Land development project elements

The planned development of the land around the campus encompasses three elements: the Innovation Park, an Innovation Hub within the Innovation Park; and a separate Commercial Zone.

You can find artist's impressions of aspects of the development in our 2023 Planning Exhibition.

What will be in the Innovation Hub?

Acting as the anchor for development of the wider Innovation Park, the Innovation Hub will become a vibrant new economic innovation cluster where high growth SMEs and innovation-led businesses co-locate with research and business networks under one roof to deliver a specialist service offering for commercial innovation.

It will significantly enhance the already successful offering of the Edinburgh region for innovation and tech-based enterprise by providing serviced and fitted commercial laboratory and office space for food & drink and high growth tech and innovation-based businesses.

It is in a prime strategic location next to the QMU campus on the boundaries of both Edinburgh and Midlothian. The hub will be the anchor for Edinburgh Innovation Park which will be developed over time to create a nationally significant centre of knowledge exchange, innovation and high value business growth.

Benefits for companies

Companies locating to the Hub will benefit from facilitated access to the University, its social and intellectual capital and to its business support services. Co-location will encourage mentoring and peer support. Close access to business development staff and business support intermediaries will enhance the support on offer, facilitating connections with investors and enabling business collaboration. The close linkages and proximity to the University departments, their students and expertise is an important aspect of this initiative.

Target markets

Target markets for the Hub will be companies and enterprises that are innovation-led. In particular, the Hub will target companies in important growth sectors with specialist needs:

Food and drink sector: ranging from food science through to health, functional foods, food safety, sustainability, food technologies and support such as digital, packaging and logistics. Specialist services will be available through the Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation currently embedded within the University.
Tech sectors: Edinburgh’s rapidly expanding tech and digital sectors requiring specialist infrastructure and support services in a cluster environment.
Life science sector: the life sciences is a highly specialist and rapidly expanding sector that experiences significant market failure in the provision of commercial laboratories. The Hub will provide opportunities for companies requiring specialist laboratory accommodation to locate and grow at the Hub and the wider EIP development.
Start-ups and spin-outs: The Hub will meet demand for incubation space for University spinouts and start-ups, student and graduate entrepreneurs and high growth-potential businesses that require a flexible, supportive entrepreneurial setting.
Companies and organisations with links to the University and strategic partners: The Hub will provide specialist space for organisations of strategic importance to the University or for inward investments to the Edinburgh City Region.
Enterprise initiatives: The Hub will provide opportunities for students and graduates to embrace the innovation and enterprise culture as part of their educational experience. The Hub will provide a home for enterprise initiatives, events and workshops and will showcase the inspirational, innovative students and staff from across the University.

Closely aligned to the University’s strengths, the hub will focus on food and drink related innovation and the related context of health and wellbeing, and will include serviced laboratories and office accommodation as well as facilities for events.

Organisations operating in the hub will not only benefit from bespoke facilities but will also have easy access to the University. Co-location will encourage mentoring and peer support. Close access to business development staff and business support intermediaries will enhance the support on offer, facilitating connections with investors, enabling business collaboration and business growth. The Innovation Hub will provide opportunities for students to embrace the innovation and enterprise culture as part of their educational experience, with a wider innovation programme encouraging them to create their own start-ups, working closely with the on-campus Business Gateway. The Innovation Hub will provide a home for enterprise initiatives, events and workshops.

The hub will accommodate staff and facilities for QMU’s Scottish Centre for Food Development and Innovation (SCFDI), already a successful innovation, research and development (R&D) partner to the food and drink sector. It will address market-identified needs by providing access to specialist industrial scale equipment, the knowledge and skills to undertake R&D projects, and a client development kitchen to support product development and new product launches.

The vision of project partners is that the Innovation Hub will act as a national resource, underpinned by the expertise found within the region’s innovation network, with the hub becoming a focal point for this expertise.

Edinburgh Innovation Hub Video

What will be in the wider Innovation Park?

The Edinburgh Innovation Park (EIP) covers 52 acres including the Innovation Hub and provides an opportunity to transform a strategic economic development site, owned by East Lothian Council, into a thriving, nationally significant cluster of knowledge exchange, innovation and high value business growth.

EIP will contribute to delivering the ambition of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (City Deal) to drive innovation and skills-led inclusive growth and to help solve important societal challenges.

The strategy behind the EIP can trace its roots back to 2005 and the University’s decision to relocate to its current location. Adjacency to economic development land and the potential the campus site presented for the University to work with industry and business was a paramount consideration in the University’s decision to relocate to East Lothian.

Demand for the wider Innovation Park will be stimulated by the activity of the hub.

What will be in the Commercial Zone

Wholly owned by QMU, the Commercial Zone will provide small retail and leisure facilities.