Panmure House partnership to deepen global dialogue on economic and social innovation

Heriot-Watt University today (Apr 10) announced a major boost to its mission of advancing global dialogue on economic and social progress through a renewed partnership with Baillie Gifford, supporting a series of programmes based at Panmure House - the final remaining home of Adam Smith.

The ‘Baillie Gifford Panmure House Partnership II Gift’ will power a new phase of activity at Panmure House, designed to revitalise the spirit of the Scottish Enlightenment for the 21st century. It will enhance programmes that convene world-leading thinkers, foster groundbreaking research, and support rigorous debate on the pressing challenges facing economies and societies around the globe.

Professor Adam Dixon, Adam Smith Chair in Sustainable Capitalism at Panmure House, said: “Our mission is to provide world-influencing social and economic debate and research, that will help promote a world in which businesses and governments serve the long-term common good; where policies and public discourse are inclusive, well-reasoned and founded on research. We are grateful to Baillie Gifford for this gift that will help continue to revitalize the Scottish Enlightenment for the 21st century and foster rigorous debate and research that addresses the critical economic and societal issues of our time. With this generous support, we will expand our initiatives and continue to champion the values that Adam Smith embodied”.

The partnership supports a range of existing and new initiatives, including an expanded Adam Smith Lecture Series, bringing Nobel Laureates and world-renowned thinkers to Edinburgh for public and scholarly engagement; the Panmure House Prize, supporting pioneering research into long-term innovation; and the Scholars-in-Residence Programme, establishing Panmure House as a dynamic, global hub for academic collaboration and debate.

This renewed support builds on a longstanding relationship between Baillie Gifford and Heriot-Watt University. Their initial contribution included the Panmure House Prize which recognises and rewards innovative research aligned with Smith’s enduring principles of long-term thinking and public value as well as the Adam Smith Lecture Series.

Furthermore, the gift will form part of Heriot-Watt University’s Shaping Futures campaign, an ambitious initiative to raise over £80 million in support of student support, research excellence, and global impact.

Tom Coutts, a Partner at Baillie Gifford, commented: “Panmure House stands as a beacon of independent thinking. We are proud to support Heriot-Watt’s vision to keep that light burning brightly, inspiring new generations of researchers, policymakers, and leaders to engage thoughtfully with the big questions of our time.”

Panmure House was built in 1691 and was the home of Scottish Enlightenment economist Adam Smith from 1778 to his death in 1790. It is now part of Edinburgh Business School, the business school of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

Panmure House continues to reassert its position as a globally relevant centre for impactful scholarship - bringing together academia, business, and policy to chart a more inclusive and innovative future.