A state-of-the art new business space was officially marked as complete today (Tuesday) at one of Ayrshire’s major sites for business and industry – i3 in Irvine. The i3 Enterprise area, plays a key role in supporting economic growth, primarily through Ayrshire Growth Deal funding. Investment at the site is focused on delivering modern, flexible workspace to support local businesses, attract inward investment and create jobs. Councillor Tony Gurney, Leader of North Ayrshire Council, carried out duties to mark the completion of the first phase of the i3 Flexible project at the new premises on Tuesday. This new generation of industrial property is an 18,000 square feet unit with yard space that incorporates sustainable and low carbon components and features: The building has already been marketed for lease and the first tenant is expected to be confirmed soon. The building forms part of the i3 Advanced Manufacturing Flexible Space Programme…
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A local housing development in Cumnock is the first project to benefit from the innovative CoRE project (Community Renewable Energy) as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal. Works have started at Meagher Court in Cumnock to retrofit three entire blocks of flats into a modern, low-carbon, energy efficient housing development as part of a demonstrator project for CoRE. CoRE project is funded with £17 million from the UK Government and £7.5 million from East Ayrshire Council as part of the £251 million Ayrshire Growth Deal, a 10-year investment programme jointly funded by the UK and Scottish governments and the three Ayrshire local authorities. With an investment of £3.95m from Ayrshire Growth Deal for energy efficiency measures, the Meagher Court project includes whole building retrofit insulation, external and internal upgrades, solar PV array with battery storage, as well as decarbonisation to three blocks of flats, utilising a ground source heat pump…
A brand new course – funded by the Ayrshire Growth Deal – was launched on Monday to provide a unique opportunity for six unemployed people to be trained to the international welding standard. The IGNITE Welding Course, a transformative training initiative delivered in partnership with industry leaders J&D Pierce (Contracts) Ltd, has been funded through the Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund as part of the wider Ayrshire Growth Deal. This intensive program aims to tackle a skills shortage by providing six unemployed individuals from across the region with the elite training required to become “Coded Welders”. The IGNITE program is designed to bridge the gap between unemployment and high-skilled industrial roles. Over the coming weeks, participants will undergo rigorous training at J&D Pierce’s state-of-the-art facility in Glengarnock, one of the UK’s largest and most advanced structural steelwork engineering sites. On successful completion of the course participants will have the opportunity to…
Last month Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of East Ayrshire Council assumed the role of Chair of the Ayrshire Joint Economic Committee – the regional decision-making body governing the Ayrshire Growth Deal and the Regional Economic Strategy. In this piece he shares his thoughts and hopes for the Growth Deal over the coming months. “It’s a real honour to be taking on this role and to represent the region, our partners and investors and to support all that is happening in Ayrshire from an economic perspective. “In Ayrshire we have well-established partnership working arrangements with our neighbouring authorities in North and South Ayrshire, and the Ayrshire Regional Economic Joint Committee provides the governance for these. “The Growth Deal has enjoyed some recent successes with pan-Ayrshire projects – as our recently published annual report will testify – particularly with the Community Wealth Building Programme, which has supported over 1150 local businesses and safeguarded over…
Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund supporting vital skills for business in the Region The £3.5 million Ayrshire Growth Deal project was launched at the end of October 2023 to help employers grow and develop their employees and increase skills for Ayrshire residents, linking them to growth sectors and employment opportunities. An aerospace engineering course will be starting in August 2025 as part of the innovative Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund (ASIF) delivered by Ayrshire College who are recruiting for an aerospace engineering course that will help applicants gain essential skills for a fulfilling career in the aerospace industry The 12-week course at the Ayr Campus – which starts on 25 August 2025 – will provide hands-on training and valuable insights and experience of an industry that’s growing across Ayrshire. During the 12 weeks, participants will gain essential skills for a fulfilling career in aeronautical engineering and hands-on training and valuable insights and…
AMBITOUS plans to develop marine tourism in Cumbrae have taken a significant step forward. North Ayrshire Council has received confirmation that the Scottish Government support the principle of the development of a marina on the island, following the approval of an initial business case for the programme. The marina proposal is a key component of the Ayrshire Growth Deal and being supported by £9.5 million investment from the Scottish Government into a Marine Tourism Programme at the Isles of Cumbrae and Arran. Funding worth £4.5m has been allocated to the Millport Project. The local authority has now appointed Wallace Stone Consulting Civil Engineers as the marina project Principal and Integrated Design Team to develop the marina design, apply for permissions and consents and assess the environmental impact of the marina. The Cumbrae marina proposal has been enabled by the Millport Flood Protection Scheme rock armour breakwater that has created a…
New Digital Process Manufacturing Centre unlocks emerging technology for Scottish industry A new centre designed to support process manufacturing industries with next-generation technologies was officially opened in North Ayrshire today (27 February 2025), fuelling economic growth and helping to position the region as a leader in smart manufacturing and digital skills. The Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DMPC) is part of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and will give process manufacturing businesses access to digital and data driven manufacturing expertise, enabling them to innovate and adopt new technology in a low-risk environment. Artificial intelligence, robotics, digital data management, and virtual and augmented reality are among the tools that will be available to trial at the centre. The DPMC facility is funded in part through the £251 million Ayrshire Growth Deal, which includes £103 million from UK Government, a further £103 million from Scottish Government and £45.5 million from Council partners,…
Work starts on Great Harbour Growth Deal project WORK on the ambitious project that is set to transform Irvine’s Harbourside area is officially underway. The £14 million Ayrshire Growth Deal investment in the area has kicked off with work on the first phase now started. The project is being supported with £9 million from the Scottish Government. The ‘Great Harbour’ is a key component of the £251m Ayrshire Growth Deal and one of the most ambitious and transformational regeneration tourism proposals for the region. Contractors McLauglin Construction are carrying out the first phase works – called the ‘Coastal Hub’ – which will include the development of a themed regional playpark. A skatepark is also being constructed, while there will be repairs to the Pilot House building and new landscaped park setting that reflects the coastal location, improved active travel connections and the re-lining of the Beach Drive car park to…