AAI Pharma, the global drug industry support company, is to beef up its Edinburgh presence over the next three years with the help of a major Scottish Government grant.

North Carolina-based AAI has been awarded a Regional Selective Assistance Grant of £400,000 to help create up to 47 managerial, scientific and administration jobs.

Part of the group's growing European operations, Edinburgh will host AAI's consulting arm, establishing the "therapeutic profile" of drugs being tested and supplying recommendations on development strategies. It will also provide statistical and business development support for AAI's international business.

John Hall, president of AAI's European operations, said key to the group's decision to expand in Edinburgh was the availability of skilled staff, proximity to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and a supportive business infrastructure.

AAI's existing staff are based at the Technopole in Edinburgh, but the expansion will see the company move to the Riccarton area.

Lena Wilson, chief operating officer of Scottish Enterprise, said: "When major international companies such as AAI Group choose Scotland as a key component in their growth strategies at a time when global competition has never been fiercer, it is a tremendous endorsement of the strength of Scotland's life sciences industry and those involved in promoting it internationally.

"Increasing global recognition of Scotland's world-class scientific and research expertise has contributed to the country's life sciences industry doubling in size in terms of both jobs and the number of companies over the past five years, and successes like today's announcement will only help to fuel this growth further."