Our universities bring so much to Edinburgh - Liz McAreavey
When he uttered the words two centuries ago, he was comparing the modern university to those
which had gone before, as “storehouses of old knowledge.”
There is little doubt that the success of our cities and our economies is becoming ever more closely
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commercialisation and huge drivers of economic success.
There are few places where this is more evident than in Edinburgh Our universities are estimated to
support a staggering 29,000 jobs in our city through their operations. They also contribute around £2
BILLION per year to our local economy. That’s a huge figure, but to put it into context the University
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Hide Adof Edinburgh, our biggest university, contributes a massive £1.42 billion of that on its own, and in
total contributes £3.3 billion to the UK economy. Their impact directly employs almost 10,500
people and creates a total of 21,300 local jobs.
Edinburgh Napier contributes £347 million to the local economy, creating almost 3000 local jobs;
Heriot-Watt around £180million supporting 3800 local jobs, and Queen Margaret almost £50 million
supporting 840 local jobs.
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Hide AdOn top of the huge economic impact our universities have, they create all kinds of other benefits.
Some 55,000 students are reckoned to live in the Capital – and that is equivalent in broad terms to
the population of Perth.
With that number comes creativity, innovation, energy and enterprise. Our universities bring
students from around the world to Scotland’s Capital to study, bringing with them cross cultural
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Hide Adfertilisation and new ideas. Many decide to stay on, start businesses, prosper and grow. Attracting
global talent is a vital component for cities to prosper.
The University of Edinburgh, now rated 16 th in the world is determined to use its status as a leading
global university to help drive a positive future for the city. It’s standing as one of the very best
Universities in the world for data innovation was a big driver in the billion-pound Edinburgh and
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Hide AdSouth East Scotland City Region Deal, backed by both the UK and Scottish Governments. One of its
main aims is to make Edinburgh the data capital of Europe.
Through its Edinburgh Futures Institute at the former Royal Infirmary building the University is
bringing together experts from Academia, industry, governments and communities to tackle global
issues that affect us all by bringing the community and the people of the city right into the heart of
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Hide Addiscussions in a fantastic new space being designed to encourage collaborations.
The University is also partnering with Heriot-Watt in the Edinburgh Robotarium, where the work on
robotics and Artificial Intelligence is world-leading in a fast-developing, global marketplace. Heriot-
Watt is itself an international leader in subjects as diverse as engineering and brewing.
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Hide AdIn a City renowned the world over as the Festival Capital, Edinburgh Napier excels in creativity and
the arts. The top UK university for film production and photography, and the best modern university
in the UK for music, art and design, film and media studies, and English, with research that is rates as
“world-leading” or “internationally excellent”.
As well as being massive direct and indirect employers; as well as consumers of local services and
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Hide Adproducts; as well as driving innovation and research; our universities add so much to our cultural
diversity, encourage entrepreneurship and commercialisation of research, and open minds to the
challenges facing our societies.
Edinburgh is a city built on many strengths. The excellence of its Universities is certainly one of the
biggest bricks in that wall.
Liz McAreavey, chief executive, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
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