Scotland is an innovative and creative country and I am delighted through my role with Interface (based in Aberdeen), I can support local companies on their innovation journeys by connecting them into universities to help them solve their challenges and grow their business.

At Interface we connect organisations of all sizes, from all sectors, to the right academic expertise for increased research and development (R&D) activity leading to the creation and development of new products, services and processes.

Business-academic collaborations play a vital role supporting Scotland’s economy, enabling businesses to reach new markets, increase turnover and safeguard and create jobs. The impacts on society are far-reaching. Indeed, over the last 12 years the Interface team have facilitated over 2,600 business-academic opportunities, resulting in over 1,507 R&D projects.

In Aberdeen we have two universities on our doorstep, the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University. Engaging with industry supports universities and academics by helping to; achieve impact with research, provide additional income to fund individuals and department activities, grow contacts and networks relevant to research, introduce students to industry to enhance employability and create commercial opportunities from facilities, equipment and off the shelf technologies.

Interface have supported many companies based in Aberdeenshire through academic projects. Fashion design company Sansooz worked with Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design at the University of Dundee, through Interface, to develop a unique fabric incorporating high visibility elements to help the fashion conscious become more safety conscious, without having to compromise on style.

Company Connecting, also referred to Interface through Business Gateway, were seeking expertise in interactive search and interface design for their online platform. We connected them to the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at the University of Strathclyde where they collaborated on a successful proof of concept project.

It is not just expertise and know-how services that companies can engage with, there is also a vast range of specialist facilities which can support industry. Hundreds of pieces of equipment and cutting edge facilities are used every day for scientific research throughout Scotland and are widely available for commercial use to help create, develop, test & analyse ideas and products. These specialist facilities combined with the academic and technical expertise are a very valuable solution for commercial business projects. You can see the types of Specialist Facilities that are available for commercial use here.

Operating regionally, Interface has local knowledge with strong networks and relationships to help connect the contrasting worlds of business and academia, fulfilling the roles of translator and impartial broker to make connections which benefit the economy and Scotland as a whole.

If you are interested in finding out more about how Interface can help your organisation or business, please contact Gillian Hambley on 07970 459620 or gillian.hambley@interface-online.org.uk we’d love to hear from you!