Edinburgh College has been named the winner of the Innovation in Business Award at the annual Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

The accolade, presented at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre attended by 600 guests, celebrates the college's long-term strategic partnership with Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm.

The collaboration, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024, focuses on embedding real-world offshore wind experience into the curriculum to address critical skills gaps. The partnership has already resulted in several high-impact initiatives designed to prepare the future workforce for the renewable energy sector.

A central project of the collaboration is the development of Gen-Sea, a strategy-based computer game. The game is designed to engage school pupils by simulating offshore wind careers, encouraging the development of problem-solving skills and environmental awareness.

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The partnership has also delivered significant enhancements to practical training and innovation, including:

• Advanced Welding Technology: Inch Cape provided two virtual welding machines for the Access to Fabrication and Welding programme at the Wallyford Campus. This investment allowed students to gain industry-standard experience earlier in their training, with 50% of the most recent cohort successfully progressing into sector-specific employment.

• Robotics Integration: Working with the college's Robotarium, students and staff gained hands-on experience by programming a robot to construct a miniature offshore wind turbine.

• STEM Pipeline Growth: The partnership is strengthening the transition from school to professional life. Since 2017, 39% of pupils involved in Edinburgh College STEM activities have moved into college-level study, with 963 students entering STEM subjects.

Audrey Cumberford, Edinburgh College's Principal, said: "A huge congratulations is in order for everyone involved in the partnership between Edinburgh College and Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, after being recognised with an Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Innovation in Business Award. What a fantastic achievement, which serves as further proof of the College's work to create new pathways for students to begin their careers in the renewable energy sector."