Empowering a Sustainable Workforce
A talent pipeline for global impact
At Heriot-Watt, we recognise that innovation thrives when people do. The brewing and distilling sector faces a critical need for a future-ready workforce equipped not only with technical excellence but also with the sustainability mindset, leadership skills, and global perspective needed to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving industry.
The new Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling (CSBD) will become a global hub for talent development, creating diverse, high-impact educational pathways that support students, apprentices, and industry professionals throughout their careers. Whether it’s preparing undergraduate students for leadership, upskilling professionals through cutting-edge research, or opening doors for underrepresented groups, our approach is comprehensive, inclusive, and visionary.
A World-Class Education at Every Level
The CSBD will deliver industry-aligned education across multiple levels of study, ensuring the workforce is ready to drive innovation and sustainability from the ground up. Our programmes combine technical mastery, research-led insights, and sustainability principles to prepare graduates who will lead the future of brewing and distilling.
Undergraduate Degree Programmes: The Foundation for Excellence
Heriot-Watt University’s renowned BSc Brewing and Distilling program will be embedded within the CSBD, offering a practical, research-driven foundation for those entering the industry.
What Makes It Stand Out
- Hands-on Experience: Access to the CSBD’s microbrewery, distillery, and quality control labs for real-world project work.
- Industry-Connected Learning: Collaboration with global beverage companies and exposure to live research projects.
- Sustainable Thinking: Courses emphasising circular economy principles, energy efficiency, and responsible production methods.
Graduate Outcomes
- Technical Brewing and Distilling Specialists
- Quality Control and Product Development Experts
- Sustainability Champions in the Global Beverage Industry
Postgraduate Degrees: Advancing Expertise and Leadership
Our MSc programmes in Brewing and Distilling will provide advanced technical education and specialised research opportunities for those seeking leadership roles or deeper technical expertise in the field.
Program Highlights
- Research-Led Learning: Students will engage directly with ongoing sustainability projects, such as waste reduction trials and circular economy strategies.
- Specialist Modules: Including fermentation science, sensory evaluation, and bioresource optimisation.
- Access to World-Class Equipment: Advanced labs and analytical suites for real-world experimentation and data analysis.
Impact Example
An MSc student working within the CSBD’s Sensory Suite would be the ideal talent-partner to collaborate with a whisky producer on sustainable barrel aging techniques, developing real-world innovations while completing their studies.
Our Commitment to Lifelong Learning and Skills Development
Education shouldn’t be limited by geography. That’s why the CSBD will leverage Heriot-Watt Online, offering flexible, remote learning opportunities for professionals worldwide seeking to deepen their knowledge of brewing, distilling, and sustainable production practices.
Programme Features
- 100% Online Delivery: Study from anywhere in the world.
- Self-Paced Learning: Designed for working professionals balancing careers with professional development.
- Cutting-Edge Content: Includes sustainability modules, innovation strategy, and technical production best practices.
Who This Serves
- Established industry professionals seeking to reskill or upskill.
- International learners unable to relocate for full-time study.
- Companies supporting employee development through continued education.
Graduate Apprenticeships: Shaping Industry-Ready Talent
Learning doesn’t end at the classroom door. That’s why the CSBD will champion Graduate Apprenticeships, blending academic excellence with hands-on industry experience to equip the brewing and distilling workforce of tomorrow. Our GA's will gain practical skills and real-world insights while earning fully accredited Heriot-Watt degrees, ensuring they are ready to tackle the sector’s evolving challenges and drive sustainable transformation.
How It Works
- Work-Based Learning: Apprentices complete an accredited degree at Heriot-Watt while working full-time with a partner company.
- Hands-On Industry Projects: Coursework is directly tied to live industry challenges, encouraging apprentices to apply their learning immediately.
- Co-Designed Curriculum: Industry partners like Diageo work alongside our academic teams to ensure the learning experience reflects real-world skills gaps and evolving sector demands.
- Mentorship & Networking: Apprentices gain direct mentorship from senior leaders and technical specialists while being integrated into the Heriot-Watt professional network.
A Legacy of Pioneering Leadership
For more than a century, Heriot-Watt has helped shape brewing and distilling through scientific excellence, pioneering research and inclusive leadership. That legacy can be seen in figures such as Professor Anna Macleod, whose work helped advance brewing science, and the late Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, whose breakthroughs in cereal science transformed brewing and distilling knowledge while his lifelong commitment to human rights challenged the sector, and society more widely, to think differently about equity, representation and leadership. That same spirit continues today through leaders such as Professor Dawn Maskell, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Brewing and Distilling and a committed champion for women in beer and global opportunity in brewing and distilling education.
As we look to the future through the Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling, our ambition is clear: to build a more sustainable, diverse and globally connected talent pipeline for the industry, ensuring the next generation of innovators and leaders is shaped by the broadest possible range of perspectives, experiences and ideas.
" My legacy is all of my children, students, my friends and relationships, and all the people who helped me. " Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, when previously asked about his legacy.
