s Rural College. It was developed in collaboration with the Life Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group AAA sub-group.
Co-chair of the sub-group and director (Scotland) at Pioneer Group John Mackenzie said: “We are excited to see this report launched and look forward to driving its recommendations forward through more coordinated leadership, increased collaboration and co-created innovation, targeted investment and stronger routes to international markets, where Scotland has a highly competitive value proposition.
Drawing on insights from workshops and a sector-wide survey, the research confirms that Scotland has a strong and investable AAA sector, with the potential to make a significant contribution to economic growth, innovation, exports, food security and climate resilience.”
The growing AAA sector includes organisations working in livestock health, seafood production, and development of novel technologies for agriculture. It involves more than 200 organisations and businesses and is part of the broader Scottish Life Sciences sector, which aims to grow its turnover to £25 billion by 2035.
The report, Scotland’s Animal Health, Aquaculture and Agritech (AAA) Sector: Baseline Assessment, Structural Challenges and Strategic Opportunities, describes Scotland's internationally recognised research capability, strong base of Small and Medium Enterprises and larger companies, established aquaculture and agricultural industries, specialist infrastructure, and a collaborative culture across research, industry and public agencies.
The team behind the report, led by Charlotte Burgess, head of business development at Moredun Research Institute, conclude: “With the right investment and coordination, AAA can become one of Scotland’s most distinctive and internationally relevant innovation opportunities, delivering economic, environmental and social value for Scotland while contributing to research into global food, health and sustainability challenges.”
