Assessing the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster (SAIC): Fairer Scotland Duty summary

Fairer Scotland Duty summary

Title of policy, strategy or programme

Assessing the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster

Summary of aims and expected outcomes of strategy, proposal, programme or policy

The objective of this proposal is to establish the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster as an independent entity to support innovation, productivity and resilience within Scotland’s aquaculture sector. The policy seeks to:

• Improve access to innovation support and collaboration
• Accelerate the adoption of best practice and new technologies
• Strengthen the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector
• Support economic resilience in rural and island communities where aquaculture activity is concentrated.

The proposal is expected to affect:

Directly:

• Aquaculture businesses (finfish and shellfish)
• Micro and small enterprises, particularly in rural and island areas
• Supply chain businesses linked to aquaculture

Indirectly:

• Rural and island communities that rely on aquaculture employment may experience positive economic spillovers, but impacts are indirect and enabling rather than redistributive.

No protected characteristic group is expected to experience adverse effects.

Any contribution to reducing socio-economic inequality would be indirect, arising from strengthened economic stability in rural and island communities, sustained employment in areas where aquaculture is a significant employer.

The proposal does not directly target socio economic disadvantage or redistribute resources. Its impact on inequalities of outcome is therefore expected to be indirect and enabling in nature.

Summary of evidence

Available evidence indicates that aquaculture activity is concentrated in rural and island communities, some of which experience higher levels of economic fragility compared to urban areas. These areas may face:

• Geographic isolation
• Reduced access to specialist services and innovation networks
• Higher transport and operational costs
• More limited economic diversification

In addition, a proportion of aquaculture businesses, particularly within the shellfish sector, operate at micro or small enterprise scale, which may limit internal capacity to invest in innovation or research and development.

However, there is no evidence that innovation support in this policy area currently causes socio-economic inequality. Rather, existing inequalities are linked to structural geographic and economic factors.

The establishment of SAIC is intended to support sector productivity and resilience and is not expected to exacerbate existing inequalities of outcome.

Evidence from UK and international aquaculture innovation programmes suggests that coordinated, sector-focused innovation support can have positive impacts on productivity, collaboration and resilience.

In Scotland the old SAIC has funded collaborative R&D projects between industry and academia aimed at improving productivity, fish health, environmental performance and technological adoption. Evaluations of innovation centre models more broadly indicate that such approaches can strengthen knowledge exchange and accelerate uptake of new technologies

The available evidence provides a strong understanding of:

• The geographic distribution of aquaculture activity
• The sector’s economic importance in rural and island communities
• The size profile of businesses across finfish and shellfish production

However there are some evidence gaps:

• Limited disaggregated data linking aquaculture innovation access to socio-economic status of individuals
• Limited data on differential participation in innovation support by protected characteristics.
• Limited real-time data on barriers experienced specifically by micro and small aquaculture enterprises in accessing innovation networks.

As the proposal is enabling and voluntary in nature and does not introduce regulatory change, these gaps are not considered to undermine the assessment that no adverse impacts are anticipated.

Monitoring arrangements post-implementation can provide ongoing evidence and identify any emerging access issues.

Summary of assessment findings

Although SAIC, is a voluntary enabling innovation and funding body for aquaculture businesses, the following options could enhance inclusivity and reduce barriers for smaller or more remote enterprises, thereby indirectly supporting equitable outcomes:

• Accessible engagement and communication by offering online engagement options to reduce travel barriers and providing clear guidance and outreach for micro and small enterprises.
• Targeted support for under-represented businesses via regional or island drop-in sessions to ensure remote businesses are aware of opportunities.
• Monitoring and feedback mechanisms by collecting anonymised data on participation and using feedback to adjust programme delivery to improve access for smaller or geographically isolated businesses

SAIC does not directly target individuals or households, the programme could be adjusted to reduce structural barriers for small or geographically isolated businesses, which indirectly supports equitable outcomes across communities and places. These could be done via geographic access adjustments, targeted support measures.

Sign off

Name: Malcolm Pentland

Job title: Deputy Director – Marine Economy & Communities

Date: 03/03/2026