The winners of the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2023 have been revealed at a celebration marking incredible achievements of business and academic successes.
Mr Ivan McKee, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, said: “Today’s awards showcase the impactful collaborations between businesses and the academic community and their role in translating Scotland’s world-class research into knowledge that makes impact.
“Bringing together Scotland’s businesses with the knowledge, expertise and networks of our research community is central to achieving the ambitions of the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation and our upcoming Innovation Strategy, both in creating the inventions and innovations of the future, and in supporting translation of these into impact and opportunity.”
Professor Andrea Nolan, Chair of the Interface Strategic Board and Principal & Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “The annual flagship awards event for business-academic partnerships have gone from strength to strength since launching eight years ago. They celebrate the very best of people and partnerships involved in shaping game-changing innovations across Scotland.”
The winners are:
Innovation of the Year – sponsored by HGF Ltd
Sustainable Thinking Scotland CIC and University of the Highlands and Islands for optimisation of biochar, a stable form of carbon obtained from baking waste wood. This biochar assists tackling nutrient pollution, preventing toxic, algal blooms whilst improving water quality, filtering algae, reducing particulates in water and providing a carbon biochar that can be re-used on land as a slow-release fertiliser.
Innovator of the Future – sponsored by SCI Scotland Group
Joint winners:
Ed Blissitt, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate from the University of Aberdeen, who collaborated with Motive Offshore Group Ltd on the development of a novel Digital Winch technology that integrated sensors and IT hardware into existing equipment.
Dr Emmanuel I. Epelle, KTP Associate from the University of the West of Scotland, who collaborated with Advanced Clothing Solutions to develop a novel and automated decontamination process.
Highly Commended: Dr Shu Yang, KTP Associate from the University of the West of Scotland, who collaborated with Consult Lift Services to embed leadership and management skills alongside modern business systems and processes.
Knowledge Exchange Champion
Professor Naeem Ramzan, University of the West of Scotland, is an international scientist, engineer, and innovator in Artificial Intelligence and Multimedia Processing. He actively supports knowledge exchange projects from grassroots level through to providing strategic insight to industry thought-leaders.
Knowledge Exchange Heroes – sponsored by PraxisAuril
University of the West of Scotland KTP Centre for delivering business, societal and environmental impact as well as propelling the careers of the next generation of business leaders in the UK and internationally through a culture of support, recognition and excellence in customer service.
Making a Social Difference – sponsored by CEIS
Child Rights Coalition Asia, Terre des hommes and other partners with the University of Strathclyde’s Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures for developing the COVID 4P (Protection, Provision, Participation, Prevention) Log for Children’s Wellbeing in urgent response to the rapidly developing pandemic emergency and the adverse implications for children’s rights worldwide.
Making an Environmental Difference – sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland
The University of Edinburgh, The Arctic University of Norway, FH Burgenland, Technical University of Varna, Alicante University and business partner G-Force for their collaborative work on the CloudEARTHi project in developing, testing and commercialising a new business framework that supports start-up companies to embed net zero, circular principles into their business models.
Multiparty Collaboration
The Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics (iCAIRD) comprising nearly 40 partners from across industry, the NHS and the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews and Aberdeen. With twin tracks in radiology and pathology, iCAIRD’s programme of work is establishing the infrastructure and environment required to support development, validation & deployment of AI technologies for use in healthcare.
Powerful Partnership
The University of Glasgow and National Nuclear Laboratory for pioneering research in the field of Muography, using natural radiation produced in the upper atmosphere to shed unique light on the contents of shielded nuclear waste containers.
The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2023 sponsored by Salix Finance were held on Thursday, March 23 in Dundee.
The finalists have been revealed for the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2023, the annual celebration of business-academic partnerships hosted by Interface.
Twenty-two nominees have been shortlisted in the eighth Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, sponsored by Salix Finance. The showcase of impactful collaborations and individuals highlights the remarkable achievements which have the potential to create positive change in Scotland and beyond.
The finalists are:
Innovation of the Year – sponsored by HGF Ltd
The Prebiotic Company and Glasgow Caledonian University for collaborating on a study to prove the prebiotic potential of the beverage ió fibrewater. This study proved that ió fibrewater is prebiotic in nature and it significantly increases specific beneficial microbes (probiotics) and that ió fibrewater could be combined with probiotics for the creation of a new pre and probiotic beverage.
The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust and the University of Glasgow for developing an interactive Robert Burns Minecraft digital gaming experience to highlight the life and great works of the National Bard and to explore innovative interactive ways of engaging with younger audiences.
Sustainable Thinking Scotland CIC and University of the Highlands and Islands for optimisation of biochar, a stable form of carbon obtained from baking waste wood. This biochar assists tackling nutrient pollution, preventing toxic, algal blooms whilst improving water quality, filtering algae, reducing particulates in water and providing a carbon biochar that can be re-used on land as a slow-release fertiliser.
Innovator of the Future – sponsored by SCI Scotland Group
Ed Blissitt, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate from the University of Aberdeen, who collaborated with Motive Offshore Group Ltd on the development of a novel Digital Winch technology that integrated sensors and IT hardware into existing equipment.
Dr Emmanuel I. Epelle, KTP Associate from the University of the West of Scotland, who collaborated with Advanced Clothing Solutions to develop a novel and automated decontamination process.
Dr Shu Yang, KTP Associate from the University of the West of Scotland, who collaborated with Consult Lift Services to embed leadership and management skills alongside modern business systems and processes.
Knowledge Exchange Champion
Professor Fiona Macpherson, University of Glasgow, renowned researcher in philosophy and Director of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience has championed the importance of virtual reality for education and has been leading developments in immersive technology to benefit students in Scotland and beyond.
Professor Naeem Ramzan, University of the West of Scotland, is an international scientist, engineer, and innovator in Artificial Intelligence and Multimedia Processing. He actively supports knowledge exchange projects from grassroots level through to providing strategic insight to industry thought-leaders.
Professor Pete Smith, University of Aberdeen leads research on land-based ecosystems and carbon cycling, greenhouse gas emissions, soils, agriculture, food systems, bioenergy, and modelling for climate change mitigation with environmental and agricultural sustainability whilst also advising the Scottish Government on global best practice in tackling climate emergency.
Knowledge Exchange Heroes – sponsored by PraxisAuril
University of the West of Scotland KTP Centre for delivering business, societal and environmental impact as well as propelling the careers of the next generation of business leaders in the UK and internationally through a culture of support, recognition and excellence in customer service.
Making a Social Difference – sponsored by CEIS
Child Rights Coalition Asia, Terre des hommes and other partners with the University of Strathclyde’s Institute for Inspiring Children’s Futures for developing the COVID 4P (Protection, Provision, Participation, Prevention) Log for Children’s Wellbeing in urgent response to the rapidly developing pandemic emergency and the adverse implications for children’s rights worldwide.
Police Scotland and Edinburgh Napier University for several projects at the policing and public health intersection resulting in an increased focus by Police Scotland on responses to the mental health pathways and drug related deaths.
Public Health Scotland, Scottish Government and University of Glasgow, for research into the low COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the African, Caribbean, and Black communities culminating in a film now being used as an educational tool to engage and connect communities and public bodies to influence policy to reduce health inequalities in Scotland.
Making an Environmental Difference – sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland
Baxters Food Group, and University of the West of Scotland forembedding waste and process management knowledge and expertise, helping reduce their environmental footprint, achieve best-in-class performance and support business growth.
Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), EcoSystems Technologies and Edinburgh Napier University’s Transforming Timber project for building the first mass engineered two-storey Scottish timber house – displayed at COP26 – and advancing the proof of concept for a new Scottish net zero manufacturing industry.
The University of Edinburgh, The Arctic University of Norway, FH Burgenland, Technical University of Varna, Alicante University and business partner G-Force for their collaborative work on the CloudEARTHi project in developing, testing and commercialising a new business framework that supports start-up companies to embed net zero, circular principles into their business models.
Multiparty Collaboration
The Centre for Excellence in Bioprocessing 2.0 (CEB), partnership led by FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies (FDB) and the University of Edinburgh. The partnership combines FDB industry insight and knowledge with world-leading research expertise from the Universities of Edinburgh, Manchester and York and industry-skills training from the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) to perform innovative research and provide training to enable more efficient manufacture of biologics drugs and meet the future demands of complex biologics production for the treatment of life-changing diseases.
The Industrial Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research in Digital Diagnostics (iCAIRD) comprising 40 partners from across industry, the NHS and the Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews and Aberdeen. With twin tracks in radiology and pathology, iCAIRD’s programme of work is establishing the infrastructure and environment required to support development, validation & deployment of AI technologies for use in healthcare.
The University of the West of Scotland KTP Office, Advanced Clothing Solutions, Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise, Belmos Electrical Services and Autopak Solutions, for delivering a sustainable solution that prolongs the life of garments, reduces their impact on the environment and transforming negative consumer perceptions on garment hygiene.
Powerful Partnership
Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) and Edinburgh Gin (Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd) have collaborated for 10 years, launching products and careers. The relationship has also opened new areas of investigation and has helped to further cement the reputation of the ICBD as a centre of excellence within distilling research and teaching.
The University of Glasgow and National Nuclear Laboratory for pioneering research in the field of Muography, using natural radiation produced in the upper atmosphere to shed unique light on the contents of shielded nuclear waste containers.
The University of the Highlands and Islands and the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) for immersive multimedia events with direct relevance to Brodie Castle and NTS wider strategic aims and objectives. The partnership has brought substantial benefits to the economy of the local area.
The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2023 winners will be announced on Thursday, March 23 in Dundee.
Join the conversation on Twitter using #ScotKEAwards.
One might struggle to draw the common link between an expert in virtual reality, an innovative health drink and a 10 year-old partnership between a gin producer and a university. But these collaborations, along with 19 other people and projects, have been shortlisted for the 2023 Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.
The showcase of impactful collaborations and individuals highlights the remarkable achievements which have the potential to create positive change in Scotland and beyond.
Sixteen judges from academia, business and key players in the innovation system, worked through applications across eight categories before hotly debating the finalists in some fiercely-contended battles.
The shortlist includes collaborations with strong environmental credentials from a proof of concept for a new Scottish net zero manufacturing industry to optimising the use of biochar and improving fashion sustainability.
In the Powerful Partnership category, the shortlist could not be more diverse, from distilling gin, to pioneering research in nuclear waste, to boosting visitor numbers to a north-east castle through immersive multi-media.
Given the challenges to the tourism industry in recent years, it is perhaps not surprising that tourism features strongly in the shortlist as organisations have benefitted from academic expertise to engage virtual reality, augmented reality and gaming techniques to widen audience reach.
Students and academics at the University of Glasgow, through the Games and Gaming Lab and the University’s Minecraft Society, worked with Robert Burns Ellisland Trust to faithfully recreate, in Minecraft, the 18th-century farm in Dumfriesshire where Burns and his family lived whilst he produced some of his best-known work.
While Minecraft may sound familiar, Muography most likely won’t be – it is a technique that uses natural radiation produced in the upper atmosphere to shed unique light on the contents of shielded nuclear waste containers.
The University of Glasgow and National Nuclear Laboratory are pioneering research in this field, which has applications in other industries such as construction because of its ability to assess the structural health of concrete buildings.
The food and drink industry is renowned for its ability to reinvent, and several collaborations focus on developing products and processes. The health benefits of a drink made by The Prebiotic Company were explored with Glasgow Caledonian University, whilst Baxters Food Group partnered with University of the West of Scotlandonembedding waste and process management knowledge and expertise, helping reduce their environmental footprint.
Meanwhile, a 10-year relationship between Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling and Edinburgh Gin (Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd) has launched new products and careers.
We are delighted to recognise early-stage career researchers in the Innovator of the Future category, and the three finalists have brought their knowledge and skills to the offshore oil industry, circular fashion and lift specialists.
The knowledge exchange champions have built a wealth of experience through interactions with industry, and the 2023 shortlist celebrates three worthy winners where virtual reality, immersive technology, artificial intelligence and climate change are the areas covered by three researchers at Scottish universities – Glasgow, Aberdeen and the West of Scotland.
The shortlist can be found at https://interface-online.org.uk/news
The big reveal of winners will take place on 23 March, at an awards ceremony in the City of Discovery, Dundee.
Join the conversation on Twitter using #ScotKEAwards.
Five business-academic research projects have been awarded almost £45,000 funding from the Scottish Inward Investment Catalyst Fund.
The fund was set up by Interface and Scottish Government to support businesses not yet located in Scotland to work with Scottish academic institutions. As well as funding research and development it provides an opportunity for the business to establish relationships and offers insight into Scotland as a great place to invest.
The funded projects are:
Dutch aircraft manufacturer Cormorant SEAplanes BV and Robert Gordon University are awarded £9,978 to investigate the use of lightweight materials for an innovative electric aircraft designed for short take-off and landing.
UK and US-based Cumulus Energy Storage Ltd, manufacturer of energy storage batteries, with University of St Andrews are awarded £5,000 for a feasibility study into a rechargeable battery storage system which can then be bench marked against alternative solutions.
London-based tech company Geotourist, and University of Dundee are awarded £10,000 to develop further insight into their platform and the economic and societal impacts for the tourism sector both in a Scottish and international context.
Belfast-based healthtech company Take Ten Ltd and Edinburgh Napier University are awarded £9,998 to develop their digital stress management tool into new markets and assessing requirement for the products to be successfully adopted by potential market-users.
Smartify, a tech company working with museums and galleries across the world, and the University of the West of Scotland are awarded £9,834 for a proof of concept for developing their immersive technologies platforms to enable scale-up of their products.
The fund was launched in 2021 as part of the Scottish Government’s Inward Investment Plan. Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee, said:
“It is excellent to see the success of the Inward Investment Catalyst Fund in attracting high-quality and innovative projects, aligned with the key areas of the Inward Investment Plan and our ambitions set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.
“This funding highlights the strengths and expertise of our internationally recognised universities, encouraging potential investors to grow their businesses here in Scotland.
“These partnerships are also helping to lay the foundations that will support economic growth in Scotland resulting in the potential for creating high-skilled jobs.”
Howell Davies, Sector and Business Engagement Manager, Interface, said: “The catalyst funding is a valuable way to kickstart relationships. We see examples of projects from last year leading on to funded PhD Studentships and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships which deepen the business-academic relationship and help to create opportunities for inward investment in Scotland.”
All the funded projects will support a net zero, health and wellbeing economy with the principles of fair work and sustainable, inclusive growth, and are part of the Scottish Government’s Inward Investment Plan, which articulates the important role that inward investment can play in Scotland’s economic growth and in delivering net zero ambitions.
Interface connects businesses from all sectors to Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges. Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise, Interface is a free and impartial service which aims to stimulate demand for innovation and help companies to collaborate with academics to solve business challenges.
What does a South African drinks company and a Romanian leisure company have in common? Both have plans to invest and develop sites in Scotland. Interface brings together opportunities between organisations, wherever they are based, with the world-class academic institutions here in Scotland. When it comes to supporting inward investment, our job is made easier as Scotland is blessed by a supportive business environment, a talented workforce, world-class universities, natural resources and the ability to collaborate with one another which makes international companies want to locate here.
Following the latest round of the Inward Investment Catalyst Fund (IICF), which we set up in partnership with the team at Scottish Government, what is apparent is the opportunity these companies see in engaging with Scottish academics to develop their products and offerings. There are also wider benefits to collaborating in Scotland, whether it’s for the burgeoning travel technology sector here; to embed testing in remote areas; or for the built facilities such as the Michelin Scotland Innovation Park and the National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland.
The Scottish Government recently produced a values-led inward investment policy focusing on net zero, fair work, inclusive prosperity and the creation of a wellbeing economy. We are seeing the effect of this in the types of business coming to our doorstep who are wanting to make a difference in Scotland, to help create a healthier, fairer and more prosperous place to live.
For example, Therme successfully applied to the IICF working with the University of Glasgow on a feasibility study to develop a research and development Centre of Excellence, alongside their proposed £100m Wellness Centre. An unforeseen benefit for the University has been the multi-disciplinary interactions, which have expanded their engagement with a global organisation from a medical focus to also explore engineering and social science opportunities.
Another company realising the value of expertise in Scotland is Silicon Valley-based education and care tech company, 2m Foundation. Their mission is to bring people and technology together to create change for individuals with autism. They have accessed the Laboratory for Innovation in Autism at the University of Strathclyde. The facility is uniquely placed to evaluate this technology being developed and, if successful, to elevate its commercial potential. The business-academic partnership is seen as a step towards developing a base for the company in Scotland.
Nutri-Go, a South African-based company, identifies Scotland as a key strategic location for them to develop, manufacture and distribute their healthy drink products. They have tapped into the technical support and expertise at Abertay University Food Technology Centre of Excellence, developing the product for the Northern Hemisphere taste palate. They have now registered a company in Scotland BiaGo, which is derived from Gaelic for food (Bia/Biadh), which can be thought of as “food on the go”. It doesn’t get more Scottish than this!
The unique ‘Team Scotland’ partnership approach which sees the public sector, including Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise, working together with academia and industry to promote the very best Scotland has to offer does mean we punch well above our weight when it comes to Inward Investment.
From an Interface perspective and the academic institutions we support, the catalyst funding leads to longer term strategic partnerships. We see examples of projects from this year leading on to funded PhD Studentships and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships which deepen the business-academic relationship, allowing ongoing exchanges of skills and knowledge which greatly benefit the wider workforce in the company as well as individual academics. From a personal perspective there is still plenty of work to be done but I look forward to the day I get to relax in Therme’s wellbeing centre in Glasgow, sipping on a BiaGo health drink!
This is a challenging time for organisations all over Scotland affected by the cost crisis and steep hikes in the many areas of running a business. Business owners are needing to identify creative ways to address these challenges of growth and survival. Interface can support business by catalysing connections between business and the knowledge base in universities.
Expertise and insights from individuals within the Scottish academic ecosystem can support current business operations by helping to validate cost saving ideas, reduce waste and streamline processes. Interface is a free, well established and impartial service that facilitates business accessing academic expertise, research, technologies, specialist facilities and funding. Here, I look at how reviewing energy costs can strengthen commitment to sustainability, how by-products can be turned into profits, and how university facilities can make cost savings.
83% of businesses which Interface have worked with record reduced operating costs, increased productivity, profits, export, turnover and new or safeguarded employment.
Looking at how energy is used is a good starting point for many businesses, third sector and public sector organisations. In 2011, luxury knitwear manufacturer Johnstons of Elgin wanted to analyse its energy use across the main business units of dyes, weaving, logistics, finishing and yarns, as it was difficult to differentiate across the company the exact energy costs associated with each of these utilities.
A partnership between the company and The Energy Academy at Heriot Watt University was established, resulting in a PhD student reviewing strategies that would enable the company to reduce energy costs and market the carbon footprint in each area of the business, as well as each product.
Since then, the company’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised with a Queen’s Award for its 360-degree approach to sustainability and leading the way in ethical manufacturing.
Using by-products as an additional income stream is another way of helping balance the books.
Ayrshire-based W&J Knox Ltd is the largest UK manufacturer of nets, mainly for the salmon farming industry.
When the nets are cleaned, a nutrient-rich solid cake is produced which goes into landfill. The company was looking for expertise to analyse the waste product to establish if a new product could be created.
Interface connected them to a researcher from Abertay University, who investigated how the useful materials could be extracted from the waste and now, instead of being sent to landfill, tonnes of salvaged protein and oil is turned into fish, pig and chicken feed.
Dr Boon-Seang Chu, Lecturer in Food Science at Abertay University, said: “Abertay has a strong track record in research focussing on the reuse of food waste products and this is an area that is going to become increasingly important on both a national and international level in the coming years.”
Accessing university facilities is another way that businesses can curb costs, rather than buying equipment themselves.
Cycling performance innovators Flaér contacted Interface when they were in the last stage of testing a new chain system as they were looking to engage with an academic department with full wind tunnel facilities and associated expertise. Interface was able to find the support required in a cost-effective way, with on-going support.
The project led to improved processes and new products, with an increase in overall productivity and turnover.
Interface were able to support business growth through collaboration with academia in the agricultural sector. Crover Ltd.’s robotic device, which “swims” through grain, is revolutionizing the agri-food sector helping identify early onset of spoilage from infestation by insects and moulds, to reduce food waste, improve grain management, and save money.
Funding projects with academics can be an important consideration, and Interface is well-placed to advise on currently available grants and funding programmes open to businesses or academic partners.
Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, said: “We are looking forward to supporting The Scottish Funding Council’s ambitions for the tertiary education and research system.”
“Interface is well-placed to contribute to these ambitions by bringing together Scotland’s academic and business resources in the pursuit of securing sustainable institutions and transitioning to a fairer and greener world.
“Connecting organisations to Scotland’s world-class universities and colleges brings real economic and social benefits across Scotland.”
Click here to read the report.
The eighth Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards has opened for entries today (5 October 2022) to celebrate exceptional business-academic partnerships.
Interface, an organisation committed to developing and supporting collaborations between business and research communities in Scotland, will host the Awards ceremony in person on Thursday 23 March 2023.
The Awards acknowledge collaborations from businesses, social enterprises, public sector organisations, third sector, universities, research institutes, innovation centres and colleges.
The eighth Awards were launched by Mr Ivan McKee, Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, at a recent event for past winners at Heriot-Watt University.
Business Minister Ivan McKee said:
“It was great to be part of the launch event for 2023 Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards (SKEA), celebrating the innovative collaborations between business and the research community across Scotland.
“I have been involved with the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards for a number of years now and always look forward to hearing more about the impact of these business-academic partnerships across all sectors of industry, helping to tackle some of society’s big challenges and making Scotland a more resilient nation.”
Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, added:
“It is important we acknowledge the impact of these unique partnerships and celebrate the achievements of the individuals who are driving growth, prosperity and innovation in our local communities”.
The awards were launched at the new National Robotarium, the largest and most advanced applied research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence in the UK. Located on Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, the vibrant hub for innovation and industry collaboration was a fitting location for the launch.
Dr Gillian Murray, deputy principal for business and enterprise at Heriot-Watt University said:
“We’re enormously proud to have won several Knowledge Exchange Awards in recent years. These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate the importance of working in partnership with business and the impact that approach can have on accelerating research into commercial application. At Heriot-Watt University, entrepreneurship and innovation lie at the heart of our strategy and we work hard to inspire our students and academics to pursue the commercial potential of their creative ideas.”
The eight Award categories now open for entries are:
- Innovation of the Year – sponsored by HGF Ltd
- Innovator of the Future – sponsored by SCI Scotland Group
- Knowledge Exchange Champion
- Knowledge Exchange Heroes
- Making a Social Difference – sponsored by CEIS
- Making an Environmental Difference – sponsored by Zero Waste Scotland
- Multiparty Collaboration
- Powerful Partnership
The winners will be chosen on their demonstration of innovation, impact – societal or economic – and transformation, along with personal contributions to knowledge exchange.
Individuals from academia or businesses are encouraged to apply by 9 December 2022.
Click here for further information on the awards and application forms.
Interface
Interface connects businesses from all sectors to Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges. Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise, Interface is committed to developing and supporting collaborations between business and research communities to positively impact growth and innovation in Scotland.
By Suzy Powell, PR & Communications Executive, Interface.
Photo by Alan Pratt, Interface.
Climate change, net zero, energy consumption, the cost-of-living crisis – the news headlines these days are enough to make us all want to stick our heads in the sand and hope these issues just go away.
But if ever we needed a reminder, the recent record-breaking temperatures across the UK and Europe served as a very sharp wake-up call that doing nothing to reverse our impact on the changing climate is not an option.
The Scottish Government has set a target date for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases by 2045. A key part of its strategy is delivering a just transition, by working with communities, business, industry and the people of Scotland to plan for a net zero future.
With the Interface mission of enabling business-academic collaborations for economic and societal benefit, the service it delivers and the collaborations it brokers have a pivotal role to play in tackling climate change challenges. We have access to hundreds of academic experts and specialist facilities which can positively contribute to the Scottish Government’s net zero carbon emission objectives.
Before sitting down to write this, I put the kettle on (filled 25% full of water), and watching my new Smart Meter flick to “red” energy use, I pondered what else I could be doing day-to-day to use less of earth’s resources (which would also save a little on the household budget). It’s the little action which can make a difference, after all.
Through my role at Interface, I have seen the inroads being made by some of Scotland’s small and medium sized businesses to tackle what seem like impossible challenges. In fact, between January and April this year, 58% of projects brokered by Interface were helping businesses address challenges relating to combating climate change and promoting sustainable practices.
Recently we introduced Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Higher Education, Further Education, Youth Employment and Training, to two organisations we have supported, both of which are making great strides in tackling environmental issues. The Minister said he was very interested to see how much support they had both been given by Interface who made the connections between world class Scottish universities and companies in need of innovative solutions.
Community interest company, Sustainable Thinking Scotland, is discovering multiple positive uses of biochar, a by-product created by burning wood. The benefits include the removal of toxins from soil and water.
Co-Founder, Sean Kerr commented: “There has been a massive acceleration in terms of the biochar project in the last year. There is no way we would have made the acceleration that we have without the support of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) and Interface. I wasn’t quite prepared for how quickly the work would be done, and how quickly we would get results back. Once we connected with UHI, it opened a lot of doors. Once we started to speak to an academic partner the potential was beyond anything we could have imagined.”
In 2021, IT disposal experts, Re-Tek, extended the life of 250,000 used technology items preventing the need for them to be inefficiently or needlessly recycled or landfilled.
William McPherson, Projects Director at the company in East Kilbride, said: “Without the support of Interface, it’s unlikely that we would have found our outstanding partner, University of the West of Scotland. Interface has coordinated support for several ventures, including a project with University of Strathclyde to support improvements in our Recycling Centre.”
Both companies continue to work with academics on research and development projects helping to expand their workforce and secure business in new markets.
These examples are living proof that small enterprises, with university expertise, can make big differences to tackling some of today’s biggest challenges.
This article first appeared in The Scotsman.