Find out what innovation could mean for your company.
Innovation
Food and Drink
Our region is renowned as Scotland's outstanding natural larder.
Food and drink in our region
Food and drink businesses from the region produce a wide range of high-quality products, which have a strong competitive advantage associated to place, people and provenance.
Today, the industry in Scotland is worth £15bn and the strategy aims to double the value of the industry to £30bn by 2030 driving growth via innovation, integrating supply chains, investing in people and skills, and focusing on market growth opportunities domestically and internationally. Working with ambitious and capable businesses, we offer both one-to-one and sector-wide support to create new opportunities and tackle challenges to growth.
COVID-19 support
The impact of COVID-19 has been serious, and it is estimated up to £3 billion of revenue has been lost to the Scottish food and drink industry. However, we believe a strong and green recovery is possible. Find out what support is available to food and drink businesses and those operating in agricultural sectors on our COVID-19 section.
Brexit support
Scotland’s enterprise and skills agencies urge all companies to actively learn how to adapt to the new business environment now that the UK has left the EU. Up-to-date advice and support is available at PrepareforBrexit.scot.
Scotland Food and Drink Partnership
HIE is a member of the Scotland Food and Drink Partnership, which comprises industry via their trade bodies, the Scottish Government and other public sector agencies, with the shared ambition to grow the reputation and value of the industry. The Scotland Food and Drink Recovery Plan was launched in November 2020. This national recovery plan amplifies and accelerates the current core work of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership in delivering Ambition 2030. Critically though, it adds new catalyst actions to jump start and expediate the recovery.
NEW! The Academy
A new, market-focused and commercially orientated training programme for Scottish food and drink businesses has launched. The Academy, delivered by the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership, is focused on knowledge sharing, upskilling, innovating and succeeding. It’s fundamentally about delivering real change for long term growth for your business. No matter whether you’re a two person start up or a renowned, established brand The Academy can offer you the expertise you need to give your business the extra edge. Each of the three programmes has a specific focus for businesses at different stages on their growth journey.
Find out more about how The Academy training programmes can strengthen your skills and help you grow here.
Scotland Food and Drink
Scotland Food and Drink is the industry leadership organisation tasked with driving responsible growth for the sector and building Scotland’s global reputation as a Land of Food and Drink.
SFD is a membership organisation with over 440 members and they lead the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership, a collaborative partnership of the key industry organisations and public sector agencies working in the industry in Scotland.
The sector has strong ambitions for growth, and we are committed to working in collaboration with industry and the public sector in the Scotland Food and Drink Partnership to realise the ambitions set out in the national food and drink strategy ‘Ambition 2030’.
Supporting food and drink businesses to innovate and grow
Innovation is important to Scotland’s economy. Innovation in farming, fishing, food and drink is vital to empower Scotland’s food and drink businesses to respond to today’s consumer and market needs and to adapt to future challenges and opportunities.
Research shows that when a company innovates, they are twice as likely to grow and three times more likely to export successfully. Many companies are already making good use of the world-class research base on their doorstep.
Highland Food and Drink Innovation Network
The Highland Food and Drink Innovation Network supports food and drink companies across the region to promote and develop new collaborations, identify opportunities for growth, improve productivity and access new markets.
Through the network, we help increase innovation and the use of technology specific to businesses in the food and drink sector in the Highland region.
Isle of Harris Distillers
The first legal distillery in Harris produces multi-award winning gin
Meatsnacks
The Meatsnacks Group is the largest producer of jerky and biltong in Europe
Dunnet Bay Distillers
Find out about Dunnet Bay Distillery and the exporting journey the business has taken towards growth and international sales.
Support
Find out more about some of our other support.
