Scottish Government Announces Proposal for East Coast University Arc

As part of its Programme for Government 2026-2031, the Scottish Government announced proposals for an East Coast University Arc between Aberdeen, Dundee, and St Andrews.

The proposal recommends greater coordination between the three towns to “boost productivity and innovation by linking research, universities and businesses” through a new cluster development organisation.

Willie Rennie, Member of Scottish Parliament for North-East Fife, raised concerns about the proposal in Parliament, asking “what additional value [the Arc] will bring” on top of existing structures. He cited the Tay Cities Deal and an existing coordinated framework between universities for financial sustainability, noting that existing proposals serve a similar purpose.

“Collaboration is absolutely essential to ensuring we realise all the opportunities in enhancing our productivity,” Business Minister Tom Arthur said in response.

The Arc contributes to a section of the Programme dedicated to backing increased growth across Scotland. In a process of local regeneration, the stated aim of the Arc is to help local communities and businesses “have a greater stake in, access to and benefit from the wealth our economy generates.”

“The central issue I have with the East Coast Arc is the lack of any kind of detail on what it will do. It seems like a gimmick for the manifesto rather than a serious proposal,” Rennie told The Saint. “To create a new structure at a time that the government is going through a process of public service reform seems rather contradictory.” 

On 26 September, the government announced a Public Reform Proposal for the reform of local governance. This outline details a mission to declutter the public sector. For Rennie, the Arc is counterproductive to these aims.

Rennie also commented on the lack of funding attached to the scheme. “St Andrews University already collaborates with other universities, and I therefore don’t understand why they would need any extra help to collaborate with institutions in Dundee and Aberdeen,” he explained. 

In coordination with the Scottish Funding Council, St Andrews is involved in research pooling across Scottish higher education institutions. This involves the agreement and coordination of a pan-Scottish research strategy within defined individual research areas, the sharing of major facilities and equipment, and joint doctoral training programmes.

The East Coast University Arc also lacks precedent. A similar initiative was proposed in 2021 by the UK government, creating a link between Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The Oxford-Cambridge Arc was proposed to involve infrastructural development, including a new road link between Oxford, Cambridge, and Milton-Keynes. 

In 2022, the central government withdrew from leadership of the proposed Oxford-Cambridge Arc. This came after the Department for Transport scrapped plans for an Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, stating that the “benefits the road would deliver are outweighed by the costs associated with the project.” 

While spatial clusters like the Arc are designed to boost national economic development, they are often hindered by challenges of regional development.

Image by of Smilla Spasic

Cover Image from Wikimedia Commons