A multi-partner campus that involves the University has been awarded £5 million to accelerate the delivery of key technologies through advanced manufacturing.
The FastBlade facility at the Arrol Gibb Innovation Campus (AGIC)
The funding from the UK Government for the Arrol Gibb Innovation Campus (AGIC) will facilitate advances in technology for the marine and advanced manufacturing sectors through skills development and innovation.
The campus, which is partly virtual and partly based at Rosyth Docks in Fife, was launched in 2022.
It brings together industry, academia and government to create innovation and accelerate automation in the marine, shipbuilding and renewable energy sectors.
Testing facility
AGIC’s first facility was the University’s FastBlade, the world's first rapid testing facility for tidal turbine blades
FastBlade's pioneering technology stress tests blades made from composite materials more quickly and using significantly less energy than any other facility of its kind.
Alongside the University, the other AGIC partners are Babcock International, the University of Strathclyde, Fife College, Fife Council, Royal Navy, Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland.
This investment will leverage existing programmes to deliver a strong platform bringing industry, government and academia together, driving innovation for Scottish and UK industry. Through the AGIC partners, we look forward to contributing our strengths in digital systems, data science and automation, while supporting skills development and training that will benefit suppliers, SMEs and the wider maritime sector across the UK.
Professor Graham Wren
University of Strathclyde / Chair of the AGIC Steering Group
Green technologies
The new funding complements £25m in UK Government seed funding unlocked by the Forth Green Freeport in January 2026 to support reindustrialisation of the Edinburgh, Fife and Falkirk areas.
The Freeport, an alliance of public and private organisations, aims to catalyse new green technologies, alternative fuels and renewable energy manufacturing in the region.
We hope AGIC will support the development of new technologies and high-quality jobs by providing the environment to test, prove and scale new industry solutions. Through the FastBlade facility, for example, we can support testing of composite materials for largescale structures that support UK supply chains in the shipbuilding, marine and renewable energy sectors.
Dr Susan Bodie
Head of Innovation Development and Licensing, Edinburgh Innovations
The University of Edinburgh will bring its gamut of expertise in advanced manufacturing and materials, as well as data science and digital systems, to support innovation and upskilling at AGIC. By bringing together industry, academia and government, we can turn world‑class research into impact.
Professor Guangzhao Mao
Head of School of Engineering and AGIC Steering Group
