New National Plan unveiled for growth of Scotland’s Industrial Biotechnology sector by 2030

Attending last week's Scotland's Bio-based Manufacturing Launchpad Showcase in Glasgow was a reminder of just how far Scotland's industrial biotechnology sector has come over the last decade. It was buzzing with enthusiasm. Several companies were pitching in the Innovation Showcase sessions. These weren't just ideas, they were innovation in action with, in many cases, products already on the market with scaled-up facilities backed up by investors.  

This hasn't happened overnight. The first National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology was published in 2013 with an ambition to realize the benefits of applying biotechnology across multiple sectors. It set out a roadmap to harness Scotland’s natural resources and intellectual assets to create new companies, more sustainable products and processes, and economic growth.

At its core, Industrial Biotechnology (IB) uses biological processes to turn waste, plants and other renewable resources into everyday products, such as consumer products, food ingredients, plastics, textiles, construction materials, fuels and medicines, offering cleaner, more sustainable alternatives to fossil-based products. In 2013, just a handful of Industrial Biotechnology (IB) companies existed. Today, Scotland is home to a vibrant cluster of innovative spin-outs, start-ups and SMEs developing products for a variety of markets.  Collaboration across industry, academia and the public sector, fostered by organizations such as IBioIC, has been critical in catalyzing this growth.

The new Plan, published on 7 October, sets a number of targets for 2030 that are in line with the projected growth in the section whilst also reflecting the realities of today’s economy and wider economic environment:

• 220 companies active in industrial biotechnology.
• £2 billion in annual sector turnover.
• More than 5,500 direct employees.
• Over £650 million in Gross Value Added.

This is an exciting time to be part of such an ecosystem. If the sector can maintain this level of collaboration and innovation, Scotland is well positioned to become one of Europe's leading industrial biotechnology hubs by 2030.

 

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Since the first National Plan was published in 2013, [the] number of active companies has increased from 43 to more than 175, while sector turnover has risen from £189 million to more than £1.6 billion (2023, the most recent ONS data). The industry now employs more than 4,500 people and contributes more than £500 million in gross value added (GVA) to the Scottish economy.

www.ibioic.com/...