Winners announced for the 2026 Made in Scotland Awards
Fourteen awards handed out in Glasgow as a manufacturer's AI project, a surgical device spin-out and a Hebridean fabrication yard join the winners' list
The people and companies driving forward Scotland's maker economy were celebrated this week at the Made in Scotland Awards.
Guala Closures UK was named Manufacturer of the Year (over £10m) after merging its Scottish operations into a single, highly automated £52m plant at Gartcosh that supplies more than 100 distilleries.
THREE60 Energy won Engineering Manufacturer of the Year after growing into a £230m business employing more than 1,200 people, designing and manufacturing in Scotland for the energy and defence sectors.
The final award of the night, Outstanding Contribution to Manufacturing, went to Gerry Facenna, who co-founded Allied Vehicles in 1993 and built it into Europe's largest manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
Around 350 guests attended the ceremony at voco Grand Central Glasgow on Thursday, hosted by comedian Sanjeev Kohli, where 14 awards were presented.
The awards are run by Scotsman Insider in partnership with National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), and were supported by NT Engineering & Manufacturing, CeeD and Aggreko.
Scottish Leather Group won AI/Digital Tech Innovation of the Year.
Working with technology partner Mindhive, the company turned years of hide-grading expertise into a system that maps the defects on each hide.
Stewart Technology, a family-owned electronics manufacturer in Galashiels, was named Manufacturer of the Year (under £10m) after building more than two million circuit boards last year.
Navantia UK's Arnish yard on Lewis took Energy/Renewables Manufacturer of the Year after investing £5m in new technology and securing Fit for Offshore Renewables certification.
John Grant of Prestwick Aerosystems was named Engineer/Leader of the Year for a four-year project to build a digital model of the company's spoiler line.
Nami Surgical, a University of Glasgow spin-out, was named Bio-tech Manufacturer of the Year for developing the world's first miniaturised ultrasonic scalpel for robotic surgery.
Newcomer of the Year went to Quantcore which has raised £2.5m and is the UK's only maker of niobium-based quantum components.
Scott & Fyfe won Product Innovation of the Year for Alphashield Plus, a cured-in-place pipe liner launched in April.
Aquascot, an employee-owned B Corp in Alness, won Food and Drink Manufacturer of the Year after making the biggest investment in its history in new processing lines, lifting yield by three per cent .
Interflon Scotland, which has more than doubled turnover since 2021, won the Manufacturing Supply Chain Award.
Star Refrigeration Academy took Sustainability Initiative of the Year for a programme in which students lead the company's sustainability work.
BAE Systems' Adam Colquhoun was named Apprentice of the Year, an award sponsored by NT Engineering & Manufacturing.
He helped introduce shop-floor tablets that give operators instant access to safety and operating documents, and set up a hub for early-career colleagues.
All winners go forward to the national Made in the UK Awards in Manchester on November 19.
Stephen Emerson, Scotland editor at Insider Media, told guests: "In an age of mass technological disruption, the ability to make something tangible, that people will pay for and rely on, has never been more important.
"The awards set out last year to challenge the often negative narrative around Scottish manufacturing. This year, they offer the world a window into how innovative Scotland is when it comes to making things.
"At a time of downbeat headlines, the companies and people on tonight's shortlists give the country something to be proud of."
AI/Digital Tech Innovation of the Year
Winner: Teaching AI to Understand Leather, Scottish Leather Group
Lappa
Launchpad Build AI's Digitool and Manufacturing Language Model
my SMASH media
Pelorus: AI-Enabled Digital Shipbuilding for Type 31, Babcock
Scobie & Junor – AI-Integrated SD Admin
SCOTi : The Shortest Path Between Chaos and Control, smartR AI
Bio-tech Manufacturer of the Year
Winner: Nami Surgical
E.V.A Biosystems - BIOME Project
Ogibiotec
Engineer/Leader of the Year
Winner: John Grant, Prestwick Aerosystems
David Young, Cochran
Dr Ben Szutor, Cnuic Technologies Limited
Falk Bleyl, Utopi
Ian Fraser, THREE60 Energy
Kane Taylor, Ailsa Reliability Solutions Ltd
Steve Greenland, Craft Prospect
Engineering Manufacturer of the Year
Winner: THREE60 Energy
Cirrus Logic
Cnuic Technologies
Cochran
Craft Prospect
Juice Engineering
Renewable Parts
ZOT Engineering Ltd
Food and Drink Manufacturer of the Year
Winner: Aquascot Ltd
Commendation: McQueens Dairies
Balloch Factory - Chivas Brothers
Brave New Spirits Ltd
Macsween of Edinburgh
Rowan Glen
The Edinburgh Butter Company
Wee Knob of Butter
Sustainability Initiative of the Year
Winner: Star Refrigeration Academy
2 Sisters Food Group / 2 Agriculture
Changing Hearts and Minds Sustainable Education for pre school children to identify future sustainable leaders - G-Nrgy Limited
Closing the Loop on Scotland’s Green Waste
FFS International
Navantia UK Arnish
Manufacturing Supply Chain Award
Winner: Interflon Scotland Ltd
Balloch Factory - Chivas Brothers
Cnuic Technologies
Energy/Renewables Manufacturer of the Year
Winner: Navantia UK Arnish
Aggreko's flagship manufacturing facility at Lomondgate
Murphy - ASTI Framework
Renewable Parts
Product Innovation of the Year
Winner: Alphashield Plus, Scott & Fyfe
Commendation: Cnuic Technologies
BioPRO, Scottish Leather Group
Craft Prospect - VOLT (Versatile Optical Laboratory for Telecoms)
Guala Closures UK LTD
Ogibiotec
Spectrolytic Limited
Whittaker Engineering Ltd
Newcomer of the Year
Winner: Quantcore
Biscoat Bakery Ltd
CGEN Engineering Ltd
Cnuic Technologies
FFS International
ScrubMarine
Trossachs Cooperage Ltd
Wild Changer
Apprentice of the Year
Winner: Adam Colquhoun , BAE Systems
Commendation: Hope Brown, Babcock International
Evan Williamson, Ailsa Reliability Solutions
Fay Martin, BAE Systems
Grace McFarlane, Aggreko
Liam Campbell, Navantia UK Arnish
Rory Meikle, Babcock International
Wiktor Skrypowski, Renewable Parts
Manufacturer of the Year (under £10m)
Winner: Stewart Technologies
Cnuic Technologies
iLivestock
IOLLA
Lochcarron of Scotland
Motivity Solutions Ltd
Manufacturer of the Year (over £10m)
Winner: Guala Closures UK LTD
Aggreko Lomondgate
Allied Vehicles Limited
Balloch Factory - Chivas Brothers
Board24 (Eurocentral)
BSW Timber
Cochran
Scott & Fyfe
Outstanding Contribution to Manufacturing
Winner: Gerry Facenna , Allied Vehicles
Cochran
Glencraft
Omar Durrani, Cnuic Technologies
Professor Duncan Hand, Medical Device Manufacturing Centre
School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
Whittaker Engineering Ltd
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