Scotland’s first Innovation Week is a celebration of bold ideas turning into real-world impact, from decarbonising hotels to transforming healthcare and whisky production.

Each day takes inspiration from Scotland’s National Innovation Strategy. To mark the week, we’ve highlighted business–academic partnerships we’ve been proud to support — partnerships that show innovation thriving across all sectors and in communities large and small, urban and rural since we were established 20 years ago. 

Mhor sustainable – Energy Transition

In energy transition, innovation is helping Scotland lead the way in sustainability.

Inverness hospitality business The Glen Mhor Hotel & Apartments is pioneering energy use by using natural assets to decarbonise their heating and hot water. With a hotel and apartments sitting on the bank of the River Ness, the owners opened an energy centre powered by river water – the first of its kind in Scotland. However, as this was the first of its kind energy centre there was no data available to study the usage and contrast how it compared to the old gas systems.

Interface connected Glen Mhor to the School of Engineering, Computing and the Built Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University.  They undertook a project funded through Standard and Advanced Innovation Vouchers, which are managed by Interface, to develop a robust, evidence-based methodology for assessing and monitoring the water source energy centre and determine the amount of carbon emissions saved.

The findings from the project enabled the hotel to promote the energy centre as best practice to the wider Scottish community. The business has been recognised at the World Sustainable Travel and Hospitality Awards and were Highly Commended for Climate Action at the Highlands & Islands Thistle Awards 2024.

Armed with new knowledge – Health and Life Sciences

In health and life sciences, new ideas are transforming treatment and improving patient outcomes.

East Kilbride-based business Airglove Medical Ltd, partnered with Edinburgh Napier University to develop the next generation of its award-nominated medical warming device, Airglove Arm. The university’s expertise in biomedical engineering and electronics was used in redesigning Airglove Arm for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) treatment and Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) treatment, improving PAD treatment outcomes, increasing patient mobility, minimising leg amputations and delivering cost savings for the NHS.

The work was funded through Standard and Advanced Innovation Vouchers, and included student projects to deliver some of the research and testing. 

The development of the Airglove technology opens up a significantly larger market for Airglove Medical Ltd both in the UK and internationally and has won several awards.

Picking up ZIYX – Digital and Data tech 

In digital and data, partnerships are attracting new businesses to Scotland and helping them grow.

Interface, in partnership with the Scottish Government, delivers the Inward Investment Catalyst Fund (IICF) to encourage businesses to set up operations in Scotland through academic partnerships.  

One company which has carried out research and development with backing of the IICF is ZIYX, an educational app developer based in England aiming to transform business education. The company teamed up with the University of the West of Scotland to develop a tailored gamification framework of their app to enhance user engagement and retention. Now set up as a company registered in Scotland, employing 8.5 FTE staff, they have attracted venture capital funding of £1.5m for expansion into the UK, USA and Europe.

Advancing Digital and Data Skills

Borders-based Thermafy Group Ltd. developed ThermaFy, a digital platform for determining how dirty a heating system is. To ensure the software could be rolled out across the industry, it was essential it was easy to use. No training modules existed designed specifically at educating heating engineers on how to use thermal cameras.

The company worked with Fife College’s National Gas Training and Assessment Centre to develop the specialist accredited modules that would enable the industry to adopt new working practises, increasing both their productivity and trust with their customers and allowing engineers to gain a better understanding of how to use the app and the thermal data obtained.

Angel’s share in Advanced Manufacturing

And in advanced manufacturing, creativity meets tradition in unexpected ways.

How do you know how much whisky is left in a cask without opening it and disturbing the precious contents? You look to technology normally associated with maternity wards!

Inspectahire Instrument Company Ltd partnered with the University of Strathclyde to develop a cutting-edge, non-invasive device, tailored specifically to the whisky industry’s needs. The project was funded by an Advanced Innovation Voucher followed by a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Dayi Zhang, who developed the ultrasonic device using ultrasound to measure the level of whisky in a cask. Dayi Zhang was joint winner of the Innovator of the Future award at this year’s Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards for this project, which brought new opportunities in food and drink to the north-east based company normally focussed on oil and gas.

That’s what we call a win-win situation!

Innovation thrives when people connect. This National Innovation Week, join us in celebrating collaboration. If you’d like to explore where your ideas could go next, contact our Innovation Engagement team.

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