Renfrewshire poised to benefit from £160million Investment Zone

Renfrewshire’s advanced manufacturing innovation district and Glasgow Airport could benefit from around £25million in investment from the Glasgow City Region Investment Zone (IZ) should proposals for new tax and non-domestic rates retention (NDRR) sites be approved.

The proposed Renfrewshire tax site is centred around the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland (AMIDS) and Glasgow Airport and is part of the Glasgow City Region’s designation as one of Scotland’s first Investment Zones.

Backed by £160 million in funding over ten years from the UK and Scottish Governments, the IZ aims to accelerate economic growth, attract inward investment, and create high-value jobs.

The proposed tax site in Renfrewshire spans more than 140 hectares and includes land at AMIDS, Glasgow Airport Abbotsinch, Airside North, and Campsie Drive. Any new businesses operating within the zone would be able to benefit from a range of incentives, including tax reliefs and capital allowances, designed to stimulate development and innovation.

Forecasts suggest the site could deliver:

• £539 million in private sector investment
• 166,000sqm of new employment space
• 2,300 high-value jobs

The NDRR designation means that any growth in business rates generated within the zone, which would normally be transferred to the Scottish Government, would be retained and reinvested into further development, supporting infrastructure, skills, and innovation across Renfrewshire and the wider city region.

Two other NDRR locations are proposed as part of the Investment Zone investment – one in North Lanarkshire and another jointly in Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.

Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson said: “The Investment Zone will unlock significant opportunities for our communities, businesses and future workforce.

“AMIDS is already home to world leading organisations in the advanced manufacturing sector and the tax and NDRR incentives would attract new business to locate here — bringing with them new jobs, investment and growth to our local economy.”

A total of six projects have also been shortlisted for capital investment, including two which would be based at AMIDS – the space-focused Project PRISM led by the University of Strathclyde (UoS) and the National Centre for Advanced Semi-conductor Packaging which is led by UoS and the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).

Brian McClean, corporate affairs director at AGS Airports which owns Glasgow Airport, said: “Renfrewshire, through AMIDS, is Scotland’s home of advanced manufacturing and the Investment Zone will play a pivotal role in further cementing that position by attracting global investment. This in turn will help create high-value and highly skilled jobs for the Glasgow City Region and we are looking forward to working closely with our partners at Renfrewshire Council and the City Region to deliver inclusive economic growth.”

The proposals will be submitted to the UK and Scottish Governments as part of the final Gateway 3 and 4 approval processes.

For more information on AMIDS, visit www.amids.co.uk.