Innovation support
IBioIC can support your transition into industrial biotechnology by helping you to understand the benefits and opportunities, overcome any barriers and make sure you’re in touch with the right people to guide you through the technology and its consequent translation and implementation in your business.
Technical Expertise and Advice
Industrial biotechnology is a complex multi-disciplinary sector where no individual organisation has the expertise or capacity to develop and commercialise a bioprocess alone. Through IBioIC’s Technical Network, we connect our members with specialist individuals whose expertise covers the vast space of industrial biotechnology. Our network includes industrial biotechnology expertise from a range of industries from food and pharma to materials. The Technical Network is an exclusive service open only to IBioIC members.
Bioprocessing Scale-Up Centres
IBioIC’s bioprocessing scale-up centres offer a comprehensive approach to support your innovation journey.
Members can gain access to our expertise and technical support to help progress the development of projects from basic research to scaleup. In addition, we can help identify collaborators and support the bid writing process for external funding to realise your scale up ambitions.
Funding opportunities from IBioIC
Growth is a priority for many of our member organisations and, at IBioIC, we understand that securing funding and investment to accelerate and de-risk your innovation and scale-up activities is high on your agenda.
Take advantage of our funding opportunities to progress your R&D activities, use our ever-expanding network to find collaborators for consortia building, and make use of the IBioIC team to help you build your business case. Get in touch with us today to find out how membership of IBioIC can help you access funding support.
IBioIC Open Funding Calls
In order to support the application reviewing process, we have a panel of expert reviewers who assess and score the technical or commercial merits of each application. We are currently looking to expand our pool of reviewers. If you are interested, please complete the Technical and Commercial Reviewer Form and we will be in touch.
Case Studies
From Scotland's IB conference - to project outcomes - to student experiences, find out all about the work of IBioIC, its members and academic partners, and take a look at our case studies demonstrating examples of work in practice across all our services.
The Scottish Bioresource Mapping Tool
The Scottish Bioresource Mapping Tool is a pioneering approach to developing value chains in the bio- and circular economies. The Tool maps raw material and bioresource arisings across Scotland down to the local authority level, which allows us to provide companies, investors, and stakeholders uniquely detailed insights and visuals related to the >27 million tonnes of bioresources arising in Scotland every year.
The Bioresource Mapping Tool is the result of analysis undertaken in preparation of the Biorefining Potential for Scotland Report by Zero Waste Scotland; it compiles and models data from four key material groupings:
• Waste streams (municipal solid wastes, commercial and industrial wastes)
• Food & drink production by-products
• Agricultural residues
• Waste waters and sludges
In addition, modelling allows for understanding not only of material arisings, but bioresource arisings for resources critical to biorefining, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats, metals, etc.
Enquires related to streams not contained the above are also welcomed, as additional datasets and bioresources will be integrated into the Tool in the future.
Enquires should be made via email at info@ibioic.com in the first instance, and should specify the requestor’s name, organisation, email address, and a brief description (<100 words) detailing the nature of the enquiry.
The IBioIC team will follow up, provide consult, and ensure that information requests are handled in a timely manner.
Data sources:
[a] Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)
[b] Zero Waste Scotland Whisky, Beer & Fish Sector Study, 5th Quarter Blood Report, other misc. reports
[c] Scottish Government Agricultural Census, Scotland’s Rural College consultants
[d] Scottish Water
Boosting Biobased Manufacturing in Scotland
Innovate UK's Launchpad programme aligns with the UK Government’s “Levelling Up” White Paper and aims to deliver regional economic growth across 11 regional clusters. In collaboration with Scottish Enterprise, Innovate UK has awarded £7.5M of funding to innovative SMEs to accelerate Biobased Manufacturing in Scotland. The key objective is to boost Scotland’s bioeconomy, creating regional economic growth and new jobs through sustainable and scalable innovation.
In early 2024, Round 1 of the funding programme awarded £1.8M across 12 companies and 13 projects while Round 2 is funding 19 projects valued at £5.25M.
IBioIC has been awarded funding as the Cluster Management Organisation, collaborating with Scottish Enterprise and Forth Valley College to provide support through a range of activities focussed around supporting technical development, delivering network events and challenge-based workshops, promoting the sectors success and opportunities, increasing investor readiness and fostering skills development. IBioIC has appointed Kirsty Neilson as Programme Manager to develop and promote the Industrial Biobased cluster in Scotland.
Bio-based Manufacturing in Scotland Round 1 Launchpad projects
Biotech Innovators - Train to Scale Accelerator Programme
Biotech Innovators—Train to Scale is an exciting new accelerator programme from IBioIC, purpose-built to empower early-stage biotechnology companies as they navigate the complex path from concept to commercialisation.
All early-stage companies face substantial challenges, but the complex, research- and capital-intensive hurdles encountered by biotechnology-based operations are both distinctive and significant. From securing initial research funding and scaling up lab-based processes to recruiting specialised talent and navigating rigorous regulatory landscapes, these obstacles aren’t just typical startup growing pains—they’re high-stakes barriers that can stall even the most promising breakthroughs in the bioeconomy.
That’s where Biotech Innovators comes in. Leveraging IBioIC’s unparalleled network and deep expertise in industrial biotechnology, this accelerator offers a transformative support system tailored to the sector’s demands. This exciting new offering will guide and assist a cohort of companies through a series of themed, expert-led events and activities—an opportunity to receive guidance on best practice, direct innovation support, and peer-to-peer learning—all designed to fast-track progress and unlock commercial potential.
Whether you're refining your technology, scaling your operations, or preparing for market entry, Biotech Innovators is your launchpad to success in the bioeconomy.
Why join Biotech Innovators: Train to Scale?
Access to 14 expert-led interactive in-person modules
Practical, hands-on guidance to de-risk and accelerate your business
A supportive ecosystem of peers, mentors, and industry experts
Resources to help you attract funding, partnerships, and talent
If you have any questions, please contact kirsty.neilson@ibioic.com
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The IBioIC Business Simulation is a 2-day event that simulates the setup, management, and growth of a biotechnology business over 18 months. This hands-on experience introduces biotech-business complexities and encourages entrepreneurial thinking.
Raising Investment covers key topics for securing funding—investment basics, pitch materials, investor engagement, and insights from both investors and biotech founders.
Getting Started—Setting Up a Laboratory provides guidance on finding lab space, tenancy agreements, and setting up a lab with strategic planning, design, compliance, budgeting, and equipment purchasing.
Assembling a Winning Team explores the role of founding teams, board formation, equity agreements, value-based hiring strategies, employment law, retention, and inclusivity.
Cost Awareness for Building a Pilot Facility outlines the design, timing, and costs of establishing pilot plants—including scale-up equipment, safety, compliance, and sources of support.
Understanding Intellectual Property in Biotechnology introduces biotech IP fundamentals, including patents, trade secrets, strategy, timelines, costs, and risk reduction through case studies.
Routes to Market in Biotechnology provides an overview of market sectors, customer discovery, developing a value proposition, considering biotech-specific challenges, and go-to-market strategies tailored to biotech.
Technical Fundamentals of Scaling a Biotechnology Business covers scale-up principles—from strain engineering to manufacturing—with practical insights and a tour of the FlexBIO facility, including an introduction to key equipment used in processing.
Fundamentals of Technoeconomics and Mass Flow introduces TEA and material balance, focusing on cost indicators, raw material usage, energy needs, and equipment sizing.
Partnering for Success highlights how strategic partnerships and outsourcing support R&D, regulatory navigation, market entry, and sustainability—unlocking challenges to de-risk investment and accelerate scale-up.
How to Write a Successful Innovation Grant Proposal offers practical guidance on the main sources of UK innovation funding, proposal alignment, narrative development, commercial viability, and execution planning—with tips on how to write a successful application.
Securing Supply Chains in Biotechnology explores supply-chain resilience, safety, sustainability, ethical sourcing, regulatory compliance, and global logistics challenges.
Understanding Regulations in Biotechnology provides an overview of key UK regulations specific to biotechnology, the approval processes, and how to engage with regulators to ensure compliance and market readiness.
Life Cycle Assessment in Biotechnology—Understanding Environmental Impact and Sustainability introduces LCA structure, data quality, biotech-specific constraints, and interpretation of environmental impact indicators.
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Before you apply, please make sure that you’re eligible for the Biotech Innovators accelerator programme.
The entry guidelines are:
Entrants should be between 12-months pre-incorporation and 4 years post-incorporation.
Technology solutions should be at a technology readiness level (TRL) of 2 to 6 inclusive in order to be eligible for the Accelerator. We will accept applications from entrants that have developed other technologies at higher TRLs as long as the innovation they are applying with is TRL 2 to TRL 6.
Entrants can be based anywhere in Scotland or be committed to establishing a presence in Scotland during the Biotech Innovators programme.
Entrants located outside Scotland must be able to communicate clearly how they plan to benefit the Scottish economy.
Entrants must be developing biotechnology solutions that fit one or more of our technology focus areas, set out below.
All entries should be aligned to the Scottish National Plan for Industrial Biotechnology.
All teams must be inclusive and diverse or open to building diverse teams.
All applicants must attend all monthly in-person events, unless there are exceptional circumstances. These will be located mainly in Glasgow, with 2 events based elsewhere on the Central Belt.
Technology focus areas:
Biorefining
Biomanufacturing
Bio-based construction
Food and drink
Textiles and materials
Waste management
Enzymes and catalysts
Downstream processing
Agritech
Marine biotechnology
Biopharmaceuticals
To apply, complete the Expression of Interest form and submit to Kirsty.Neilson@ibioic.com by 5pm on Monday 1 December 2025.
“The IBioIC Biotech Innovators program is one of the best accelerators I have participated in. Working in biotech is quite niche, and it can be difficult to find the specialised, focused expertise needed to get your venture off the ground. This programme delivered that at just the right time for me and continues to shape how I run my business.”
“The Biotech Innovators programme is a unique initiative in the Scottish ecosystem that combines venture building of traditional incubators along with valuable insights on how to run a biotech company. It gave us the opportunity to organise our company’s structure in and out of the lab, explore the various funding opportunities, and pitch in front of biotech investors. Overall is an excellent programme tailored to support early stage biotech companies.”
IB Champions
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IBioIC provides support to every university and college in Scotland, which is a significant task for our small team. So, we have recruited a ‘clan’ of enthusiastic helpers to champion industrial biotechnology (IB) across Scotland.
Our Industrial Biotechnology Champions (IB Champions) work to generate local interest and excitement around biotechnology, and to help promote IBioIC. They are also working with our team of Senior Impact Managers to help identify and support relevant research and innovation in collaboration with local business support teams.
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All our IB Champions are volunteers, ranging from post-doctoral researchers to professors. We have at least one Champion in each university so there is Scotland-wide representation.
If you are interested in contacting your local Champion, you can find their contacts below.
Abertay University
Professor Alberto Fiore: a.fiore@abertay.ac.uk
Edinburgh Napier University
Dr Fiona Stainsby:f.stainsby@napier.ac.uk
Glasgow Caledonian University
Dr Róisín Dooley-Nealis: Roisin.Dooley-Nealis@gcu.ac.uk
Heriot-Watt University
Dr Bart Pander: b.pander@hw.ac.uk
Dr Emma Perfect:e.perfect@hw.ac.uk
Robert Gordon University
Dr Itzamna Baqueiro-Pena: i.baqueiro-pena@rgu.ac.uk
Professor Christine Edwards: c.edwards@rgu.ac.uk
Dr Shohel Siddique: s.a.siddique@rgu.ac.uk
Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS)
Dr Mikey Ross:michael.ross@sams.ac.uk
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC)
Dr Maha Shalaby:mshalaby@sruc.ac.uk
University of Aberdeen
Dr Ian Fleming:i.n.fleming@abdn.ac.uk
University of Edinburgh
Ms Ines Foidl:ines.foidl@ed.ac.uk
Professor Chris French: c.french@ed.ac.uk
Dr Tessa Moses:tessa.moses@ed.ac.uk
University of Glasgow
Professor Mike Barrett: michael.barrett@glasgow.ac.uk
Dr Bernhard Schmidt:bernhard.schmidt@glasgow.ac.uk
Mrs Claire Carberry:claire.carberry@glasgow.ac.uk
University of St Andrews
Dr Laura Aitken:la49@st-andrews.ac.uk
Mrs Fiona Ross:fmr2@st-andrews.ac.uk
University of Stirling
Professor Rachel Norman:rachel.norman@stir.ac.uk
University of Strathclyde
Dr Morgan Feeney: morgan.feeney@strath.ac.uk
Dr Victoria Outram:victoria.outram@strath.ac.uk
Dr Jonathan Williams:jonathan.williams@strath.ac.uk
University of the Highlands & Islands
Dr Szabolcs Pap:szabolcs.pap@uhi.ac.uk
University of the West of Scotland
Professor Gordie Mackay:w.mackay@uws.ac.uk
Dr Mohammed Yaseen:mohammed.yaseen@uws.ac.uk
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IB is a fast-moving sector that underpins Net Zero strategies and economic growth; it is also leading to the generation of exciting new companies and career opportunities. By working with IBioIC, IB Champions connect with industry, learn about emerging technologies, explore new career paths, and expand your networks and skills.
In return, we rovide training and support, as well as free access to all our events including our Annual Conference – the UK’s largest IB conference. We’ll also host exclusive IB Champion events annually, to allow the Champions to network and socialise with peers.
If you are interested, please let us know as positions may become vacant in the coming year. Please email lorna.watt@ibioic.com.
