Projects

We channel our resources into the areas that will benefit the Scottish aquaculture sector the most, including reducing its environmental footprint and increasing its economic impact.

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Completed
Developing a recombinant gut antigen and evaluating its impact on adult sea lice: ImmuLice
Developing a recombinant gut antigen and evaluating its impact on adult sea lice: ImmuLice

The focus of this project was to explore the potential for a vaccine targeting the ad...

Completed
Improving seabed monitoring through standardised imaging and AI analysis: SEA-AI
Improving seabed monitoring through standardised imaging and AI analysis: SEA-AI

This project sought to determine how underwater imagery could be captured more effect...

Completed
Integrated biological remediation of aquaculture waste (UpCycle ‘N’)
Integrated biological remediation of aquaculture waste (UpCycle ‘N’)

This project explored an alternative approach to aquaculture waste management by deve...

Completed
Development and validation of welfare indicators for lumpfish in Scottish salmon farming
Development and validation of welfare indicators for lumpfish in Scottish salmon farming

This project aimed to create and validate lumpfish-specific operational welfare indic...

Completed
High-resolution ocean modelling for northern Scotland and the Shetland isles
High-resolution ocean modelling for northern Scotland and the Shetland isles

This project extends high-resolution harmful algal blooms (HABs) forecasting to the n...

Completed
From detection to forecast: tackling harmful algal blooms in Scottish aquaculture
From detection to forecast: tackling harmful algal blooms in Scottish aquaculture

This project delivered a fully operational early-warning system for harmful algal blo...

Completed
Improving harvests, preservation, and product diversification for Scottish kelp
Improving harvests, preservation, and product diversification for Scottish kelp

Kelp farming is an emerging industry in Scotland, offering sustainable solutions for...

Completed
Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor aquaculture impacts on hard substrate seabeds
Using 3D photogrammetry to monitor aquaculture impacts on hard substrate seabeds

This project sought to validate 3D photogrammetry as a regulatory tool for monitoring...

Completed
Evaluating CO₂-derived single-cell protein for sustainable fish feed
Evaluating CO₂-derived single-cell protein for sustainable fish feed

The ultimate goal of this project was to transform food production and supply chains...

Completed
Developing an early warning system for infectious sea lice with holographic imaging
Developing an early warning system for infectious sea lice with holographic imaging

This project has established a ground-breaking framework for automated sea lice larva...

Completed
Georeferenced 3D photogrammetry for monitoring the impact of aquaculture on hard seabeds (full R&D project)
Georeferenced 3D photogrammetry for monitoring the impact of aquaculture on hard seabeds (full R&D project)

This project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of cost-effective, high-precis...

Completed
SAVED: Validating models to predict and measure sea lice on salmon
SAVED: Validating models to predict and measure sea lice on salmon

Understanding sea lice behaviour, dispersion and control is vital for promoting susta...

Completed
Investigating influences on shell breakage in Scottish mussels
Investigating influences on shell breakage in Scottish mussels

Shell breakage has posed a persistent commercial challenge to the Scottish mussel ind...

Completed
Optimising vaccination formulations for Ballan wrasse
Optimising vaccination formulations for Ballan wrasse

The 'WraAs OptiVacc' project set out to assess the efficacy of multivalent dip vaccin...

Completed
INCREASE: Enhancing predictive models for organic waste dispersal
INCREASE: Enhancing predictive models for organic waste dispersal

The primary tool used in Scotland to model the dispersal of organic waste is NewDEPOM...

Completed
ExPAND in2 the Future: Realising the full capacity of the Scottish salmon industry
ExPAND in2 the Future: Realising the full capacity of the Scottish salmon industry

The ExPAND2 project brought together developers, researchers, and sector practitioner...

Completed
Connected Seafarm: Unlocking the value of data in aquaculture
Connected Seafarm: Unlocking the value of data in aquaculture

The ‘Connected Seafarm’ project aimed to transform aquaculture by leveraging digital...

Completed
Integrating avian protein products into salmon feed practices
Integrating avian protein products into salmon feed practices

The primary aim of this project was to drive change and address issues within the UK...

Completed
ZOEX: converting waves into energy for fish farming
ZOEX: converting waves into energy for fish farming

This project aimed to confirm whether mounting the ZOEX Wave Energy Converter (WEC) t...

Completed
Exploration of groutless rock anchors to support aquaculture infrastructure
Exploration of groutless rock anchors to support aquaculture infrastructure

Groutless technology has the potential to reduce the costs associated with traditiona...

Project facts
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Investment

Total value of SAIC-funded/co-funded collaborative research to date: £70.9m

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Partnership

SAIC-funded research spans 92 different industry/academic project partners.

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Projects

So far, SAIC has helped fund 100 collaborative research projects

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Leverage Rate

Quadrupling return on investment by generating over £4 in industry and third-party funding for every £1 of public money

Industry-academic collaborations

Some of our projects have a lifetime of less than one year, while others are longer-term, multi-partner collaborations of up to three and a half years. Each project unites industry know-how with specialist academic expertise; something that SAIC works hard to encourage by helping forge the necessary connections.

Priority innovation areas

Our work is focused on catalysing and co-funding innovation in the areas identified by the sector as being top priorities. We call them our priority innovation areas – or PIAs for short.

Over the years, the industry’s priorities for innovation have evolved. Therefore, so too have our PIAs. This helps ensure that we continue to deliver maximum benefit from the combined investment being made. SAIC's three PIAs are 1: Finfish health & welfare, 2: Unlocking sector capacity, and 3: Shellfish and other non-finfish species.