HERC Case Studies
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University of Edinburgh: Usher Institute Building
In 2022-23, the University of Edinburgh allocated £15 million of its HERC allocation towards the new Usher Institute building in Edinburgh’s BioQuarter. This was followed in the next financial year with a further £7.8 million HERC investment into the project.
The Usher Institute has four core research centres in Biomedicine; Self and Society, Global Health, Medical Informatics and Population Health Sciences. The Institute works with university partners both in the UK and internationally as well as with the NHS, policymakers, industry and the public.
The new building, which opened in 2024, co-locates the Usher Institute with a community of partners from the public, private and third sectors – including small and medium-sized enterprises and health and care providers. Their shared purpose is the development of data-enabled solutions to benefit health and wellbeing.
University of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews allocated £500,000 of its HERC allocation over 2023-24 and 2024-25 to install new laboratories, including a new bat colony room to support work of the Neurogenetics of Vocal Communication Research Group.
The Group studies the genetics of vocal communication in mammals, as a way to understand the evolution and biological basis of human speech and language. Its research program is pioneering the use of bats as the first tractable mammalian model of vocal learning in which it is possible to explore the neuro-genetic underpinnings of this complex behavioural trait.
This highly interdisciplinary approach aims to answer fundamental questions about how vocal learning evolved, how it is biologically encoded, and inform our understanding of human spoken language and language disorders.
University of Strathclyde
In 2024-25 University of Strathclyde allocated over £1.7 million of its HERC grant towards the development of an integrated research facility Advanced Net Zero Innovation Centre (ANZIC) with a total cost £8.9 million.
The co-location of capabilities that support the design, manufacture, integration, and testing of decarbonization products will allow the acceleration of the technology and the users of the facility to gain a competitive advantage in new supply chains.
At an economic level, the gross value added (GVA) provided by the UK’s power electronics, machines and drives industry is currently £7 billion. The UK Government forecasts this to rise to £80 billion by 2050, dominated by the growth in Aerospace, Industry and Energy sectors.
ANZIC will allow large industrial organisations to bring together supply chains under one facility, and develop technology and products that enable the supply chain companies to maximize the potential growth in demand.
The combination of manufacturing, lightweighting and high-power testing also positions ANZIC favourably in the rapidly growing Hydrogen space. Significant public and private funds are being invested in a range of hydrogen projects across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
SFC Strategic Plan 2022-27
Building a connected, agile, sustainable tertiary education and research system for Scotland.