Edinburgh Innovation Hub Opening Event

Edinburgh Innovation Hub Opens to Support Scotland’s

Next Generation of Innovative Businesses

Edinburgh Innovation Hub (EIH) was officially opened today by Parliamentary Under Secretary for Scotland, Melanie Ward and Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn.

The Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a £40 million joint venture between East Lothian Council and Queen Margaret University (QMU) and will be a nationally significant centre for innovation-driven business growth, creating new high-value employment, and is the anchor project of the planned Edinburgh Innovation Park. EIH is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD) and is supported by £28.6 million from the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government and £10 million from East Lothian Council.

Edinburgh Innovation Hub is led by Chief Executive Marian McNeil, who has overseen the project since March 2025. It offers flexibility of space across a range of Cat 2 laboratories, offices and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent by small to medium enterprises with a particular focus on life sciences, food and drink, tech, start-ups and allied companies and has received significant interest from potential tenants.

The HUB is a best in class innovation facility developed as the first phase of Edinburgh Innovation Park. A new and unique development for innovation-led enterprise adjacent to QMU and minutes by train from Edinburgh City Centre. The HUB is a well-connected base for forward-thinking companies to locate their business. It benefits from its own over-ground station, linking by train to the centre of Edinburgh in just five minutes and 15 minutes to Edinburgh’s airport

EIH welcomed its first tenant, Forge Minerals, in December 2025 followed by Aurora Avionics and Riverwood Ecology. Only this week a new tenant has just signed a lease and will be moving their Life Sciences business with approximately 40 employees into EIH.

Ms Ward and Mr Flynn met representatives from EIH, East Lothian Council, QMU, ESESCRD and the contractor Heron Bros on-site today as well as having the time to meet with the tenants and hear how they have benefited from being based at EIH. They were both particularly interested to hear how each company has already grown, providing additional highly skilled and high value employment in the region.

Forge Minerals is redefining what’s possible in mineral processing. Their breakthrough approach to producing high-performance magnesium carbonate creates a low-carbon alternative to today’s resource-intensive materials. By uniting cutting-edge engineering and fast-cycle laboratory experimentation, they are building scalable processes designed to sustainable alternative with no green premium. Forge exists to unlock new opportunities for cleaner manufacturing, smarter materials and the next generation of climate-positive technologies.

Ian Spencer, Forge Minerals CEO said:

“Opening our first laboratory in the new Edinburgh Innovation Hub is an important milestone for Forge Minerals. As we ramp up our testing and development programme, we need a purpose-built space that allows rapid experimentation, iteration, and technical validation. EIH offers exactly that—along with the crucial ability to scale our footprint as we grow. For a fast-moving startup, being able to expand within the same facility is invaluable. We’re proud to be the first tenant to launch a lab here, and we’re excited to work with EIH to advance the technologies that will underpin sustainable minerals for the future.”

Aurora Avionics designs and manufactures modular, scalable avionics systems for launch vehicles and satellites. The company works with European and APAC customers including DLR (German Space Agency), TASA (Taiwanese Space Agency), Pangea Propulsion, HyImpulse, ATMOS Space Cargo and Alpha Impulsion. Aurora Avionics’ modules are light, robust and enabled to plug and play with other hardware. The company is a key player within the burgeoning Scottish Space scene and has grown their team since moving into EIH.

RiverWood Ecology Ltd. is a specialist freshwater ecology consultancy and aquatic invertebrate laboratory, founded in 2017. They help organisations understand, protect and restore UK rivers, lochs and wetlands through robust ecological evidence. RiverWood combines taxonomic expertise with rigorous quality control to turn complex biological data into practical insight. Their services span field surveys, water-quality monitoring, laboratory identification, data analysis and clear environmental reporting. This work supports conservation, habitat restoration, pollution investigations, environmental assessment and regulatory decision-making. They work with environmental charities, regulators, consultancies, infrastructure and water-sector clients throughout the UK.

Rachel MacKay-Austin, CEO said: “At the Edinburgh Innovation Hub we are expanding our specialist laboratory capacity and helping advance science-led solutions for freshwater biodiversity”.

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Councillor Norman Hampshire, Leader of East Lothian Council, said:

“I’m delighted that the Edinburgh Innovation Hub has welcomed its latest tenant and wish them all the best for a bright and successful future.

“East Lothian is one of Scotland’s fastest growing areas and the council is determined to further grow the local economy and help deliver more high-quality jobs in skilled sectors for our residents.

“Working together with our partners at QMU, the creation of the EIH is already attracting innovation-led enterprises to the region to help realise our aim of making East Lothian the best place in the country to live, work and do business.

“The major investment in this project by the council and UK and Scottish Governments will bring benefits to the county for generations to come.”

Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen Margaret University said:

“The official opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a landmark moment for Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh and our partners, and the establishment of the Hub is a major step forward in our ambition to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration. Located alongside our campus, the Hub will strengthen links between academia and industry, creating new opportunities for research, knowledge exchange and partnerships that deliver innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

“We are proud to be at the heart of this transformational venture. Acting as a gateway to QMU for the businesses based there, the Hub will help drive investment, support job creation and generate lasting economic and social benefits for East Lothian, the Edinburgh city region and beyond, while enhancing opportunities for our students, graduates, researchers and partners.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland Melanie Ward said:

“The opening of the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is a vital step in backing Scottish innovation and building a modern, resilient economy. Significant UK Government investment of over £28 million is giving startups the specialised lab space they need to accelerate breakthroughs, scale up quickly, and create high-skilled jobs across the region.

“This project shows the tangible impact of targeted UK Government support. While the Hub acts as a flagship engine for the regional economy, its impact links directly into communities right across Scotland.

“By connecting cutting-edge innovation with national supply chains – from Scotland’s space sector to freshwater ecology – we are using targeted regional investments to bring growth, high-skilled jobs, and economic opportunities to every postcode across Scotland.” More information on the Edinburgh Innovation Hub is on the website.

03 September 2026

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