Second Scottish Eagle Lab to take flight in Aberdeen
Barclays is opening its second Eagle Lab in Scotland to support entrepreneurs in the North East of the country and drive innovation in the region. The space in Aberdeen will be based within the city’s new home of digital and entrepreneurship, the ONE Tech Hub, as part of the ONE Codebase incubator and will be open for business in September.
As one of Barclays’ flagship Labs for Industry 4.0, it will help North East entrepreneurs build on and diversify from the area’s natural strength in oil and gas, as well as unlock the potential of emerging technologies – such as the Internet of Things, advanced manufacturing and robotics – associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The Lab’s Maker Space will feature facilities for digital fabrication, 3D printing and laser cutting, and a range of electronics equipment. This will provide businesses with access to the tools they need to rapidly produce and test prototypes in a matter of hours rather than weeks, avoiding prohibitive costs or having to look overseas.
Entrepreneurs using the space will be supported by an ecosystem manager who will provide mentoring, create connections and share opportunities to help high growth businesses achieve their ambitions. A dedicated Eagle Lab engineer will also be available to offer technical expertise and advice to enable Industry 4.0 businesses to flourish. Barclays’ local business banking team in Aberdeen and specialist ‘high-growth’ managers will also be available to provide banking support.
The Barclays Eagle Lab network is one of the largest co-working and incubator networks for start-ups and scale-ups in the UK. With 25 locations across the country, Labs are spaces to help entrepreneurs and ambitious businesses collaborate, innovate and grow, nurturing and futureproofing skills and creating thriving ecosystems that will positively impact the economy locally, nationally – and even globally.
The facilities in Aberdeen will complement ONE CodeBase’s wider offering to provide a range of expert support for digital tech start-ups with unrivalled access to hot desks, co-working spaces, offices, meeting rooms and social areas. ONE CodeBase is a partnership between private-sector development body Opportunity North East (ONE) and the UK’s leading tech incubator CodeBase and sits at the heart of the digital community created by the ONE Tech Hub.
Stuart Brown, Head of SME Scotland at Barclays said: “Aberdeen has a wealth of businesses and entrepreneurs with ambitions, ideas and deep technical expertise who need access to the right resources and advice to help them start up and scale up. Opportunity North East and CodeBase share our vision for boosting economic prosperity and diversification through innovation and entrepreneurship. By working in collaboration, we can maximise the support we are able to offer business in the region.
“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is changing how and where we all work and the skills we need. Eagle Labs is committed to supporting the development of skills in entrepreneurship, innovation and in new and emerging technologies such as AI, data exchange, connected devices, advanced manufacturing and much more.”
Sir Ian Wood KT GBE, chair of ONE and ONE’s D&E sector board, said: “ONE has invested at pace to build a digital tech community and cluster and Barclays’ decision to open an Eagle Lab in Aberdeen is another strong endorsement of the region’s talent and potential and further evidence of the continued growth of the local digital scene.
“The Eagle Lab will be a unique addition to the ONE Codebase community which provides digital tech companies access to a range of mentors, investors, partners and on-site technical expertise to support company creation and scale-up.”
Derek Mackay MSP, Finance Secretary, said: “The Scottish Government’s vision is for Scotland to be a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation. We want to be the producers, the designers and the creators of world-changing innovations and not merely its consumers.
“I am delighted that Barclays are opening their second Eagle Lab in Scotland. This investment further demonstrates that the economic potential of Scotland’s people is well recognised.
“We are doing all we can to create a Scotland where growth and innovation go hand-in-hand with benefits to wider society and I am very pleased that Barclays is seeking to play such an active role in seeing this vision for Scotland delivered.”
The opening of the new Eagle Lab follows the creation in 2018 of a new business unit at Barclays called Barclays Ventures. Barclays Ventures has an independent mandate to deliver new customer experiences at pace and scale – ultimately driving growth for communities, businesses and Barclays – and is responsible for growing the Eagle Lab network.
For further information, please contact:
Katrine Pearson / Eilidh Black
3x1 Group
0141 221 0707 / 07736 176597
Notes to Editors
About Eagle Labs
Eagle Labs are Barclays spaces to help entrepreneurs and ambitious businesses collaborate, innovate and grow. Eagle Labs aim to cultivate a community of likeminded entrepreneurs and provide them with access to a collaborative environment, peer networks, and opportunities to maximise growth. Eagle Labs also offer support to established larger organisations, developing programmes to help corporates create an entrepreneurial culture by introducing innovative practices and encouraging intrapreneurship.
With 25 Eagle Labs across the country and more in the pipeline, the focus is to help accelerate UK scale-ups, promote collaborative innovation across the entire ecosystem and enable access to, and training on, new and emerging technologies such as AI, blockchain, 3D-printing and the Internet of Things which make up ‘Industry 4.0’ – the fourth industrial revolution.
For further information about Barclays Eagle Labs, please visit labs.uk.barclays
About Barclays
Barclays is a transatlantic consumer and wholesale bank offering products and services across personal, corporate and investment banking, credit cards and wealth management, with a strong presence in our two home markets of the UK and the US.
With over 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 40 countries and employs approximately 83,500 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests and protects money for customers and clients worldwide.
For further information about Barclays, please visit our website www.barclays.com
About ONE Tech Hub and ONE CodeBase
ONE Tech Hub is the home of the digital tech and entrepreneurship community in the North East of Scotland. Opportunity North East (ONE) led the development of ONE Tech Hub – its single largest investment to date – with Robert Gordon University (RGU) and ONE CodeBase as key partners.
ONE CodeBase is a partnership between ONE and CodeBase, the largest technology incubator in the UK. ONE CodeBase sits at the heart of the digital community created by ONE Tech Hub and provides a range of expert support for digital tech start-ups. This unique ecosystem brings together leading digital tech business incubation and ONE CodeBase’s expertise with a wide range of connections and investors focused on helping digital tech companies to develop and grow.
About Opportunity North East (ONE)
Opportunity North East (ONE) is the private sector's response to the long-term economic challenges facing North East Scotland. ONE has a unique role in accelerating growth and diversification activity in the region, in increasing productivity and competitiveness. ONE is industry-led, privately funded, region-specific and focuses on action to achieve business growth and safeguard or create employment. With an investment commitment of £62 million over 10 years from The Wood Foundation, ONE catalyses partnership working and co-investment to leverage match funding from the private and public sectors to deliver transformational programmes and projects at pace.
For further information about ONE, please visit www.opportunitynortheast.com