Scotland is aiming to grow its industrial biotechnology sector to £2 billion in annual turnover by 2030, with a refreshed national plan focused on helping companies scale, attract investment and bring new technologies to market.
The targets include increasing the number of active businesses to 220, supporting more than 5,500 jobs and raising the sector’s contribution to the economy to £650 million in gross value added (GVA).
The ambitions build on growth since the first National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology was published in 2013. Active company numbers have increased from 43 to more than 175, while turnover has risen from £189 million to more than £1.6 billion, with the latter figure drawn from 2023 data, the most recent available from the Office for National Statistics.
The sector now employs more than 4,500 people and contributes more than £500 million in GVA to Scotland’s economy.
Prepared by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) on behalf of Scottish Enterprise, the refreshed plan was launched on 8 October by Alyn Smith MSP, Minister for Innovation, Technology and Tertiary Education.
Its priorities include improving access to scale-up infrastructure, strengthening domestic supply chains, attracting private investment and developing workforce skills.
Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: “Scotland has built a dynamic industrial biotechnology ecosystem, with world-class research, ambitious businesses and strong partnerships helping to turn innovation into economic opportunity. The refreshed National Plan sets out a clear roadmap for the next phase of growth, focused on scaling companies, attracting investment and strengthening the infrastructure and skills needed for long term success.”
Recent business developments include MiAlgae’s construction of a large-scale Omega 3 production facility at Grangemouth, while Seastex, Vaste and LiYF Bioethanol have chosen Scotland as a base for their operations.
Mark Bustard, chief executive of IBioIC, said: “Scotland’s industrial biotechnology sector has come a long way since 2013, growing despite a challenging economic and geopolitical backdrop. We’ve built a strong foundation, but scaling up remains one of the biggest challenges facing many companies. They need access to facilities where they can prove their processes at commercial scale, investors who understand the sector, and reliable supply chains.”
The planned Grangemouth Sustainable Manufacturing Campus, supported by £20 million through the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal, is intended to strengthen infrastructure for bio-based manufacturing and commercial scale-up.
The Scottish Biobased Manufacturing Launchpad programme has also supported 32 projects involving 30 SMEs since Scotland’s cluster secured £7 million through UKRI Innovate UK in 2023.
Delivery of the national plan will include an industry-led taskforce, a platform connecting innovators with expertise and facilities, and a skills observatory to track workforce needs. An annual dashboard will monitor progress towards the 2030 targets.
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The full plan can be found here – https://www.ibioic.com/publications-database/national-plan-for-industrial-biotechnology-1
