First Minister visits The James Hutton Institute’s Craigiebuckler campus for official launch of Hutton Hub
First Minister John Swinney visited The James Hutton Institute, Scotland’s pre-eminent interdisciplinary scientific research institute for the sustainable management of land, crop and nature resources, on Monday for the official launch of the Hutton Hub.
Based at the Hutton’s Craigiebuckler campus in Aberdeen, the Hub is a multi-million-pound development offering a space for academics, businesses and the public to work towards a just-transition to net zero through collaboration and cutting-edge technology.
Financed by the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund, the Macaulay Development Trust and the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Hub features top-of-the-range technology and facilities which are available for businesses and the public to hire.
The First Minister joined Hutton CEO Professor Colin Campbell and guests from Scotland’s business and academic communities for a tour of the facilities, which include two spacious lecture theatres, a podcasting suite, VR and augmented reality headsets, touchtables, a video and sound editing suite and an open science café where members of the public can drop by to grab a coffee and learn more about the Hutton’s research.
However, the highlight of the tour was the Hutton Hub’s 360-degree Immersive Suite, which is equipped with a media server, a games engine and surround sound – allowing for videos, graphics, models and simulated environments to be projected on all four walls in an all-encompassing experience.
In the Immersive Suite, the First Minister saw how the space can be used to simulate different scenarios, adding and removing elements. For example, he was shown a 360-degree presentation explaining how the Hutton’s Climate Positive Farming Initiative and given a demonstration of how the Suite can be used to run video games.
In addition to experiencing the ground-breaking technology, the First Minister learned about how biophilic design and recycled materials were used in the Hub’s construction to incorporate the Hutton’s ethos of sustainability and harmony with nature.
The Hutton plans to grow the Hub into a net-zero hotspot where businesses, community groups, researchers and spin-in/spin-out companies can work together on initiatives relating to net zero.
The First Minister said, “The James Hutton Institute is at the forefront of driving net zero innovation in Scotland, using expertise in science and technology to respond to the challenges posed by climate change. Supported by over £7 million of Scottish Government funding from the Just Transition Fund, the new Hutton Hub in Aberdeen will provide a state-of-the-art centre for scientific excellence for the north east, offering training and expanding capacity for green economic development.
“The Hub will create six new direct jobs and aims to support around 200 more across The James Hutton Institute and partner organisations. This shows that driving economic growth and tackling the climate emergency go hand-in-hand, helping create green jobs for the industries of the future.
“My government’s Climate Change Plan will be delivered to Parliament later this week, setting out how Scotland will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15 years. Businesses, of course, have a key role to play in this, and The James Hutton Institute is setting a strong example of how research institutes and companies can work together to maximise the opportunities presented by the transition to a greener economy.”
Professor Campbell added, “We are facing huge change in the future and, in order to get that change right and generate solutions which benefit everyone, it is essential that we find new ways to engage and collaborate. The Hutton Hub was created to bring people together in a way which stimulates ideas, innovation and consensus building – putting the ‘Just’ in Just Transition.”
