During his visit, the minister toured EastWorks and Innovation Shawfield, two landmark developments within the Clyde Gateway Innovation area that are transforming former industrial land into a thriving hub for high-value manufacturing, innovation and green growth.

The minister also met with representatives from HyImpulse, a pioneering space launch company, to discuss their plans to grow their business within the Clyde Gateway area. The company outlined their ambitions to expand operations and contribute to the region’s innovation ecosystem, recognising Clyde Gateway as a strategic location for future investment and development.

The visit coincides with Clyde Gateway’s new 10-year Business Case (2028–2037), which includes a bold plan to attract £500 million of additional investment, deliver 1,400 new jobs, and create over 1 million square feet of new business space. The programme also aims to remediate the remaining 63 hectares of brownfield land, complete a further 3,000 new homes, and achieve a 60–80% reduction in operational carbon emissions across the Clyde Gateway estate by 2037.

Clyde Gateway’s current development pipeline includes Innovation Shawfield, with the first two units completing in July 2025, supported by £14.6m of UK Government funding, and XWorks, a High Value Manufacturing facility in Dalmarnock that will provide modern, flexible workspace for Scotland’s growing innovation sectors.

Since its creation in 2008, Clyde Gateway has led one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration programmes, delivering:

• 287 hectares of derelict and contaminated land remediated (82% of its 20-year target)
• Over 4,000 new homes
• 160,000 sqm of new business space
• A 60% increase in GVA between 2008 and 2022, compared to 46.3% across the Glasgow City Region and 49.4% in Glasgow City overall.
• 33% increase in business growth between 2015 and 2023, compared to 9.3% across the Glasgow City Region and 15.4% in Glasgow City overall

Martin McKay, chief executive of Clyde Gateway, said: “Clyde Gateway’s impact has been built on a culture of delivery, transforming vacant and derelict land into thriving neighbourhoods and creating opportunities for people and business. Our proposed 10-year Business Case marks the next exciting phase of that journey. With Innovation Shawfield progressing at pace and XWorks set to break ground early next year, we are continuing to demonstrate that place-based regeneration can deliver real and lasting economic impact.”

Blair McDougall MP, minister for small business and economic transformation, said: “Clyde Gateway is a partnership demonstrating the type of ambition for economic growth that we are seeking to stimulate even further with the UK Government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

“By channelling investments into key growth sectors like manufacturing and clean energy, we are boosting business opportunities, creating jobs and turbocharging growth across all regions and nations of the UK.”