Fishing businesses and marine organisations in Scotland’s coastal communities are set to share £13m from Marine Fund Scotland’s latest round of funding.
A total of 60 projects will receive grants ranging from £7,000 to £1.2m.
These include modernising a salmon and trout processing facility in order to reduce energy and water use, installing solar panels at a seafood cold store to cut back on its carbon footprint, and increasing process capacity building for a shellfish producer to meet the growing demand from markets in the US and Asia.
Announcing the recipients of the fund during a visit to a shellfish processing facility at Bellshill, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “These projects reflect Scotland’s Blue Economy Vision, the first phase of which culminated with the publishing of the report on delivering Scotland’s blue economy approach earlier today.
“The Marine Fund Scotland will continue to be key in supporting sustainable development of Scotland’s Blue Economy – investing in Scotland’s seafood sectors, creating sustainable jobs, and helping to protect Scotland's marine environment.”
Stephen Cameron, managing director of Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group, which will be utilising the grant to upgrade its refrigeration system, said: “This funding is crucial in supporting the continual investment we require given the impacts of Brexit, Covid and inflationary pressures on our co-operative business.
“The funding supporting this facility goes all the way back down the supply chain to our member growers, who are located in some of the remotest areas of Scotland.”
Ian Archer, technical director at the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, which has funding for a project to install and commission seaweed fermentation equipment, also commented: “By introducing a fermenter capable of processing seaweed to the facilities on offer at our bioprocessing scale up centre, FlexBio, we are unlocking significant opportunities to grow Scotland’s seaweed sector on a commercial scale.
“Due to the seasonality of the crop, researchers and companies need to find ways to process the raw material to ensure a year-round supply and, with support through the Marine Fund Scotland, we will now be able to help them with the right equipment and expertise.”
Marine Fund Scotland was established following the UK’s exit from the EU and replaces funding for the fishing and seafood sector previously available through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
Separately, the Scottish Government has established seven new Techscaler hubs as part of a £42m commitment to provide businesses with guidance and mentorship from partners such as Barclays' Eagle Labs and Reforge.
Applications are now open for hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness. A south of Scotland hub in Dumfries will follow at a later date.
Gillian Docherty, chair of CodeBase, the Edinburgh-based company delivering the Techscaler programme, said: “Codebase shares the government’s ambition to support business growth, and we are delighted to be the delivery partner for the Scottish Government’s Techscaler programme.
“With the right infrastructure and support systems in place founders can replicate successful growth methods to build startups, Techscaler provides that framework.
“I’m excited to see this network bring together people and partners across the Scottish tech ecosystem, developing the skills and attracting the investment required to start and scale a tech business.“
Don't miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter - sign up here for free.
