Official opening of Energy Development Centre

The Energy Development Centre (EDC), funded by Scottish Enterprise (SE), was unveiled today at an opening ceremony led by MSP and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, Mr John Swinney.

The EDC aims to boost research and development among growing companies in the North East. It is located on the Aberdeen Science and Energy Park at the gateway to Energetica – Aberdeen City and Shire’s unique project to create a global technology, lifestyle and leisure corridor stretching from Bridge of Don to Peterhead.  As a flagship project for ACSEF the public/private sector economic development partnership, Energetica is a direct result of the realisation that the Aberdeen City and Shire economy needs to anchor its global expertise in oil and gas whilst also recognising the opportunities in marine renewable energy in particular.   

The £5 million EDC is one of nine multi-occupancy properties made available by SE and offers 12 self contained office/R&D business units ranging in size from 144m2 to 322m2.   A second phase comprising a further 15 units will be developed by the private sector as part of a new Joint Venture being established to own, manage and develop the Science Parks.  

The two Aberdeen Science Parks – the Science and Energy Park and the Science and Technology Park - offer dynamic business environments with high quality research and development facilities and office space. They have generated a thriving culture of collaboration and networking among the operating companies. The purpose of the Parks is to support the growth of technology companies engaged in research and innovation for the wider benefit of the Scottish economy.  At present there are 125 companies located on the Parks, the majority of which are active in the energy sector. The Parks currently support over 2500 high value jobs and the aim is to double this figure by 2015. The Science and Energy Park is home to the UK’s largest cluster of energy technology firms.

The EDC project is a strong example of the work being done by Scottish Enterprise to work with Scotland’s most ambitious companies to help them grow and ultimately create better jobs, inward investment and global opportunities. It highlights Scottish Enterprise’s drive to concentrate on projects of scale which can make a measurable impact on the economy. It also demonstrates the way SE helps improve the business environment for companies by developing high quality infrastructure that will help Scotland’s key sectors become more competitive. Successful research and development projects are crucial in addressing the long-term challenges facing the North East’s energy sector and will play a significant role in maximising the region’s resources and expertise.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: 

“The Energy Development Centre is yet another tool in the box to help attract more energy companies to Aberdeen and the North East. Scotland’s natural resources and our people are world class assets. Along with the newly opened Scottish European Green Energy Centre, we are putting high quality facilities in place for the North East to help fuel our goal of a low carbon economy, with thousands of new green energy jobs in the coming decades. I look forward to seeing further progress in the coming months at the Energy Development Centre.”

David Littlejohn, Director of Industries and Infrastructure, Scottish Enterprise said: “The EDC will help grow companies in all areas of the energy sector.  It will provide them with access to state of the art accommodation and facilities to boost research and development  in a location that boasts an international reputation for technological excellence and innovation. This Centre marks another step forward in positioning Aberdeen City and Shire, and Scotland,  as a global energy hub, that looks beyond the North Sea and puts us at the forefront of alternative technologies as well as maintaining Aberdeen’s expertise in offshore oil and gas.”

Norwegian cased-hole logging company, TecWel, was the first company to move into the Energy Development Centre at the beginning of June.

TecWel UK was established exactly a year ago with oil and gas specialist, Chris Nussbaum as its CEO.  It is celebrating a year of success, and its first birthday, by relocating to bigger, customised premises at the EDC.

"The EDC is ideally located at the Science and Energy Park," he says, "a perfect location for technology-based companies like TecWel.  It provides us with high-quality office, workshop and laboratory space, and our neighbours will be similarly-focused growth companies in all areas of the energy sector.

"Our clients are based in the UKCS as well as Denmark and the Netherlands so the good road and rail transport infrastructure is important; and we are close to the airport for our international business trips."