Glasgow: A City Region Building on its Innovation & Knowledge Economy

Uniquely, Glasgow and the city region is home to 3 innovation districts: Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS), Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID) and Glasgow City Innovation District (GCID).

Glasgow is a recognised knowledge base which ranks in the top 10 in Europe or top 25 globally for the quality of its education and cultural provision. The Glasgow City Region’s universities and colleges generate high levels of industry collaboration, world-leading research, company spin-outs and student satisfaction.

Now leveraging this knowledge economy Glasgow is meeting head-on the challenges of the 21^st century. Our “innovation corridor” - led by the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde - constitutes a platform whose depth, breadth and scale ranks it as a location of Scottish, UK and international significance.

Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMIDS)

Situated in Renfrewshire and adjacent to Glasgow Airport, AMIDS is Scotland’s home of manufacturing innovation. This emerging centre of excellence is crucial to national and international efforts to balance manufacturing requirements while meeting net zero commitments. AMIDS is home to the headquarters facility of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland and the UK’s first Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre.

Glasgow Riverside Innovation District (GRID)

Anchored by the University of Glasgow and situated principally in the West End, GRID brings together industry, academia and healthcare to translate science and healthcare innovations into clinical settings. A new Health Innovation Hub is being built in Govan as part of the new Clyde Waterfront Innovation Campus.

Glasgow City Innovation District (GCID)

GCID was Scotland’s first innovation district and is a global hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration. With a distinctly urban feel it’s located in Glasgow city centre and is blended with the University of Strathclyde campus. The area is home to four Scottish Innovation Centres (The Data Lab, Digital Health & Care, CENSIS & IBioIC) and five UK Catapults (Offshore Renewable Energy, Space Applications, Connected Places, Energy Systems & High Value Manufacturing).

Each innovation district has distinct real estate requirements but share the need for new industrial infrastructure, specifically wet and dry labs and flexible, collaborative working space. As a priority, Glasgow is seeking to engage with investors and development partners to help rebuild our industrial asset base, in particular new lab facilities. Both new-build and adaptation of existing buildings will be considered. 

• If you want to know more please join us at UKREiiF 2024 for Glasgow: A City Region Building on its Innovation and Knowledge Economy
  Tuesday, 21 May
  09:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
  Royal Armouries, Cinema Stage