Construction at Ayrshire Innovation Park gets underway

The Ayrshire Innovation Park is set to transform the local economy into the next decade and beyond with job creation and business growth opportunities.

With a total acreage of almost 32 acres, the Innovation Park will be home to two Growth Deal projects, the Ayrshire Manufacturing Investment Corridor (AMIC) and the Ayrshire Engineering Park (AEP), which collectively will contribute over £272m to the local economy over a 25-year period. The construction phase will create 245 local jobs and a further 280 jobs will be created within the food, drink and engineering sectors.

Both projects have secured significant external funding - £25.5m from the Scottish Government, £13m from the UK Government, £6.4m from Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) and £4m from East Ayrshire Council.

Councillor Douglas Reid, leader of the East Ayrshire Council and chair of Ayrshire Regional Joint Committee, was joined by Richard Lochhead MSP, minister for business and employment and UK Government minister Kirsty McNeill to mark the start of works on the site.  

Councillor Douglas Reid said: “This is a big day not only for Kilmarnock, but Ayrshire as a whole as it represents a major milestone for the Ayrshire Growth Deal, and I’m delighted that our funding partners, both Scottish and UK Governments and SPEN, have joined us today. 

“Our long-term ambitions for the Ayrshire Growth Deal aim to attract new businesses, support the expansion of existing companies, create more jobs and bring new opportunities to the area and I’m confident that Ayrshire Innovation Park will achieve this and more.

“AIP will create job opportunities across a wide range of established and emerging sectors, including engineering and advanced manufacturing, with a particular focus on food manufacturing and production, and it will consolidate Ayrshire’s reputation as an attractive place to work, live and invest.

“This sustainable development will also incorporate transport links, public realm zones, walkways and open spaces which will deliver significant social benefits to the wider community.

“It is anticipated that the number of jobs created will exceed the projected figures due to high levels of initial interest in these units, bringing increased economic growth to the region. 

“Our Business Support team has already received enquiries from businesses looking to relocate here, demonstrating that there is a real demand for facilities like these and I’m really looking forward to seeing these long-anticipated plans become a reality.”

Business and employment minister Richard Lochhead said: “The Ayrshire Innovation Park represents a transformational investment in Scotland’s manufacturing and engineering capabilities. With Scottish Government backing of £25.5m, the development will create more than 500 jobs during construction and operation.

“By combining facilities for food production with advanced manufacturing space, the park will help local businesses grow, attract new investment to Ayrshire and strengthen Scotland’s reputation as a centre of industrial innovation.

“It is part of a wider £103m investment by the Scottish Government in the Ayrshire Growth Deal which aims to create 7,000 jobs and deliver real opportunities for communities across the region.”

UK Government Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill said: “It is great news that construction is now underway at the Ayrshire Innovation Park. The UK Government is investing £13m in this project - as part of our £103m commitment to the Ayrshire Growth Deal - delivering hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of pounds of economic benefits for the area.

“In total, the UK Government is investing more than £2 billion in dozens of important local and regional projects the length and breadth of Scotland over 10 years, bringing much-needed economic and community renewal.”

With Growth Deal funding to the tune of £26.5m, including £3m from the Building Digital Capital programme, the Ayrshire Manufacturing Investment Corridor (AMIC), will include the creation of a Centre of Excellence for the food and drink industry. This Centre will incorporate test and pilot kitchens for training and larger scale trials, butchery facilities and presentation areas.

The Ayrshire Engineering Park (AEP), with £16m of Growth Deal investment, will offer flexible high quality business space suitable for the advanced manufacturing and light engineering sectors to provide a pathway for business growth and expansion. 

Both developments will benefit from high-quality digital connectivity with a private 5G network, which will support critical business applications and with private sector funding of £6.4m from Scottish Power Energy Networks, AIP will also benefit from a significantly upgraded electrical network with new sub-stations being developed onsite.

Works will be carried out on a phased basis over the next three years, the first of which is now underway, with the construction of a new spine road and two new junctions around the Moorfield site. Heron Bros are the appointed contractors for the infrastructure phase and they will oversee these works until their completion in 2026. Construction of the industrial units and centre of excellence is expected to start in 2027.