Innerleithen Mountain Bike Innovation Centre: A world first?

It’s been years in the making, but with a timeline now agreed and work well underway on its location in the Tweed Valley, the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre is a unique project set to benefit the cycling industry and community locally and further afield. Ed Shoote, South of Scotland Enterprise’s project lead for the MTB Centre, speaks with CIN…

Infrastructure for cycling typically takes the form of cycleways and paths to – hopefully – make it easier and safer to cycle. Rarer still is infrastructure for the cycling business itself, but that’s the unusual, welcome and possibly unique pitch being made by the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre, currently being constructed in Innerleithen in the Scottish borders, 30 miles south of Edinburgh. First revealed back in 2019, with a couple of press releases confirming the intention and the signing of deals to dedicate £19 million of central government cash to its development, the Innovation Centre has slowly gathered pace and thanks to a significant milestone in September 2025 when a project timetable was approved and published, construction is now underway in a location that’s appropriately nestled within a hotbed for mountain biking.

Ed Shoote, South of Scotland Enterprise’s project lead for the MTB Centre, explains the thinking behind the centre and how it fits into the MTB scene and industry: “The Centre will be a hub for research, development and knowledge exchange, backed by Edinburgh Napier University who are fast becoming the global number one university for Mountain Biking related research.

“The building, co-run with South of Scotland Enterprise, will offer a place for businesses – both local and international – to come together to develop and then showcase their innovative products in the heart of the UK’s leading mountain bike destination. The project combines the Trail Lab which will be the first of its kind in the world, with groundbreaking IP that Edinburgh Napier University is currently developing in-house. The Centre will include a human factors lab, units for small scale manufacturing or brand experience units, an events space, small offices, meeting rooms and teaching space. Companies or start-ups are encouraged to get in touch via [email protected] or [email protected] to understand more.”

The Caerlee Mill site was chosen thanks to being located in the heart of the Tweed Valley, “the leading mountain biking destination in the UK, and beyond”. Due to the condition of the main building on the site, the project experienced some delays, which in turn resulted in plans requiring to be resub mitted following community consultation. These plans were approved, and work is now underway on a new building to house the Centre in time for its opening, timetabled for 2027.

An internationally unique project?
The Mountain Bike Innovation Centre is pitched as something of a world first – but could it be the kind of project being replicated elsewhere in the world? “Similar ideas have been proposed across the world but nothing quite the same as we can offer,” says Shoote. “We are always open to collaboration with different geographic regions, sectors or even niches within the cycling industry. A large part of the centre is reliant on the businesses involved, the people and the research, and that is hard to repli cate somewhere else. We are also very fortunate to have a year-round riding destination on our doorstep that is very accessible but also wet and gritty which challenges reliability and performance as well as the trail design itself. We are working with international partners and we expect a future announcement on building a global network in the future.”

So far, the industry reaction has been encouraging of this new facility, proving the original concept, Shoote says: “The industry has been very supportive although the delays from the building and the well documented challenges in the industry forced a reset in 2025.

“Even without widely advertising the centre we have seen that demand is sufficient to fill the spaces, but we want the right mix of companies and ideally those focused on innovation and Research & Development to take permanent space. The Trail Lab is getting everyone who learns about it very excited. There is still some of the Trail Lab offering being developed which is confidential, but there is certainly more to come with research funding currently being gathered and commercial interest increasing,” teases Shoote.

Pioneering data project
For now, construction workers and vehicles are getting down to the nitty gritty of putting the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre together. Demolition of the existing old building is well underway to make way for the new centre, which is expected to begin in spring 2026.

“The most exciting part of the project currently is the proof of concept for The Trail Lab,” reveals Shoote. “This started in 2025 and is expected to roll out further in early 2026 using a popular trail that featured in previous Enduro World Series events in Innerleithen. This will see a new private 5G network connecting a range of sensors that will allow Edin burgh Napier University to gather unprecedented amounts of data starting next year. The proof of concept will test the 5G network in a forest environment to enable the integration of a wide array of remote sensors; providing novel insights into the interaction between the rider, the bike, the trail and the wider environment. The combined Centre is expected to open its doors in 2027.”

The positive news doesn’t stop there, with the Centre expected to make a sizeable contribution to the local community. The Innovation Centre is predicted to contribute £138m in Gross Value Added and create over 400 jobs in the Scottish Borders over ten years. This is across the local supply chain too and it will positively impact businesses across the UK.

“We will launch the centre’s new branding identity and will start to actively promote this alongside the capital grants that will be available to private businesses as part of the cluster building around the centre in early 2026. The industry is encouraged to get in touch to learn more or look out for further updates which will become more regular. As part of the pipeline of activities, the project supported the recent Women in the Bike Industry Event in November 2025 and will run the First Tracks Adventure Tourism Business Launch Pad programme for the second time in January 2026 with partners. A new product design competition is also expected to launch shortly. Finally, Edinburgh Napier University is developing a series of events to encourage further engagement with the Trail Lab to expand pipeline activity as we move towards the opening date of the Centre.”

For more info, contact the Mountain Bike Innovation Centre directly via [email protected] or [email protected]