Redefining What’s Possible

A defining moment for progress

The brewing and distilling industry stands at a defining moment. With evolving global demands and rising sustainability expectations, the sector has a unique opportunity to lead with innovation, collaboration, and long-term resilience.

As a trusted partner to the brewing and distilling sector, we understand that transformation must be practical, commercially viable and rooted in the realities of production.

At a time of shifting consumer behaviour, trade volatility, cost pressure and rising expectations around climate and resource use, the industry needs more than ambition. It needs evidence-led innovation that can strengthen resilience, protect competitiveness and support responsible change at a pace businesses can adopt. These challenges require an interdisciplinary approach, combining world-leading research, future-ready skills and access to advanced technologies that help brewers, distillers and supply chain partners test, adapt and invest with confidence.

UK emissions reduction target by 2030.

The UK has committed to reducing economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% by 2030. For brewing, distilling and their supply chains, this strengthens the case for lower-carbon production, resource efficiency and industry-wide innovation.

Source: gov.uk

Our vision for a world-class Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling is to help the sector adapt, compete and invest with confidence at a time of significant change.

The Centre will provide state-of-the-art testbeds and flexible ‘try-before-you-buy’ production spaces where brewers, distillers and supply chain partners can explore lower-carbon processes, circular economy opportunities, resource efficiency and product innovation before committing at commercial scale. CSBD will also strengthen the sector’s future talent pipeline, equipping the next generation of industry leaders with the technical, commercial and sustainability skills needed to navigate a more complex operating environment. As a neutral knowledge hub, it will bring together industry, academia, suppliers and policymakers to share insight, test practical solutions and support long-term resilience across the sector. Workforce pressure, shifting demand, inventory challenges, resource constraints and environmental expectations all point to the same need: practical innovation that protects performance today and strengthens competitiveness for the future.

Talent gap

UK food and drink manufacturing vacancy rates are more than double those seen in wider manufacturing, underlining the need for stronger technical skills, flexible learning and future-ready talent pathways. Source: Food & Drink Federation

Inventory under pressure

A global slowdown in spirits demand has left major producers managing significant ageing stock. For brewing and distilling, resilience now depends on smarter innovation, efficient production and stronger market adaptability.

Source: Financial Times

Water used per litre

Distillery operations can use significant volumes of water per litre of product, making water efficiency, reuse and circular resource management critical to future resilience. Source: NQ DEC/ BIER

" We back Heriot-Watt's plans for a Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling. The CSBD will provide a new, modern environment for innovation, support the development of groundbreaking sustainable processes, and develop a new highly-skilled workforce that helps future-proof this vitally important economic contributor for decades to come. "