Crown Estate Scotland will provide £1.4m annually over five years to SAIC, which rebrands as an independent legal entity from April 2026.
Crown Estate Scotland (CES) will fund Scotland’s aquaculture innovation body with £7 million over five years, under a deal that also transforms the organisation into an independent legal entity.
SAIC — rebranded from the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre to the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster Ltd — will receive £1.4m per year from CES starting April 1. The new structure separates SAIC from its former host, the University of Stirling, and introduces a distinct governance model with direct Scottish Government oversight.
The shift to independent status comes as SAIC’s current operating model ends in March 2026. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon, who is stepping down as an MSP, said the new arrangement “ensures that vital innovation support continues seamlessly.”
Mike Spain, director of aquaculture and marine ecosystem services at CES, said SAIC’s research “underpins the strategic priorities of Crown Estate Scotland” and will “help safeguard future aquaculture leasing, support sustainable development and enhance environmental outcomes.”
CES manages nearly all of Scotland’s territorial seabed on behalf of the Scottish Government. In the financial year ending March 2025, the body recorded net revenue of £130.8m — predominantly from offshore wind leases. Salmon farm leases contributed around £10m.
Sarah Riddle, head of research and innovation at SAIC, said innovation is “a critical part of helping the sector to grow sustainably,” and that further details on SAIC’s work programme will be shared in the coming weeks.
SAIC coordinates R&D across finfish, shellfish, and seaweed, linking producers, academics, and government bodies on issues from fish health to climate adaptation. The new funding agreement was developed in partnership with the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate.
