Scottish Government announces £150,000 funding for Scotland's AAA sector

Friday 19th June 2026, 3:55pm

The Scottish Government has announced £150,000 funding to help Scotland become a world leader in animal health, agri-tech and aquaculture (AAA) sector.

Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie announced the funding at the Royal Highland Show.


significance of the AAA sector for scotland

This funding is expected to support high-value jobs, particularly in rural and coastal communities, while driving export growth, inward investment and productivity.

The announcement coincides with publication of a new SEFARI Gateway report highlighting the significant contribution the sector could make to economic growth, food security and climate resilience.

The report  highlights a clear opportunity for Scotland to develop a more visible, coordinated and internationally competitive AAA sector. This would involve sustained collaboration across government, enterprise agencies, industry, funders and research organisations.

The growing AAA sector includes organisations working in livestock health, seafood production, and development of novel technologies for agriculture. It involves more than 200 organisations and businesses and is part of the broader Scottish Life Sciences sector, which aims to grow its turnover to £25 billion by 2035.

“Scotland’s animal health, agri-tech and aquaculture sector represents a significant and growing part of our wider life sciences mix and is central to our ambition to grow the sector to £25bn turnover by 2035.

“This report highlights that, with the right investment and coordination, AAA can become one of Scotland’s most distinctive and internationally relevant innovation opportunities. This could deliver economic, environmental and social value, while contributing to global food, health and sustainability challenges."

Jim Fairlie, Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands

The report, 'Scotland’s Animal Health, Aquaculture and Agritech (AAA) Sector: Baseline Assessment, Structural Challenges and Strategic Opportunities', describes Scotland’s internationally recognised research capability, strong base of Small and Medium Enterprises and larger companies, established aquaculture and agricultural industries, specialist infrastructure, and a collaborative culture across research, industry and public agencies.



Download AAA Report PDF



The report was funded by SEFARI Gateway, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Enterprise (SE) and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) and has been published by the Moredun Research Institute, The James Hutton Institute and SRUC. It was developed in collaboration with the Life Sciences Scotland Industry Leadership Group AAA sub-group.



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