Digital Transition Tops The Bill At A3 Scotland 2024

6th August 2024

A major drive to combat global challenges in the animal health, agritech and aquaculture sectors using digital technology will be revealed at A3 Scotland this September.

Interested participants are invited to sign up for the event which will see leaders from across the three sectors gathering at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness on the 18th and 19th of September 2024.

With around 200 global businesses, investors, entrepreneurs, academics and policy makers attending the event will create a unique opportunity for networking, to foster strategic partnerships, and explore collaboration and knowledge exchange opportunities arising from new digital technologies.

Last held in Edinburgh, A3 Scotland 2024 is hosted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scotland's Rural College (SRUC).

Entitled ‘Transition to Digital - Fit for the Future’, key speakers at the conference include Richard Lochhead, Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade, Dennis Overton, Chair of West Highland based natural capital business Ardtornish and Sheila Voas, Chief Veterinary Officer of Scotland. Other speakers include Phil Bicknell, CEO at the UK Agri-tech Centre and Julie Fitzpatrick, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Scottish Government.

Topics at the gathering will cover AI, robotics and sensors to finance and funding opportunities available both in Scotland and overseas, focusing on global trends, challenges to adoption and regulatory issues.

Looking ahead to the conference, Stuart Black, Chief Executive of HIE said, "We look forward to welcoming a local and international audience to Inverness to discuss how digital solutions can ensure the future growth and success of aquaculture, animal health and agriculture sectors. The A3 conference has been designed as a meeting place for businesses, investors, scientists and government officials to collaborate and share solutions and ideas.

We are delighted to host this event in partnership with SRUC with whom we signed a collaboration agreement in March 2024. Working together enables us to bring our best thinking to bear and to achieve superior outcomes for the A3 sectors.

I look forward to speaking to innovators, entrepreneurs and forward thinking individuals at the conference."

Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said, "The digitalisation of the aquaculture, animal health and agricultural industries has never been so important as challenges such as food security and climate change test the sectors and society. SRUC is delighted to be co-hosting this event with our partners HIE to encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange to grow and future proof businesses in the blue and green economies.

"We look forward to welcoming delegates and speakers from across the globe to Inverness. It’s fitting that they’ll also be given the opportunity to visit SRUC’s new Rural and Veterinary Innovation Centre (RAVIC), which is forging new links between research and businesses developing products for the health, agriculture and aquaculture sectors.”