The Crown Estate and the University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) have struck a deal to work together to help people in the north benefit from green-energy developments.
Their memorandum of understanding is expected to lead to collaboration in areas such as training, marketing, innovation and research to support renewable-energy projects.
It builds on links between UHI and the Crown Estate, which manages a diverse land and marine portfolio across Scotland and also has the right to license offshore wind, wave and tidal-energy schemes.
Past joint initiatives include aquaculture and marine biofuel research projects with the Scottish Association for Marine Science UHI near Oban and, more recently, a research study into the behaviour of wild salmon in the Pentland Firth.
Gareth Baird, the Crown Estate’s Scottish commissioner, said the new agreement “further strengthens these existing working relationships and provides new opportunities for broader and more diverse ways of working together”.
UHI principal and vice-chancellor James Fraser said: “Working with the Crown Estate, we believe our highly trained staff and world-class researchers can play a key role in supporting the transformation of the Highlands and islands’ economy through the development of the renewable-energy industry.”
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