Flow Country work recognised in Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards
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Efforts to enhance and promote the Caithness and Sutherland peatlands have been recognised with a national accolade.
The Flow Country Partnership, working with the University of the Highlands and Islands Environmental Research Institute (ERI) in Thurso, won the Making an Environmental Difference category Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.
The awards celebrate achievements in research and development between organisations, colleges and universities.
Winners in seven categories were announced at a ceremony at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow on Thursday.
The Flow Country Partnership and ERI are seeking to re-evaluate the blanket bog of the Flow Country and its role in climate change mitigation and biodiversity.
Scotland's innovation minister Richard Lochhead said: “These awards highlight valuable collaborations in Scotland which are developing cutting-edge innovations to make a real difference to people’s lives.
“The Scottish Government is committed to supporting information exchange between businesses and academia. An example is our Inward Investment Catalyst Fund, which, since its launch in 2021, has supported 25 businesses outside of Scotland to collaborate on projects with Scottish academic institutions, with an ambition of attracting inward investment.”
The Multiparty Collaboration category was won by Sustainable Aviation Test Environment, a tie-up between University of the Highlands and Islands and partners in the public and private sectors, which has created a blueprint for the commercialisation of green regional aircraft operations.
Amelia Whitelaw, director of Interface, which organises the awards, said: “The nomination process has surfaced some great examples of business/academic partnerships that demonstrate immense creativity, novel approaches and ingenuity taking place in all sectors of industry and in communities throughout Scotland.
"Particularly strong this year are health and environmental developments, which push boundaries and will benefit many individuals and communities.”
The Flow Country Partnership – representing a wide range of organisations with an interest in the peatlands – is bringing forward the bid for Unesco World Heritage status for the Flow Country.
The potential economic benefits of the Flow Country are also being explored. A recent study suggested that the economic impact of peatland restoration could reach £400 million by 2042.
Regeneration could lead to the employment of 241 people over the next 18 years while facilitating spin-off businesses, the study claimed.
It was commissioned by the Flow Country Partnership and North Highland Initiative and was funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise,
Covering some 400,000 hectares, the Flow Country is the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe, storing an estimated 400 million tons of carbon – twice as much as all the UK’s woodlands combined. An estimated 45 per cent of this peatland area is said to require restoration.
