Scotland is stepping up efforts to retain top business talent and accelerate the growth of its life sciences sector with a new £35 million public investment designed
to help high-growth companies scale up and stay in the country.
Scottish Enterprise has announced a £35 million Life Sciences Accommodation Programme, aimed at improving access to affordable, specialist laboratory and commercial space for businesses as they move from research to full commercialisation.
The programme, set to launch later this year, responds to long-standing industry concerns over the shortage of suitable laboratory space and is intended to better match supply with growing demand. The move supports Scotland’s ambition to grow its life sciences sector into a £25 billion industry by 2035.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes unveiled the plans at the inaugural Scottish Spinout Summit in Glasgow, held at the University of Strathclyde’s Technology and Innovation Centre. The event brought together policymakers, researchers and entrepreneurs to focus on turning world-class academic research into successful, scalable businesses.
The Deputy First Minister said: “Building a thriving, growing economy means supporting entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey - from the first spark of an idea through to growth and scale.
“Positioning Scotland as a globally competitive, innovation-led economy requires us to have the right people, skills and infrastructure.
“The Life Sciences Accommodation Programme is a bold commitment which demonstrates the public sector’s commitment to helping ensure next generation of business founders has every opportunity to not just to start in Scotland, but to expand, succeed and stay.”
The investment aligns with wider government efforts to strengthen Scotland’s innovation ecosystem and retain high-value companies that emerge from its universities and research institutions.
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government published its first Spinout Report, setting out a long-term vision for developing university spinouts as a cornerstone of the future economy. Both the report and the Scottish Spinout Summit form key delivery commitments under Scotland’s Innovation Strategy.
The new accommodation programme also follows pledges made in the refreshed Life Sciences Strategy, developed in partnership with industry, to address infrastructure gaps that risk pushing fast-growing companies to relocate elsewhere.
By tackling these barriers, ministers hope the investment will help anchor talent, intellectual property and economic value in Scotland — ensuring that breakthrough ideas developed in Scottish labs translate into long-term jobs, investment and global competitiveness. Photo by Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia commons.