Fife College has been shortlisted for the Transformation Award at the Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA) Awards 2026 for its rapid and innovative Dunfermline City Campus transformation project.
The College’s Digital Services Team has been recognised for their work in transforming the new campus from an empty building into a fully operational, technology‑enabled learning environment in just 28 days. Shortlisted alongside the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester, Fife College is not only the sole college in this category but is also the only college to be shortlisted across all eight UCISA award categories for 2026.
UCISA, the professional body for digital practitioners in education, praised the project for its pace, inclusive design, innovative AV and digital service deployment, and measurable sustainability outcomes.
Key highlights of the project included the installation of over 75 smart teaching spaces with interactive displays and lecture capture, 12 Microsoft Teams-enabled meeting rooms, 350 new desktop computers and a unified AV ecosystem across campus.
The transformation delivered measurable organisational and environmental benefits, including £187,000 in cost savings, annual energy reductions of 9,744 kWh, a reduction of 2,270 kg of CO₂, and £2,923 in annual electricity savings.
Iain MacPherson, Head of Digital at Fife College, said:
“Being shortlisted for the UCISA Transformation Award is a huge achievement for Fife College, particularly as the only college represented alongside institutions such as the University of Edinburgh and the University of Manchester.
“Transforming a £150 million campus from an empty shell into a fully operational digital learning environment in just 28 days required extraordinary commitment, collaboration and trust across teams.
“This national recognition reflects not only the pace and scale of delivery – led by our outstanding Digital Services Team – but also the focus on accessibility, sustainability and long-term value for our learners and staff.”
Scotland’s first net-zero-ready tertiary education building, Fife College’s Dunfermline City Campus – opened last October – offers students an exceptional experience with state-of-the-art facilities designed to enhance every aspect of their studies.
The College’s new campus is part of the wider Dunfermline Learning Campus – an integrated project that brings together Fife College, St Columba’s RC High School, and Woodmill High School in a purpose-built, collaborative new campus.
The winner of the UCISA Transformation Award will be announced at the Awards Dinner during the UCISA 2026 Leadership Summit in Liverpool on Wednesday, 18 March 2026.
For more information about the UCISA Awards, visit the UCISA website.
Fife College’s new Dunfermline City Campus is a pathfinder project for the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard in Scotland. It is being closely watched across the country as a model of sustainable development.
The campus has delivered an industry-leading embodied carbon footprint of just over 560kg CO2e/m2 for the Teaching Building and a total embodied carbon footprint of 601kg Co2e/m2 for the three buildings, which are part of the campus.