On 23rd July 2025 BioSS hosted Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Parliamentary Business at The James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie.

The Minister met with our scientists to explore how BioSS applies statistics and mathematical modelling to inform policy and tackle real-world challenges. Discussions included:

• Using data to model and manage the risk of animal disease outbreaks EPIC Scotland
• Balancing clean energy production of offshore renewable developments with marine conservation needs
• How to make farm data widely available, driving innovation in arable production, while protecting privacy
• Supporting inclusive growth, integrating diverse socioeconomic data in analyses to better inform policymaking

 

The visit concluded at our High Performance Computing facility — showcasing the powerful infrastructure behind big data in science.

Many thanks to the Minister and all involved for an interesting visit.