The ONE SeedPod food and drink industry innovation hub to boost high-value manufacturing has launched in Aberdeen.
The project, led by Opportunity North East (ONE), is the single largest public-private investment in the growth of Scotland’s food and drink manufacturing sector.
The £27m project, part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal, creates a hub for businesses to scale production, develop new products, test innovative processes, and access industry expertise, entrepreneurial education and mentoring developed by ONE and partners. The new-build includes 11 food-safe manufacturing kitchens, new product development and demonstration kitchens, and pilot plant and process testing spaces.
Deputy first minister Kate Forbes and UK government Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill joined ONE chair Ian Wood and David Kilshaw, chair of the not-for-profit Food Hub (NES) for the official launch of ONE SeedPod. The hub will open to the industry in April.
ONE SeedPod is led and co-funded by ONE and supported with £5m each from the Scottish and UK governments as part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal. The Scottish Government has provided an additional £3.1m through the Just Transition Fund, bringing its total contribution to the project to £8.1m. Scotland’s Rural College is the strategic partner providing the serviced site for ONE SeedPod on its Craibstone Campus near Aberdeen.
