New funding for aquaculture degrees will support Scottish commercial success

Published On Fri 23 Jan 2015 by Grant Hill

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre has gained funding for 25 new taught Masters places in aquaculture. The Masters courses, at the Universities of Stirling and Dundee, will focus on industry-relevant knowledge and skills.

By providing business-focused training to aquaculture students in Scotland, these courses will help to develop an industry that already contributes as much as £1.4billion annually to the Scottish economy.  They will also boost graduates’ employment prospects.

The funding for the new Masters places has been secured by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre from the Scottish Funding Council. Worth almost £295,000 in the 2015/2016 academic year, it will support 25 places based at the Universities of Stirling and Dundee.

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre will ensure the courses are pertinent to industry needs and include content relevant to its four Priority Innovation Actions.

The Innovation Centre will work with its industry partners to connect students with aquaculture businesses in Scotland, for example in placements or projects. This supports its objective to foster innovative, industry-relevant collaboration between the industry and research communities in Scotland.

Heather Jones, Chief Executive of the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, said, “There is huge research and teaching expertise in aquaculture at Scottish universities and colleges, and these new Masters places will help the industry capture the benefits of that. By funding and nurturing a new cohort of industry-aware students, the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre and its partners will uphold the sustainable growth of Scottish aquaculture. The Masters students will gain experience in the most pressing issues facing the aquaculture industry in Scotland.”

Industry representatives also welcomed the announcement. Colin Blair, Managing Director of Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, said, “Cooke Aquaculture are delighted to support industry-relevant student research projects. This is exactly the sort of innovation from the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre that we welcome as it contributes directly to the employability of students and helps industry research real-life issues.”

For more information, please contact Heather Jones at info@scottishaquaculture.com.  

Notes to Editors:

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre has four Priority Innovation Actions:

1. Improved sea lice control

2. Alternative sustainable feeds for finfish

3. Rapid detection methods for viral pathogens and disease: improving ability to tackle known threats & emerging disease

4. Development of secure, health certified Scottish mollusc spat production systems.

In December 2014, the Centre issued an open call for expressions of interest in industry-led research projects on the first of these areas, sea lice control.

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre brings together industry and research to provide innovative solutions to industry-defined problems within Scottish aquaculture.

We aim to deliver transformational change in the relationship between the aquaculture industry and research community to support the growth, sustainability and profitability of the Scottish aquaculture industry and, in doing so, impact positively on the Scottish economy.

The SAIC is funded by the Scottish Funding Council in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Launched in June 2014, it involves 26 aquaculture companies and 13 research organisations.

For more information, please visit www.scottishaquaculture.com.

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