Posts by Stephaine Peebles
£5M hub to aid precision breeding of future farm animals
Research exploring the use of genetic selection and genome editing tools to develop healthier and more productive farmed animals has received a major funding boost. Edinburgh experts will receive almost £5 million to establish a new hub at the University’s Roslin Institute, based at the Easter Bush campus, to drive advances in engineering biology –…
Read MoreBuilding opening signals new era in health and care innovation
The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) is among notable guests attending the opening of the University of Edinburgh Usher Building on Thursday (26 June), which is driving major advances in health and social care. The Usher Building at Edinburgh BioQuarter brings together more than 900 researchers, health and care providers and industry leaders…
Read MoreScotland risks being left behind in robotics revolution, warns national expert
Scotland risks missing out on the global robotics revolution as other nations surge ahead in a market projected to reach £218 billion by 2030, but a major new policy paper published today (19 June 2025) by The National Robotarium shows how the country can still establish itself as a world leader. Stewart Miller, CEO of…
Read MoreCharting Scotland’s skills for the future
Ministerial visit to DataFest celebrates launch of skills framework helping businesses and individuals upskill in data and AI. A Data and AI Skills Framework has been launched to help reduce barriers to data and AI upskilling, offering pathways to individuals, teams, and organisations to build their data and AI capabilities. Graeme Dey MSP, Minister for…
Read MoreAward-winning Futures Institute is given royal seal of approval
A stunning, category A-listed former hospital that has been painstakingly transformed into a state-of-the-art university building has been officially opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. Academics, students and industry partners from the Edinburgh Futures Institute met The Princess Royal, the University of Edinburgh Chancellor, at an event today (11 April) along with specialist…
Read MoreExhibition uses AI to explore love, loss and the future of seas
A deeply moving artwork exploring how artificial intelligence can preserve – and give new life to – the memory of a loved one is set to feature in a new exhibition. How to Find the Soul of a Sailor, which uses the cherished 40-year-old diaries of a seaman to bring his stories back to life,…
Read MoreAI to enable autonomous underwater robots to perform precision offshore wind farm repairs
Technology could reduce use of large maintenance vessels, reducing fuel consumption by 97% The National Robotarium is supporting the development of new artificial intelligence and control systems that could allow underwater robots to operate autonomously and with high precision in turbulent seas, potentially revolutionising maintenance and repair tasks for offshore wind turbines. The innovative technology…
Read MoreFlexible e-skin could spur rise of soft machines that can feel
A team of scientists has developed electronic skin that could pave the way for soft, flexible robotic devices to assist with surgical procedures or aid people’s mobility. The creation of stretchable e-skin by Edinburgh researchers gives soft robots for the first time a level of physical self-awareness similar to that of people and animals. The…
Read MoreOnline game world founded by EFI student wins $50k grant
Plot Twisters, an online game world for social-emotional learning founded by Edinburgh Futures Institute student Jenny Liu Zhang, has been awarded $50K as one of three Grand Prize Winners in OpenIDEO’s Designing for Digital Thriving Challenge. Jenny is in her first year of pursuing her MSc in Narrative Futures at EFI (on a three-year part-time…
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