Summary
- The UK Government has announced £18m for a UK Advanced Chip Design Academy led by the University of Edinburgh.
- Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus is in line for £6m towards expansion, subject to business case.
- The Budget also includes £20m to create two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in Scotland.
- Other growth measures include a new Energy Wealth Fund and extended duty suspensions on goods used by several industries.
Full Article
The UK Government has announced £18m for a UK Advanced Chip Design Academy led by the University of Edinburgh, alongside £6m for expansion of Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus, subject to business case. The measures were included in the Budget delivered on 28 October.
The academy funding is intended to build on Scotland’s strengths in advanced technology. In Glasgow, the proposed investment would allow the SEC, which hosted COP26 and the Commonwealth Games, to expand.
The two projects form part of a wider set of Scottish growth measures, including £20m to create two Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in the east and west of Scotland.
The Budget also provides for a new Energy Wealth Fund to support Scottish clean energy jobs. Duty suspensions will be extended for 350 goods to help businesses in sectors including chemicals, plastics, hydrogen, automotive, and food and drink.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said: “This is a budget that puts money back in the pockets of Scottish households, backs businesses, and puts Scotland firmly at the heart of the UK government’s plan for growth and reindustrialisation.”
The government also announced full funding for the £15bn Defence Investment Plan, including £4.7bn that had previously been unfunded. It says defence spending supports 12,200 industry jobs in Scotland, 7% more than in 2025.
In Case You Missed It:
Scottish Enterprise backs £3.18m fintech lab projecting 6:1 return and £28m in private investment
Strathclyde Inspire100 backs early-stage founders with £26k and £150k research awards
Dundee student game teams start DARE Academy 2026 backed by local sponsors
3t opens Scotland’s first independent Power Academy in Aberdeen
Alongside the industry measures, the Scottish Government will receive an additional £600m. That is on top of an additional £1.7bn from Budget 2025 and the Spring Forecast 2026.
The block grant is the Scottish Government’s main source of funding for devolved services. It also raises revenue through Scottish income tax and non-domestic rates on b
