Case Studies

Group of girls holding sanitary pads in the air

Lilypads

Background

Lilypads Group Ltd is a mission driven company that manufactures and sells reusable sanitary pads and provides menstrual health education. Founder and CEO of Lilypads, Alison Wood, strives to end period poverty and stigma by providing affordable reusable sanitary pads and education to communities around the world, they currently work in Malaysia and Kenya, with preparations to start working in Cambodia and Nigeria.

Mara Seaweed - Funding supports sustainable seaweed growth.

Mara Seaweed has received a range of grants from £5,000 to almost £400,000 in less than 5 years to become the UK’s leading culinary seaweed provider.

Scotmas

Scotmas is a leading manufacturer of water treatment, hygiene and environmental care products. With a strong and continued commitment to R&D, the company was looking to advance two research projects, one looking at bacteria identification and another on bacteria and virus tests. Following an extensive search of expertise in the field, Interface helped the company to develop active partnerships with several academic institutions.

Shed Media

Interface supported Shed Media Scotland by facilitating a collaboration with Robert Gordon University to devise a quiz for their interactive drama, Being Victor, to determine young people's attitudes to online privacy.

StudioLR

StudioLR is an award winning design agency based in Leith, Edinburgh.

Dissatisfied with existing ‘way-finding’ products for dementia, and sensing an opportunity for a fresh and novel approach, the company spoke to Interface to access Scotland’s academic expertise to use the latest research to inform their design, ensuring an effective, as well as an attractive, finished product. Interface introduced them to both the universities of Edinburgh and Stirling, where they embarked on a collaborative approach to the project.

Jump Research

Edinburgh-based research firm, Jump Research was set up by Louise Fraser in 2012 to bridge a gap between a full service market research agency and a consultancy. Louise saw a potential gap in the market for a mobile research unit and approached Edinburgh Napier University to explore the opportunity.

Working together to create opportunities for your industry

Interface Food & Drink (IFD) are having an impact on the industry by focussing on collaboration and in particular Common Interest Groups (CIGs) - drawing individual companies together to benefit from each other’s knowledge as well as that of academics and intermediaries.

Health Science Solutions

Health Science Solutions (HSS) are a Scotland wide life science company based in Inverness. Having had success working with Interface- The knowledge connection for business, when they worked with Aberdeen University on an ultrasound project, HSS knew the benefits of working with Academia and approached Interface for further assistance.

Hectares range of Sweet Potato Crisps and Snacks

Hectares Sweet Potato Crisps

Hectares Food Ltd is a new business set up to produce and sell a range of sweet potato crisps. The market for sweet potato crisps is in its infancy and consumers are starting to understand the health benefits that sweet potatoes have over standard white potatoes.

Tsarina Imperial Dacha

Tsarina Imperial Dacha designs and manufactures real log cabins and homes from solid round logs - they recently developed a range of natural wood preservatives and fire retardants but needed to prove product efficiency and performance. Interface connected them to the University of Strathclyde who had the right academic and industry standard equipment and techniques to test the new wood preservative.

Solar Bear

Thanks to Innovation Voucher funding Solar Bear has created a 10 week pilot to test the concept of a deaf theatre short course. The success of this pilot led to the creation of a full short course and summer school programme. Now in its second year the short courses run 40 weeks of the year and now have 9 regular student participants.

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