Engineering news
A renewable energy centre that could help create 500 jobs and attract £150 million of investment has cleared its final funding hurdle.
The Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) at Strathclyde University will help to develop renewable energy devices, as well as pharmaceuticals, engineering and health technologies.
The European Regional Development Fund has provided the final £6.7 million required to allow the project to proceed.
It has secured capital funding of £89 million from a range of partners including Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Funding Council. It has also attracted support from Scottish & Southern Energy, the Weir Group, Scottish Power and several other cross-sector industrial partners.
The university, alongside industry partners, aims to more than double the scale of research investment, from £70 million to more than £150 million over the next five years and create up to 500 research, technology and engineering jobs.
Infrastructure secretary Alex Neil said: “It is a substantial boost for our renewables industry that we have secured the final £6.7 million that will enable this project to go ahead. I am sure this project can prove a real boost for our economy, securing massive research investment and hundreds of new jobs.”
Neil said it was important that Scotland focussed its investment from areas like European funds on high-value projects that created jobs in areas like renewable energy. He said: “For the world-class expertise we have in areas like renewables to flourish, we need to put in place the right infrastructure and superb facilities. That is exactly what the Technology and Innovation Centre at Strathclyde University will provide.”
Energy minister Fergus Ewing said: “Scotland leads the world in renewable energy with astounding green energy potential and vast natural resources, and we have a responsibility to make sure our nation seizes this opportunity to create tens of thousands of new jobs and secure billions of pounds of investment in our economy.
“International corporations and domestic firms are investing for the future in Scotland's world-leading renewables industry and an industry report has shown that there are already 11,000 jobs in renewables in Scotland.
“The work that will take place at the TIC will help us build on this, developing the innovative technologies which will help us ensure generations to come benefit from Scotland's green energy revolution.”