National Innovation Week celebrates Scotland’s Tech and Enterprise Ecosystem
From 22-26 September, world-leading experts and entrepreneurs from Scotland’s technology, science and enterprise ecosystem are joining forces to showcase the brightest and best of Scottish innovation for the Scottish Government’s National Innovation Week 2025.
The National Robotarium, the UK’s centre for robotics and Artificial Intelligence at Heriot-Watt University, is part of a number of initiatives that have been highlighted as pioneers in transformative technologies and industries of the future.
£5 million for advanced manufacturing
Scotland’s first National Innovation Week kicked-off at The National Robotarium with an announcement of £5 million investment package for high-growth and high-innovation industries.
Minister for Business Richard Lochhead MSP with Business Development Manager Lisa Farrell during a tour of the facility for Scotland’s National Innovation Week 2025
Minister for Business, Richard Lochhead MSP visited the facility to explore the latest robotics technologies and hear from Business Development Manager Lisa Farrell how the Scottish and UK Government’s initial investment into The National Robotarium has yielded much success in driving forward new technological solutions, as well as stimulating economic growth through its business acceleration programme. Following the tour, the Minister announced the new £5m funding package to bolster Scotland’s cutting-edge innovation industries, including more than £2m of support for new market clusters set out in Scotland’s Innovation Strategy, encompassing space, robotics and critical technologies like semiconductors and quantum systems.
Read more on The Scottish Government website.
Borderlands Deep Tech Accelerator Hub announces partners
The National Robotarium was named as a key delivery partner in a new Deep Tech Accelerator Hub being launched in the Scottish Borders.
Led by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), the new Hub – based at Borders College Hawick campus – will empower businesses in the South of Scotland to harness the potential of robotics, space, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep tech, driving innovation in key sectors and supporting the emergence of new industries.
Borders College Hawick Campus | New STEM, ECO Room education learning centre | Photo Phil Wilkinson
The focus of the Hub will be to support innovation, growth, scale-up, and new business in key industries including textiles, agriculture, manufacturing and in Natural Capital. The Hub will also offer entrepreneurial support, pre and start up support, and provide a Research & Development space featuring a living lab.
It will also have expert technical support for companies who want to test how robotics and deep tech could benefit their businesses.
As well as The National Robotarium, other key partners include Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Glasgow School of Art, and BE-ST, Scotland’s national innovation centre for construction and the built environment.
Stewart Miller, CEO of The National Robotarium, said:
“This is a very exciting time for deep-tech companies in Scotland with opportunities – like the Deep Tech Accelerator Hub and the recently announced Deep Tech Growth programme – rapidly accelerating to allow our innovative tech companies anchor and scale right here in Scotland.
“Deep tech is going to affect all our lives – and therefore strategic support and industry investment has to go beyond the central belt.
“As CEO of the UK’s National Robotarium, we are working with SOSE to enable the South of Scotland to not only benefit from transformational technologies like robotics, but to also be a driving force in their development, ensuring deep-tech advancement is equitable and fully impactful.”
Converge – Innovation Unlocked
The National Robotarium and Converge, Scotland’s national entrepreneurial programme for the university sector, have highlighted the critical need for ‘innovation pathways’ to fast-track new technologies from early-concept to global commercialisation.
The organisations have joined together to demonstrate how a joined-up approach to entrepreneurship can accelerate innovation and delivery significant economic and societal benefit. One example of that success is Bioliberty, a robotics start-up that is poised to revolutionise the rehabilitation and physical therapy sector leveraging soft robotics, gamification and AI.
Bioliberty have created Lifeglov for patient rehabilitation
From their shared home at Heriot-Watt University, Converge and The National Robotarium have each supported the medtech company as it evolved from a University of Edinburgh start-up into a business with global ambitions.
CTO and co-founder, Ross O’Hanlon understands the value of structured innovation support.
“As engineering graduates with an early-stage idea, we truly didn’t know what we didn’t know” says Ross, “so Converge helped to fill in those gaps with essential business training and support. The initial funding was also crucial in launching the business and preparing us for the next steps”.
Having successfully navigated the early stages of launching a business with Converge, Bioliberty then found its natural home at the National Robotarium, accessing office space, labs and specialist equipment to rapidly advance their innovative Lifehub Clinic technology. Now with FDA registration complete and flagship products ready, Bioliberty is partnering with top US rehabilitation institutions to revolutionise patient care.
Read the full story on the Converge website.
