The Agri-Tech & Climate-Tech Innovation Summit

19 March 2026 | James Hutton Institute | 10.00 - 3.00

The Innovation Summit brings together senior leaders from government, funding bodies, investment groups, universities and industry to take part in a strategic conversation about the future of agri-tech and climate-tech innovation in Scotland.

Anchored by the James Hutton Institute and its world-leading research and facilities, this Summit forms part of a wider ambition to strengthen Scotland as a nationally and internationally significant hub for agri-tech and climate-tech innovation.

At the Summit we’ll share an update on the work underway across the sector, including the submission of a proposal for the UKRI Local Innovation Partnership Fund, which builds on early insights and opportunities emerging from the Wayfinder programme, funded through the Scottish Government Ecosystem Fund.

The focus of the day is to facilitate a structured conversation about how we collectively:

shape the vision for a vibrant, agri-tech and climate-tech innovation ecosystem,
address the systemic challenges related to translating research into scalable ventures,
identify practical ways organisations and individuals play an active role in building the ecosystem.

Alongside these discussions, selected early-stage commercial opportunities from across agri-tech and climate-tech will be shared to illustrate the breadth and depth of the emerging innovation pipeline.

By invitation only

Attendance is by invitation only. Numbers are intentionally limited to enable meaningful dialogue.
Contact rachel@jhiinnovationhub.com to register interest.

About the James Hutton Institute

The Hutton is Scotland’s leading centre for integrated research in food, land, and natural resource systems. With over 100 years of scientific excellence and 3,500 hectares of cutting-edge facilities, our multidisciplinary teams work at the intersection of agriculture, environment, and technology to deliver impact from lab to field to market.

Our vision: The innovation campus & incubator

We are creating a world-class innovation campus that will:

Support spinouts and spin-ins, creating new companies and jobs.
Provide infrastructure, talent, and investor connections to bridge startup to scale-up.
Position Scotland as a global hub for high-growth ventures in agri-tech and clima-tech.
Attract significant investment and international recognition.

Long-term goals:

100+ jobs created on site.
20+ organisations co-located and collaborating.
£100m+ leveraged investment.
Carbon-neutral operations by 2040.
Top 10 European hub in agri-environmental science.
Diverse leadership with 50% women and 20% underrepresented groups in top positions.