Lorraine Thomson, Interface’s Business Engagement Manager for the Highlands & Islands, reflects on a recent visit to Shetland in the first of two blogs about business-academic innovation support.

One of the joys of working for Interface is that we are located nationwide, and I have the best of all the regions! My working patch covers Shetland, Orkney, the Outer Hebrides, Argyll and the Inverness area, so, as an Orcadian living in Inverness, I’m obviously biased.

My recent visit to Shetland was just ahead of Shetland Wool Week (29 Sept-5 October), the world-renowned celebration of Britain’s most northerly native sheep, the Shetland textile industry and the rural farming community in Shetland. As an important industry, it was no surprise that a number of people interested to see me were wool-connected.

I met with Becky of the Silly Sheep Fibre Company, and she was keen to hear more about what we do and the ways in which we could support the fleece production side of her business while Donna at Donna Smith Designs was interested in an adaptation to a piece of kit which is currently quite laborious to use, as well as plants for natural wool dyes. She was gearing up to host a Taiwanese delegation as part of Shetland Wool Week, so people certainly come from far and wide.

Meeting up with Osla at SRUC’s consultancy arm, SAC Consulting, allowed us to chat about a project they are undertaking for us with a new distillery and it helped with some Shetland scene-setting. SRUC, along with 18 other academic institutes as well as Scotland’s colleges, are willing partners for all kinds of projects we bring their way from all kinds of businesses. Business location isn’t a deciding factor in which university or college would be able and willing to offer their expertise. We set up projects for Highlands and Islands businesses and organisations across 13 universities and colleges last year.

Taking account of the wider rich Shetland larder, meeting up with Joy of Shetland Food and Drink allowed me to extol the virtues of an academic project for those working in that industry to help with new products, recipe reformulation, packaging and many other aspects of running such a business. We may be able to help with her West African drum query too!

Not straying too far from food and drink, Samuel of the Shetland Tourism Association, was keen to learn of the many tourism projects we’ve worked on over recent years including business planning, reaching new markets, marketing and new product development. Food and Drink, tourism and the creative industries are the most common enquiries that come our way from across the region. A conversation with a Shetland jeweller has also been scheduled where we’ll be chatting about different types of metal for jewellery production.

Ali at Hjatland Housing Association had been in touch with us before and we talked about bringing in architectural/design students into the fold to redesign some of their sites. Meanwhile Mhari and Sue at the Shetland Amenity Trust are focused on the problem of the destruction of the vital peatland in Shetland (sheep are not so friendly in this regard!) and how we could use digital technology to help support training young people in peatland restoration.

No doubt these conversations gave everyone food for thought and Interface, as an ongoing service, can pick up on these topics at any time to suit the business – especially for our Wool Weekers, it was a busy time to find time to see me!

In a gap between meetings, I went to watch Sights and Sounds of Shetland; a journey through Shetland’s cultural past with exclusive archived film footage. To quote “In Shetland, constancy and change co-exist happily.” In a decidedly modern place, which housed the oil boom in the ‘70s and is at the forefront of the current renewable energy, aquaculture and space industries, it holds old traditional ways dear.

My final word- after a great week getting up to speed on all things Shetland and discussing how we can help out businesses – goes to an impressive mix of the old and new: a chance to watch the latest movies during Wool Week, at Mareel, the UK’s most northerly cinema, while taking your wool and knitting. Brilliantly named “Knitflix”.

If you’d like to find out more about how Interface can help your business or organisation in the Highlands & Islands, please get in touch with Lorraine Thomson.