Ayrshire is in a strong position to sustain long-term digital growth, economic resilience and competitiveness thanks to their participation in the 5G Innovation Project. The region received £4.4million from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) team in 2024 to become one of ten 5G Innovation Regions (5GIR) across the UK. And a report, commissioned to assess the impact of the 5G Innovation Region Project, says the funding and support has positioned Ayrshire at the forefront of digital technology. The report highlights how the 5GIR programme has not only helped create new digital systems across key businesses and sites in Ayrshire but also helped bring together public, private and academic partners to support long-term digital growth, collaboration and innovation across the region. Some of the other highlights of the project include: This enhanced connectivity at key locations such as Ayr Low Green, Dean Castle Country Park and…
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North and East Ayrshire Councils have launched a new Shared Economic Development Service, as part of a coordinated approach to delivering economic priorities across the region. The new shared service has been designed to support delivery of the Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy, the Ayrshire Growth Deal, and future regional economic priorities. By working together, the councils are positioning Ayrshire more strongly to attract, secure and maximise future funding opportunities. The Shared Economic Development Service will bring together key economic functions including economic policy, business support, tourism, digital renewal and Ayrshire Growth Deal delivery. This collaborative approach will enhance strategic leadership, capacity and resilience, while reducing duplication and providing a more consistent, joined-up offer to businesses, communities and partners across Ayrshire’s economy. The new service will come into effect on 1 June 2026 and will be led by newly appointed Regional Economic Director, Louise Kirk, currently Head of Service for Economic…
East Ayrshire Council has launched a new vocation training programme as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal’s ambitions to upskill residents in Cumnock and Doon Valley, enabling them to access employment in the emerging electric vehicle and hydrogen automotive sector. The pilot project is a key component of the Community Renewable Energy project (CoRE) which will develop new skills pathways in creating a pipeline of skilled individuals aligned to the needs of local employers, who have identified a shortage of skills in this sector. The first of these training sessions took place this week at Emergency One in Cumnock, with nine mechanics from local garages working alongside staff from Emergency One to gain accredited EV qualifications. Further sessions are planned throughout March that would see as many as 30 local mechanics gaining much sought-after skills and qualifications in the high growth sustainable transport sector. Pupils from Robert Burns and Doon…
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…
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…