ONE SeedPod innovation hub for food and drink manufacturing ‘on track’ to open next year

Construction work on ONE SeedPod – the transformational industry innovation hub for Scotland’s food and drink industry is well underway.

Opportunity North East (ONE) is leading and delivering the Aberdeen City Region Deal innovation project to create the new space, facilities, programmes and entrepreneurial environment for a key growth sector of the economy on Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Craibstone Campus.

ONE SeedPod is a £27 million investment to enable manufacturing and production businesses to lead in innovation, productivity, sustainability, and developing foods of the future. To increase premium exports and create high-value jobs.

Robertson Construction is the main contractor, and ONE SeedPod is on schedule to be built by the end of this year with it due to open in early 2025.

Neil Freckingham, Opportunity North East food hub director, said:

“One SeedPod is a unique industry innovation hub for food and drink.”

“We are building a home for the entrepreneurial ecosystem to provide ambitious businesses with commercial facilities, sector expertise, growth support and industry connections under one roof.”

“It’ll be where high-growth new businesses benefit from food-safe manufacturing units to scale their production, entrepreneurial education and expert mentoring.”

“And where established companies grow through innovation, technology adoption, market and product development, and global consumer focus.”

Food and drink businesses and partners hailed the project as game-changing for the sector, which employs more than 22.000 people in north east Scotland with an annual turnover of £2.2 billion.

David Kilshaw OBE, who chairs the Food Hub (NES) board, said:

“The ONE SeedPod industry innovation hub will put food and drink businesses at the forefront of product and process innovation, low-carbon high-value manufacturing, as well as the development of premium markets for consumer-led foods of the future.

“The unique combination of commercial facilities, sector knowledge, insights and expert networks in ONE SeedPod will stimulate ambition, nurture the next generation of high-growth start-ups, and accelerate scale-up.”

“The hub sits at the heart of this significant food-producing region and will be a national asset for the sector.”