MUSSELBURGH-BASED Queen Margaret University (QMU) is joining forces with East Lothian Council and other key organisations to support efforts to increase community wealth in the area.

The university has become one of the first signatories of the council’s East Lothian Community Wealth Building Charter.

The charter, a formal partnership between East Lothian Council, QMU and other key stakeholders across the region, is part of the Scottish Government’s Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach to “harness the economic and social leverage of influential anchor institutions across the country”.

East Lothian Council aims to “harness the collective power” which exists in the county to “create more job opportunities, increase business growth, improve wellbeing and deliver substantial economic benefits”.

QMU is already “embedding” the concept of CWB through a new partnership with Bright Red Triangle, the enterprise hub at Edinburgh Napier University, in a move which will “improve and extend” the level of entrepreneurial support available to university, college and wider communities.

The QMU Start Up Studio will accommodate both Bright Red Triangle and East Lothian Council’s Business Gateway services on its campus in Musselburgh, presenting a “significant opportunity” in raising the profile of East Lothian as a place which supports and accommodates start-up businesses and spin-out companies.

The council and QMU believe that CWB principles can also “positively shape and drive” academic engagement with the Edinburgh Innovation Hub, a joint venture between East Lothian Council and QMU funded by the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. The new hub, which is on track for completion next year, will have a flexible laboratory, office and fully equipped meeting and conference spaces for rent.

Kim Stuart, director of research and knowledge exchange development at QMU, said: “This new partnership presents a perfect opportunity for QMU to assist in enhancing the collective benefits which can be created within East Lothian. We hope that this relationship will help foster responsible entrepreneurship and develop solutions that have an impact on society as a whole.”