The Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) Highland campus has launched an initiative focused on boosting rural economies and culture.
The new ‘rural lab’ research centre at Altyre is the first of two new strategic research centres being created under the GSA’s Strategic Plan 2022-2027 and is already the base for a range of ambitious research projects.
Students at work at Altyre.
Director of GSA Highlands and Islands, Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam, is also deputy director and vice principal of research and innovation at the GSA.
She said: “Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, rural lab champions new approaches to enterprise, sustainable economies, and place-driven research and innovation.
“It encourages new ways of thinking about the potential for rural growth, and emphasises the importance of traditions in future-focused sectors and emerging specialisms such as space, bioscience and AI.”
Ambitious research projects at the lab include: ‘Lo-Res: Rochuln’ – transforming a former croft steading to a field station for sustainable living and ecological research, blending agriculture, biodiversity development, and innovative design; ‘Craft Scaler’ – a research initiative shaping the future of Scotland’s craft economy, addressing scalability and sustainability; and ‘Holistic Femtech – MEG’ (Menopause Experience Guide) – an AI-powered digital health tool to support women through menopause.
The GSA is one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. It uses studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research.
Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) Highland campus at Altyre.
It has an international community of over 3500 students and staff across architecture, design, digital, fine art and innovation in campuses in Glasgow and Altyre.
The GSA’s School of Innovation and Technology explores opportunities for innovation by considering alternative ways of living, focusing on complex questions in fields such as healthcare, education, technology and climate/ecology.
Since the campus at Blairs Farm Steading on the Altyre Estate in 2016, there have been initiatives such as the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre, recipient of £5million in UK and Scottish Government investment through the Moray Growth Deal.
Director and Principal of GSA, Professor Penny Macbeth, pointed out that rural areas face challenges from workforce shortages and digital connectivity gaps to an ageing population and limited service access.
She said: “By fostering creative and innovation-led collaborations across industries including craft, regenerative design, future energy, digital health, and community wealth building, rural lab will accelerate Scotland’s creative economy and enhance the global competitiveness of rural enterprises.”