A new institute to help researchers tackle some of the problems facing the Scottish economy has officially opened at Edinburgh University. The Scottish Institute for Research in Economics brings together 36 researchers from ten Scottish universities to collaborate on areas of research and to respond to increasing international competition. Their findings will inform future government policy. The £21 million institute has been given £9.4 million from the Scottish Funding Council. Additional funding will come from the ten participating universities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paisley, St Andrews, Stirling, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt and Napier.