Mountain Biking in Scotland Receives £24 Million Investment for Trails, a Bike Park, and an Innovation Centre
The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal signed by UK, Scottish, and local representatives this week will funnel about £24 million into mountain bike development in Scotland.
The deal is a partnership among several local councils, the South of Scotland Enterprise, the Edinburgh Napier University, and Scottish Cycling’s Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland (DMBinS) program, which develops mountain bike trails and facilities, provides education, and oversees projects like the mental health pilot program.
The investment allocates £19 million for the development of the Innerleithen Mountain Bike Innovation Centre, which will provide bike industry businesses a dedicated facility for R&D, along with the Tweed Valley Bike Park and Trails Lab, which will aim to promote both tourism and product development in a rare combination that is both industry-facing and public-facing.
Another £5 million will be invested in the 7Stanes trail network.
The vision is for the South of Scotland to be recognised as the European leader in mountain biking and this is an important step forward. The innovation centre and adventure bike park will help grow the area’s profile and encourage sustainable business growth and development. The adventure bike park will deliver much needed investment in infrastructure to manage the growing number of visitors to the area, while protecting and adding to the already fantastic trail network and attractions to ensure visitors spend more time in the area.—Ed Shoote of DMBinS, the Senior Project Manager of the Mountain Bike Project
Edinburgh Napier University is no stranger to mountain bike endeavors, as the university that backed both the EWS injury study and the DMBinS mental health program.The development is projected to create more than 400 jobs and contribute £141 million in GVA (gross value added).
This investment will take the work of the Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland to the next level, helping to drive innovation and support product research and development, whilst working with local and international companies.
Together, these projects will power commercial activity, attract inward investment and deliver positive outcomes in terms of public health and supporting carbon neutral products and processes.
We are also hugely excited by the potential research opportunities for Edinburgh Napier colleagues across a range of academic disciplines, including exercise science, health and wellbeing, engineering, inclusion, product design, artificial intelligence, big data and tourism.—Nick Antonopoulos, Vice Principal for Research and Innovation at Edinburgh Napier University
With clear economic and community benefits, all parties involved expressed optimism and excitement for the project to move forward.
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