Planned £7m veterinary science centre for Inverness moves closer thanks to European funding
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A new £7 million centre of excellence in veterinary science featuring cutting-edge technology is to be created in Inverness.
The rural veterinary hub to be developed at Inverness Campus will help to grow the city's international reputation in epidemiology - the study of the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases – and is expected to create new high-value jobs.
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) successfully bid for £4.1 million of European funding to part-fund the development.
SRUC has committed an additional £2.8 million some of which comes from the sale of its site in Drummondhill, Inverness.
The hub will focus on animal health, using new technology and big-data to research livestock, wildlife, marine mammals and aquaculture health and will also create and support the development of new businesses, products and services.
Researchers will collaborate with NHS Highland to examine links with human health.
Professor George Gunn, head of veterinary epidemiology, said the emphasis would be on practical science – pooling expertise from a range of institutions – to build commercial opportunities.
"The initial focus will be on the Highlands and Islands but the work will be applicable to rural businesses and communities across Scotland and internationally," he said.
“The rural veterinary hub has been under development for several years and I would like to thank HIE and the Scottish Government for their ongoing support. We’re looking forward to working closely with HIE to create this exciting new development.”
Minister for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon said: “Thanks to significant support from the European Regional Development Fund and the efforts of SRUC and HIE, Scotland will benefit from a new veterinary centre of excellence which will create jobs, generate opportunities for small businesses in the animal health sector and ultimately help us to continue to maintain the highest levels of animal health and welfare standards.”
Professor Caroline Argo, dean of SRUC’s northern faculty, said it significantly advanced ambitions for SRUC’s presence in Inverness and recognised the importance of animal health within rural Scotland.
“A project like this is about more than the buildings – the network of specialist researchers, universities, colleges, start-up businesses and support organisations in Inverness creates the perfect conditions for this high-tech hub to flourish.”
Ruaraidh McNeil, HIE's project director for Inverness Campus, said it was an important milestone in the next stage of development.
"Activity at the SRUC hub will be a great example of the campus ethos of collaboration between business, research and education in life sciences," he said.
