A major drive to combat global challenges in the animal health, agritech and aquaculture sectors using digital technology will be revealed at A3 Scotland this September.
Interested participants are invited to sign up for the event which will see leaders from across the three sectors gathering at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness on the 18th and 19th of September 2024.
With around 200 global businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, academics and policy makers attending the event will create a unique opportunity for networking, to foster strategic partnerships, and explore collaboration and knowledge exchange opportunities arising from new digital technologies.
Last held in Edinburgh, A3 Scotland 2024 is hosted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).
Entitled ‘Transition to Digital – Fit for the Future’, key speakers at the conference include Richard Lochhead, Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade, Dennis Overton, Chair of West Highland based natural capital business Ardtornish and Sheila Voas, Chief Veterinary Officer of Scotland. Other speakers include Phil Bicknell, CEO at the UK Agri-tech Centre and Julie Fitzpatrick, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Scottish Government.
Topics at the gathering will range from AI, robotics and sensors to finance and funding opportunities available both in Scotland and overseas, focusing on global trends, challenges to adoption and regulatory issues.
Looking ahead to the conference, Stuart Black, Chief Executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise shared:
“We look forward to welcoming a local and international audience to Inverness to discuss how digital solutions can ensure the future growth and success of aquaculture, animal health and agriculture sectors. The A3 conference has been designed as a meeting place for businesses, investors, scientists and government officials to collaborate and share solutions and ideas.
“We are delighted to host this event in partnership with SRUC with whom we signed a collaboration agreement in March 2024. Working together enables us to bring our best thinking to bear and to achieve superior outcomes for the A3 sectors.
“I look forward to speaking to innovators, entrepreneurs and forward-thinking individuals at the conference.”
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said:
“The digitalisation of the aquaculture, animal health and agricultural industries has never been so important as challenges such as food security and climate change test the sectors and society. SRUC is delighted to be co-hosting this event with our partners Highlands and Islands Enterprise to encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange to grow and future proof businesses in the blue and green economies.
“We look forward to welcoming delegates and speakers from across the globe to Inverness. It’s fitting that they’ll also be given the opportunity to visit SRUC’s new Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC), which is forging new links between research and businesses developing products for the health, agriculture and aquaculture sectors.”
For further information about the A3 event and to register go to a3scotland.com or contact events@speak.co.uk.
MORE DETAILS
INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION
An international dimension will be provided at the conference with overviews of developments in LATAM, Africa, and Asia, featuring Federico Perez Wodtke, Regional Sector Lead in Agri-Tech at the British Embassy in Buenos Aires, Geoff Simm, Director of the Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems at the University of Edinburgh, and Anton Immink, CEO of global aquaculture development NGO ThinkAqua.
START UP SESSIONS
A start up and SME pitching session will also showcase some of the most innovative pioneers, ranging from new animal health and infection control systems to insect breeding and genetics, from livestock and data management to subsea production solutions and ultra-reliable communication infrastructure systems.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The event also represents a not-to-be-missed opportunity for new enterprises to attract funding with a range of investors in attendance including Patricia Barclay from the Funding Partnership, Paul Atkinson from Par Equity, Nicola McMillan from the High Growth Spin Out Programme at Scottish Enterprise, Gillian Galloway, Head of Innovation at HIE, Alex Lusty, Head of Operations & Compliance at angel investment syndicate Equity Gap and Howard Tang, CEO of Peritus Capital. There will also be the opportunity to meet with some of our funders and investors during 15 minute clinics.
International funding opportunities are represented by Helen Sweeney, the UK National Contact Point at Innovate UK and Kathryn Miller, Senior Innovation Programme Manager at EIT Food at EIT Food – the event’s Gold Sponsor.
EIT Foods is the world’s largest and most dynamic agri-food innovation community which invests in projects, organisations and individuals to build a future-fit agri-food system that can produce healthy and sustainable food for all. Other sponsors include UK Agri-Tech Centre, Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutions (SEFARI), Innovate UK BridgeAI and Scottish Enterprise.
FRINGE EVENTS
In addition to the main programme, delegates will be able to take part in a series of free fringe events taking place in and around Inverness Campus on the 17th of September. These will include tours of the Campus and the Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC) as well as bite-size fringe events. The day will culminate in a Civic Reception Buffet held at Inverness Town House to welcome attendees to the conference ahead of its start. Friday 20th September will see the final day of the event programme offer a trip to a MOWI facility for young salmon to learn about its world-leading approach to sustainable aquaculture, and Corrimony Farm to discover the exciting new technologies being employed across virtual fencing, electronic tagging and renewable energy.
BACKGROUND
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) is a public land based research institution focused on agriculture and life sciences, formed in 2012 on the merger Scottish Agricultural College, Barony College, Elmwood College and Oatridge College. SRUC has six campuses in Aberdeen, Ayr, Barony, Elmwood, King’s Buildings and Oatridge, offering courses relating to land and natural resources, from further education to postgraduate level. The Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC) is SRUC’s new £12.5m facility developing new links between science and industry to help address planetary health challenges and grow the natural economy. More information here: https://www.sruc.ac.uk
Highlands and Islands Enterprise is the Scottish Government’s economic and community development agency for a region covering more than half of Scotland, including more than 90 inhabited islands. The organisation works with communities, enterprises, and stakeholders to unlock the region’s potential for growth and progress, while driving fair work and net zero practices. HIE’s purpose is to build and sustain a greener, fairer and more resilient region that benefits everyone. It offers support and investment to a wide range of projects that deliver on its priorities, which include a growing workforce, increased productivity, innovation and wages, and a just transition to net zero. For more information, visit http://www.hie.co.uk
Inverness Campus is a 215-acre site developed by HIE as a world-class business location to encourage research and development in the field of life sciences. Providing the perfect place to collaborate and innovate, it brings together businesses, researchers, academia and scientists. In addition to many commercial enterprises, the Campus is home to Inverness College, Scotland’s Rural College and the University of the Highlands and Islands. The site is designated as an enterprise area by the Scottish Government and part of it also lies within the boundary of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport. More information here: https://www.invernesscampus.co.uk
