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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:

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.

A face mask prototype that is aimed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus is being developed by Stirling based tensARC, a fabric engineering company specialising in precision production of bespoke tailored fabric solar control solutions.  This prototype is an alternative to surgical masks which may be in short supply. The Face Gaiter resembles existing sport face coverings but is engineered specifically for source control*. It is also durable, machine washable and can be reused hundreds of times.

The company were looking for an academic partner to study and validate the efficacy of Face Gaiter in infection control, reducing the risk of community transmission by service workers and the general public; a matter of imperative importance in the COVID-19 pandemic.

After being referred by Scottish Enterprise, Laura Goodfellow, Head of Business Engagement at Interface, was able to translate tensARC’s enquiry, issue their expertise request to various universities within Scotland, match them up with their chosen university (University of the West of Scotland (UWS)), and secure a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher to fund the project – in just over a week!

“The support from Laura Goodfellow was amazing.  The Face Gaiter concept is quite radical and can be a little hard to grasp but she jumped on it straight away, worked on it through the Easter weekend, and found us the perfect partner at UWS. The Scottish Funding Council fast tracked the Innovation Voucher application in just 24hrs because it was COVID-19 related and it has allowed us to start the work while we wait for other funding to be approved. The grant will save us at least three weeks on the testing program and we hope to have initial results by the end of May. In 18 years of running a design-based SME, this is the easiest and most effective support I have received – exceptional!” said Dr Paul Baglin, Managing Director, tensARC.

This project will see researchers from UWS’s School of Health and Life Sciences validate the Face Gaiter’s effectiveness in preventing transmission of the virus at the University’s microbiology facilities.  Specifically, UWS will assess the face covering’s ability to limit the passage of pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. This will provide quality control and assurance to the product and ensuring it is fit for purpose. This is not only important for the commercial launch of the new product but it will also inform and feed back to improve the manufacturing and optimization of Face Gaiter.

It is expected that the use of this product will be immediate in preparation of the Government’s exit strategy on restriction of movement.

*Source control is a medical term used for preventing an infected person passing on their infection to others. With COVID-19 there are asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases that could pass the infection on without realising they were sick. This would be dramatically reduced with effective source control.