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A3 conference shows worldwide reach of region’s life sciences sector

Published 19/09/2024 by Stuart Black 2 min read

SRUC principal, Prof Wayne Powell, and HIE chief executive, Stuart Black, pictured after signing a partnership agreement in April 2024.

If you want to get a feel for the Highlands and Islands’ place on the global life sciences map, look no further than the A3 conference taking place in Inverness this week (18 and 19 September).

We have 200 guests from countries as far afield as Argentina, Spain, Germany, Bolivia, China, Norway, Switzerland, and all across the UK.

Many of them are representing companies and researchers that are creating innovative solutions for animal health, agritech and aquaculture – the three ‘A’ industries that give the event its name.

Hosting this conference with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is one of our first joint initiatives after signing our Collaboration Agreement earlier in the year.

Attracting the event to the Highlands shows how the expertise here is relevant to industries around the globe. 

For HIE, it’s about knowledge sharing and transferring technology solutions to address challenges and enable sustainable growth of individual businesses and the wider 3A sectors.

Panel discussions encourage a high degree of participation from the delegates, with a strong focusing on sectoral innovation, collaboration at local, national and international levels and opportunities for investment.  

There was a lot of interest on day one around the launch of HIE’s new Life Sciences Growth Fund. This will provide match funding grants of between £25,000 and £75,000 to help life sciences companies in our region accelerate their growth plans. It can be used to support capital investment in equipment, technology and premises.

The ultimate aim of the A3 conference is for delegates to gain new insights and meet potential new partners, as well as promoting the excellent, pioneering work going on in the Highlands and Islands. 

For our part we’re certainly looking forward to working with local businesses and international partners in developing some of the exciting opportunities identified this week.

Stuart Black HIE Chief Executive

Stuart Black

Chief Executive

Stuart was appointed as HIE's Chief Executive in January 2022 having held the role of Interim Lead Area Manager previously.

Originally from Inverness, he is a graduate of the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, where he gained a doctorate in town and regional planning.

Stuart began his career with the University of Aberdeen, before joining HIE for the first time in 1996, as head of economics. Between then and 2008, he held several posts covering different parts of the organisation’s remit. These included local enterprise company chief executive, director of strengthening communities, and director of global connections.

From 2008 to 2020, he was a member of the senior team at the Highland Council, initially as director of planning and development, and later as executive chief officer for transformation and economy.

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