First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP was in Aberdeen yesterday to unveil a new facility to drive innovation and help unlock the full potential of the UK North Sea.

The First Minister joined industry and civic leaders for the official opening of the Oil & Gas Technology Centre’s Innovation Hub, a collaboration environment designed to help innovators take their concepts from initial inspiration to final implementation.

The Hub is working in partnership with the industry and technology providers to develop breakthrough solutions, connecting problems with solutions and solutions with problems.

It is designed to bring the outside in, sharing thinking and ideas from other industrial sectors and showcasing new solutions, enabling visitors to learn about the latest developments and get hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies.

The Hub has a programme of innovation events and workshops with expert facilitation, bringing together leading academics and recognised experts from industries beyond oil and gas to help generate new concepts and ideas.

Supporting the Oil & Gas Technology Centre’s goals to unlock the potential of UK North Sea, anchor the supply chain in North-East Scotland and create a culture of innovation in the region, the Hub will promote collaboration and create new innovation networks.

It will also be used to inspire the next generation of innovators in partnership with schools, colleges and universities across the region, helping define and create the skills required for the technology-enabled future of the oil and gas industry.

The Oil & Gas Technology Centre worked with a range of North-East companies to create the Innovation Hub, from its main construction partner, architects and quantity surveyor, to its technology installer and caterer.

With £180 million funding from the UK and Scottish Governments (split 50:50), the Centre accelerates and funds technology innovation, co-investing in industry-led projects that take new technologies from early stage concept through to deployment in the oil field.

The Hub has a programme of innovation events and workshops with expert facilitation, bringing together leading academics and recognised experts from industries beyond oil and gas to help generate new concepts and ideas.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister said: “The Oil & Gas Technology Centre has made fantastic progress since opening its doors in February of this year. The new Hub aims to be the engine for innovation in the UK oil and gas industry.

“The state-of-the-art facility will speed up deployment of new technologies to help unlock the full potential of the North Sea, and cement Aberdeen’s reputation as a global centre for innovation and technology development.

“The Hub’s potential is being embraced by an ever-increasing number of companies. They recognise its important role in addressing industry problems and how it can explore oil and gas relevant applications of technology adopted in other industries, such as renewables.”