A message from Sarah Riddle, Principal Officer of SAIC

April 01, 2026

Today marks a new beginning for SAIC - one I’m pleased to share with everyone who has worked with us over the years.

From 1 April 2026, SAIC begins life as an independent organisation. We are now formally ‘Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Cluster Ltd.’ - but we’ll continue to be known simply as SAIC. This shift gives us greater freedom to focus entirely on the needs of the sector and to shape our work around the challenges and opportunities ahead.

We have a new address at the Life Sciences Innovation Centre in Inverness, although we’ll remain largely a remote team. Keeping our structure lean and agile allows us to maximise the support we provide across aquaculture, with a blend of part‑time and full‑time roles working flexibly across Scotland.

As we move into this new chapter, I want to express my sincere thanks to the University of Stirling for many years of partnership and support. While we are no longer formally connected, we will continue to draw on academic expertise from across Scotland as part of our collaborative approach.

Becoming fully independent also changes how we fund innovation. With new, long‑term investment secured, we can now take a more flexible approach, including direct company funding alongside the collaborative R&D projects SAIC is known for.

We know that this transition may prompt questions, so we’ve created a set of FAQs to explain what it all means in practice. We’re also hosting three online information session in April, where we’ll talk through the new model and answer questions. You can sign up using the link below.

What hasn’t changed is our commitment: supporting sustainable growth across Scottish aquaculture through high‑quality, applied innovation. I’m looking forward to beginning this next phase and to working with you to deliver meaningful progress for the sector.

Finally to mark this new chapter, we’re also unveiling a refreshed look and feel for SAIC, including updates across our website.

Sarah Riddle, Principal Officer, SAIC

My new email address is sarah@saicinnovation.org.uk