ECIV partners Scottish Enterprise and IBioIC were delighted to help welcome the Biosirkel delegation from Norway to Scotland, as part of a three-day study visit organised by Zero Waste Scotland. The visit brought together partners from across Scotland's bioeconomy ecosystem to share insights, showcase innovation and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
Showcasing Scotland's strengths
The programme highlighted a strong and diverse cross-section of Scotland's innovation landscape, with contributions from Zero Waste Scotland, IBioIC, Scottish Enterprise, Institute of Aquaculture, Scottish Ocean Cluster, Carbon-Loop Sustainable Biomanufacturing Hub, SRUC, Edinburgh Genome Foundry and the UK Biochar Research Centre. Key highlights included:
- A visit to the National Robotarium in Edinburgh, where discussions focused on advancing the bioeconomy and the role of technology in future industrial systems
- A tour of the Grangemouth industrial cluster, where John Hand from Scottish Enterprise provided an excellent overview of the site, its strategic importance and emerging opportunities
- A visit to the National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub in Stirling, showcasing cutting-edge research and innovation in aquaculture
Across each stop, there was a clear sense of Scotland's strengths in industrial biotechnology, low-carbon innovation and circular approaches to resource use.
Collaboration at the core
Collaboration was a defining theme throughout, with active engagement across company showcases, research facility tours and knowledge exchange sessions. Partners were particularly encouraged to hear from the Biosirkel delegation about the innovative bioeconomy projects underway in Norway, and their strong ambition to develop industrial synergies with Scotland.
The visit also aligns with the ambitions of the ECIV project, building stronger ecosystems, accelerating collaboration and turning circular principles into real-world opportunities.
Ciaran McGuigan, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: "It's been wonderful to welcome the Biosirkel delegation to Scotland in what has been a fantastic week of conversation, inspiration, and collaboration. From hearing about their innovative work in Norway, to exploring the many opportunities we have to work together. Visits like these do so much to strengthen our partnerships — enabling us to further our shared commitment in progressing circularity in the bioeconomy industry, while highlighting Scotland as a key player in this space. We look forward to further visits like these in the future."
Looking ahead
This visit reinforced the value of bringing together international partners to share expertise, spark ideas and identify areas for collaboration. There is clear potential to build on this engagement — particularly around industrial symbiosis, bioprocessing and scaling sustainable solutions.
A big thank you to Zero Waste Scotland for organising an excellent programme, and to all partners who contributed to making the visit such a success.
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Read the original article on the ECIV partner's IBioIC website.
