Developing new ideas and bringing them to market can be a complicated business and there is much to consider, especially in the early stages.
How the new product, process or service will be financed, which business model best suits its commercialisation and who to bring on board to accelerate development to market are big questions which businesses must decide on.
When thinking about collaborative partners who could inject valuable knowledge, Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges offer world-class resources from all disciplines.
The issue of time to market is vitally important, and with this in mind, Scotland’s universities have developed a suite of 15 standard legal agreements, introduced to help make business-academic partnerships simpler and easier from the start.
The downloadable, free, standard legal agreements provide a clear starting point to quickly help reach mutual understanding between the business and their academic partner over areas like confidentiality and intellectual property. A variety of forms of collaboration, from research to studentship agreements, are covered by the standard legal agreements and take into account a range of scenarios determined by the company’s contribution to the partnership.
The Scottish University partners supported by Interface want to make it as easy as possible for businesses and universities to work together and give peace of mind in establishing the collaboration. The standard legal agreements save time and money, reduce the chance of any misunderstandings arising and aim to get business-academic partnerships agreed quickly.
The standard legal agreements will also prompt discussions at the initial stages of the project scoping. A question often asked by businesses is: “How can I protect the Intellectual Property (IP) and what happens if I work with an academic who brings new ideas and knowledge to develop the original idea?”. The variety of templates available provide clarity with respect to IP ownership thereby reducing the perceived barriers of academic – business engagement.
One business that has benefited from using the legal agreements is Middle Way Ltd, who collaborated with Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Glasgow on separate projects to investigate the ingredient properties and explore international markets for their naturally brewed soft drinks.
The collaboration with Glasgow Caledonian University was funded by a Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher.
Catriona Monson, who co-founded the company, said: “Our initial project with Glasgow Caledonian University was an exciting project that has safeguarded our production process, given us a comprehensive understanding of storage requirements for our culture, and has led on to further research projects. Having the standard documentation has made the legal and administrative side of collaborating really quick and easy for us and meant that we could focus our time on the important part of getting started with the research.”
Dr. Mike Smith, Executive and Policy Manager, SRUC who convened the Scottish Universities group responsible for developing the standard legal agreements said:
“Getting all the 19 Scottish Universities to agree on commonly used legal templates will help smooth the pathway to collaborations with a diversity of organisations in both the public and private sectors.
It helps to underscore how much the universities value the importance of collaborating with businesses and other organisations to help promote innovation and enterprise and is a practical demonstration of Scottish Universities being very much open for business.”
The major COVID-19 testing facility and a camera in a pill for early diagnosis of bowel cancer symptoms, are just two of the winners in Scotland’s premier awards celebrating business-academic knowledge exchange.
Interface, the business-academic matching service, announced the winners of the 6th annual Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards today (Wednesday, 21 April), on World Creativity and Innovation Day, after a record number of entries to the awards.
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director of Interface, said:
“The judges were incredibly humbled and impressed by the innovation and creativity, exemplar partnerships and overall impacts of the applications across all eight categories.
“From responses to the COVID-19 crisis, to breakthrough technologies in health, circular economy and poultry genetics, the winners announced today are an impressive showcase of the incredible collaborative work which goes on every day in Scotland, and a celebration of the people behind the partnerships from all industry sectors and across all academic disciplines.
“They bring renewed admiration for knowledge sharing between businesses, social enterprises, public bodies, such as the NHS, universities and colleges across Scotland.”
The winners are:
Making a Difference
Scottish Leather Group (SLG Technology), Bridge of Weir, and Edinburgh Napier University for the development of new, high value products and processes from waste and offcuts, which have significantly impacted on manufacturers, as well as contributing to education, and sustainable art.
Multiparty Collaboration
The Scottish Capsule Programme (SCOTCAP) – Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Highland, NHS Tayside, NHS Grampian, NHS Western Isles, Medtronic plc, Corporate Health International UK Ltd, Bowel Cancer Scotland, University of Aberdeen and University of Strathclyde. The collaboration was tasked to co-design, deliver and evaluate the use of a minimally invasive “Pillcam” containing a digital camera as a viable, safe, and cost-effective alternative to colonoscopy for early diagnostic testing for Bowel cancer symptoms.
COVID-19 Collaborative Response
The Lighthouse Laboratory in Glasgow, hosted by University of Glasgow at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Campus, a major new COVID-19 testing facility established with BioAscent Ltd and the University of Dundee, and subsequently developed and managed by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with high-throughput industry experts BioClavis Ltd.
One of the largest academic-run diagnostic facilities in the world, the laboratory has recently reached the 10 million COVID-19 test milestone.
Powerful Partnership
Cobb Vantress Inc, a global poultry genetics business, and University of Edinburgh have worked together since 2013 across animal welfare, disease resistance, food security and preserving biodiversity to ensure a sustainable global poultry industry.
Innovator of the Future – sponsored by SCI
Dr Jakub Rycerz, KTP Associate, from the University of the West of Scotland, who collaborated with Phoenix Instinct Ltd, Forres, on the design and manufacturing of a SMART, light-weight carbon fibre wheelchair frame integrating electronic systems that will revolutionise mobility.
Knowledge Exchange Champion – sponsored by SCI
Professor Malcolm Macdonald, University of Strathclyde, is instrumental in the development of Scotland’s space sector. His work as Director of the Scottish Centre of Excellence in Satellite Applications from 2014-2020 supported the creation of 16 new companies, and his media work has promoted Scotland on the global stage. Prof. Macdonald is leading the Space Technology Cluster as part of the Glasgow City Innovation District.
Knowledge Exchange Heroes
Dr Andrea Taylor, Head of Business Development, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, the University of Edinburgh. Andrea is passionate about Knowledge Exchange and a relentless champion of her team. Her drive and ambition have led a proactive industry engagement strategy delivering significant investment and nurturing new company formation.
Innovation of the Year – sponsored by Marks & Clerk
Scotmas Group Ltd, Kelso, and Robert Gordon University for the development of a new and innovative method of producing disinfectants without harmful by-products for use in hospitals, water supplies and food production applications.
The winners were announced online at the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards Ceremony on 21st April 2021.
Tourism attractions in Dumfries and Galloway have been finding new ways to share their experiences during lockdown with the help of insights from Scottish universities, to increase their visitor numbers despite being closed.
When COVID-19 forced them to shut, the Whithorn Trust and the Wanlockhead Museum Trust (Museum of Lead Mining), were supported by Interface, which matches organisations to academics, to help them develop digital services to increase their profile and their virtual offering to visitors.
The organisations both developed digital projects with academics and students at the University of Glasgow and University of Edinburgh, who worked in partnership over the summer of 2020. These collaborations resulted in:
The Museum of Lead Mining benefitting from the creation of a static scenes virtual reality tour of the lead mine, miners’ library, and miners’ cottages. A pre-Christmas pilot campaign was also undertaken to build a social media following, which generated 18,000+ post engagements, and 1,575 link clicks. Their Facebook page following went up by 17% to 2,700 potential visitors during that brief campaign. A subsequent campaign that will help raise donations for the museum and increase their following has recently been launched.
Kathryn Linsell, Trustee of Wanlockhead Museum, said: “I can only thank Mari Findlay for the introduction to Dr Kirsten Cowan at University of Edinburgh and Dr Alena Kostyk at University of Glasgow. Both are a bubble of knowledge, energy and enthusiasm.”
The Whithorn Trust now has a static scenes virtual reality tour for the Trust’s Iron Age Roundhouse and Priory, and the academics are in the process of creating a 360-degree video virtual reality tour. A Facebook campaign was designed and tested to facilitate the sales of the Whithorn Trust’s “digital ticket” initiative and to build a larger social media following.
Julia Muir Watt, Development Manager at The Whithorn Trust said: “Dr Kostyk and Dr Cowan have been hugely helpful and very proactive, helping not only with expertise, but also with funding. It’s been a great project and is working in very well with our new digital ambitions. We’d certainly work with a university again if we got the right project – great experience!”
Interface’s Business Engagement Executive for Dumfries and Galloway, Mari Findlay, introduced both organisations to the academics, who continue to work together on new marketing projects to further benefit the museums.
She said: “In response to COVID-19, Interface – who match businesses and social enterprises to academic expertise, came up with the initiative for Adopt a Business after asking university academics and students if they would be prepared to help Scottish tourist attractions and accommodation providers due to COVID-19 impact. VisitScotland and the Scottish Tourism Alliance promoted the opportunity to their members and over 80 tourism organisations came forward seeking support.
“The aim was to help visitor attractions and tourist companies to recover from the impact of lockdown by diversifying their businesses and adapting to the new environment of predominantly UK visitors enjoying “staycations”.
“We were overwhelmed with the response from universities across Scotland in helping the tourism and hospitality industry, which has been so hard hit during the pandemic.”
The Adopt a Business initiative saw academics and students from 14 universities work on industry-led projects, including enhancing visitor experience using data; harnessing augmented and virtual reality; diversifying new products and services; marketing and digital strategies, and improving sustainability.
The Museum of Lead Mining, Wanlockhead, was founded in 1974. It represents the local social and industrial history of this once important Scottish site of lead mining. The museum consists of an underground mine (open to the public); Straitsteps Cottages, representing the miners’ lives in 1750, 1850 and 1910; the Miners’ Library and the Visitor Centre housing the Museum. The museum is accredited and holds a Recognised Collection, including the library with its stock of 2,800 books. It is one of the oldest subscription libraries in Europe.
The Whithorn Trust was founded in 1988 to inspire the public with the story of Whithorn, which is one of the earliest sites in Scotland where archaeological evidence of Christian practice is found. The site was an early medieval monastery and later a pilgrimage shrine. The Trust operates a visitor centre; museum; guided tours, including its full-scale replica Iron Age Roundhouse; and a café and shop to support its activities. It also promotes wide ranging economic development and educational initiatives, working with bioarchaeologists on dating and population information for the early burials.
I would like to provide an update on Interface’s service given the current situation regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Our management team are monitoring the Scottish and UK government advice. We are meeting regularly to understand and plan for the potential impacts on our service delivery and to minimise the risk that the virus presents to our colleagues, customers and academic delivery partners.
These are uncertain times and I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that the Interface team is on hand and ready to support you and your business. In addition, keep up-to-date here with the latest advice and guidance from Scottish Enterprise for businesses seeking Coronavirus advice.
The team at Interface continues to maintain and provide quick response times to our customers and academic delivery partners while prioritising the health and wellbeing of our colleagues. We have established a business continuity plan which will allow us to maintain support to our customers in the likely event that social-distancing measures will increase. Our staff are equipped for remote working with access to our secure systems.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team. You can contact us on 0845 013 0536 or by email. We will, of course, update you with any additional, relevant information as necessary.
Kind regards
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director
An international company specialising in the development of advanced antenna systems will land in Scotland following a grant from Scottish Enterprise.
Celestia Technologies Group UK Ltd (Celestia UK) will establish an innovative project to develop a fully electronic scanning antenna for use with satellite-based aircraft Wi-Fi applications after it received a £2.5m R&D award from Scotland’s national economic development agency.
The company, a UK subsidiary of Celestia Technologies Group headquartered in Holland, will be based initially at Heriot-Watt University while it identifies permanent premises in Scotland. A total of 18 jobs will be created in Antenna technologies, Software Defined Radio, Radio Frequency Engineering and System Design.
Crucial to attracting CTG to Scotland was the country’s growing space sector, which is a key market for the company. It has been estimated that this burgeoning sector could be worth £4 billion to the Scottish economy by 2030.
The R&D award announcement was made during a visit to CTG’s Heriot-Watt University base by the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture Fiona Hyslop.
Speaking after the visit, Ms Hyslop said:
“The global space sector is estimated to be worth £400 billion by 2030 and I am determined that Scotland will capitalise on the potential economic opportunities associated with this. That is why the Scottish Government has identified space as a key priority.
“The sector in Scotland has seen strong growth over recent years, which is demonstrated through collaboration and investment such as Celestia Technologies, an international company that has decided to establish a permanent base in Scotland.
“I am determined that Scotland will lead the way in using satellite technologies and applications to make a significant contribution to combatting the climate emergency.”
CTG UK was established in 2017 to take advantage of opportunities in the emerging UK space sector. The company specialises in phased-array, multi-beam, electronic scanning concepts for the advancement of state-of-the-art antenna systems used for tracking satellites, particularly useful for mega constellations.
CTG will use the R&D grant to develop a satellite antenna for aircraft to link with a communication satellite for the in-flight broadband sector, which is experiencing rapid growth. For this project, CTG intends to develop a flat panel antenna incorporating multi-beam and phased-array technology and to test and validate a full prototype as well as setting the basis for ulterior production.
The proposed innovative design will be electronically steered and will offer improved communications and connectivity performance for a new generation of low and medium orbit satellites.
José Alonso, Chairman of CTG, said:
“The grant will allow the company to establish a centre of competence in scanning antennas in Scotland, and have the confidence to continue its expansion in the UK in the supportive environment of the Scottish space sector, where skills and collaborative partners are in good supply.
“We are delighted to contribute to the knowledge-based jobs creation in the Edinburgh area and the economic growth of Scotland”.
Jonathan Wilson, Global Head of Inward Investment Services at Scottish Enterprise, added:
“The decision by Celestia Technologies Group to deliver this innovative R&D project in Scotland is incredibly exciting and one which Scottish Enterprise is delighted to support.
“Scotland is developing a global reputation for our R&D capabilities and our growing technology cluster. Our space sector was also of great appeal to Celestia Technologies Group, highlighting the growing importance of this industry as Scotland seeks to be Europe’s leading space nation.
“Our world-class workforce, combined with the ‘Team Scotland’ approach we’ve adopted between our public institutions, academia and the private sector, ensures that Scotland continues to punch above its weight when it comes to attracting foreign direct investment. Competition for inward investment is fierce, but Scottish Enterprise will continue to actively promote our international leading sectors, such as our exciting space industry, as we bid to attract companies to Scotland.”
Scotland has a dynamic and growing space sector, which focuses on a number of high-tech, high skill and research and development intensive areas.
The space industry in Scotland has more than 130 organisations, with 7,600 employees at the cutting edge of their specialisms – backed by strong relationships with researchers in Scottish universities and research pools.
Interface worked closely with the team at Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International to introduce Celestia Technologies Group to capability and capacity from Scottish academic institutions.
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director of Interface, said:
“Based on the strength of the Scottish research base, the company was keen to build links to Scottish academia around access to specialist facilities and technologies such as microwave and antenna engineering, signal processing and communications. Through Interface brokerage, the team at Celestia have created a very productive partnership with Heriot-Watt University. As part of their commitment to Scotland, the company has established a dedicated research and development base at the university and are exploring strategic R&D partnerships with the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences.”
After a successful five-month residency at Heriot-Watt University’s Global Research Innovation and Discovery (GRID) facility, brokered by Interface, Celestia UK, specialists in the advancement of state-of-the-art antenna systems used for tracking satellites, has announced that Heriot-Watt University’s Research Park will be its permanent base in Scotland.
Following a £2.5 million R&D award from Scottish Enterprise earlier this year to develop a new electronic scanning antenna, Celestia UK will create 18 new jobs in Scotland, recruiting engineers across several different disciplines. Read more: https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/articles/2020/celestia.htm
Significant benefits to Scotland’s economy and society have been highlighted in a new report regarding business-academic partnerships supported by Interface.
Local, national and international businesses have gained from tapping into Scotland’s universities and colleges through the matching service, which has team members located across Scotland.
The contribution to the Scottish economy from research and development projects between businesses and academics enabled by Interface was £88.9m GVA (gross value added), and supported 1,595 jobs, with expectations to reach £222.3 million GVA and 3,193 jobs.
The findings also captured the wider wellbeing and environmental benefits to society as the collaborative projects tackled major challenges such as health improvement, low carbon, community support, delivering education, helping young people, supporting international development and alleviating poverty.
Carried out by leading independent economic consultancy BiGGAR Economics Ltd, The Contribution of Interface to Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth report drew on evidence from a range of sources including the 329 collaborative projects which Interface brokered from August 2019 – July 2020, along with in-depth interviews with businesses who have benefited from the free service.
The report states: “The need to do things differently, to innovate, is crucial for Scotland’s recovery from COVID-19 and to meet its net zero carbon targets. The evidence presented demonstrates that Interface is a value for money service that delivers right across the economy, creating GVA and jobs while also driving sustainable and inclusive growth and well-being.”
Welcoming the report, Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Universities and colleges play a vital and effective role in supporting forward-looking businesses across Scotland to create new products and services through innovation. As we look towards economic recovery after the pandemic, this report is another reminder of Scotland’s resilience. It also highlights the part SFC-funded Interface plays as a catalyst for collaborations between businesses and academics.”
Interface has a successful history of business-academic partnerships with business demand for the service increasing consistently since it was established in 2005. Over the past months despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the team have serviced record breaking levels of demand with the need for businesses to co-design new products, processes and services to survive and drive economic recovery. The service has delivered over 2500 business academic collaborations.
Encouragingly, three quarters of businesses reported ongoing relationships with universities because of Interface brokerage, demonstrating the strength of the connections and collaborations made.
One business quoted in the report stated: “With everything I do now, Interface sits at the back of my mind, thinking is there a link with an academic that could help me with this issue?”.
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director of Interface, said: “This report shows the significant gains right across Scotland, from the smallest community to the largest city, when innovation and ideas flourish through businesses and academic partnerships.
“We are in a unique position to make a real difference to all aspects of society through the connections we catalyse enabling world leading research to be purposeful.
Our regional team members are a bridge to local business and community networks as well as to universities, colleges and research institutes. We are touching all parts of society – from contributing to low carbon targets to making a difference to everyday lives. Crucially we are contributing to more fragile rural economies and across sectors hardest hit by the pandemic such as tourism, food and drink and hospitality.
“The outstanding achievements of the team at Interface is down to their translation of industry led challenges, understanding of how universities interact with industry for mutual benefit and extensive knowledge of funding and wider support opportunities.”
A range of case studies which highlight the economic and societal benefits of Interface-supported collaborations between businesses/organisations and universities/colleges can be found here.
The Contribution of Interface to Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth executive summary can be found here.
Note to editors.
The report is based on information provided to BiGGAR Economics Ltd. by Interface including impact data from 414 businesses, in-depth interviews with businesses and stakeholders, and data from previous surveys and consultations carried out since 2013.
Significant benefits to Scotland’s economy and society have been highlighted in a new report regarding business-academic partnerships supported by Interface.
Local, national and international businesses have gained from tapping into Scotland’s universities and colleges through the matching service, which has team members located across Scotland.
The contribution to the Scottish economy from research and development projects between businesses and academics enabled by Interface was £88.9m GVA (gross value added), and supported 1,595 jobs, with expectations to reach £222.3 million GVA and 3,193 jobs.
The findings also captured the wider wellbeing and environmental benefits to society as the collaborative projects tackled major challenges such as health improvement, low carbon, community support, delivering education, helping young people, supporting international development and alleviating poverty.
Carried out by leading independent economic consultancy BiGGAR Economics Ltd, The Contribution of Interface to Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth report drew on evidence from a range of sources including the 329 collaborative projects which Interface brokered from August 2019 – July 2020, along with in-depth interviews with businesses who have benefited from the free service.
The report states: “The need to do things differently, to innovate, is crucial for Scotland’s recovery from COVID-19 and to meet its net zero carbon targets. The evidence presented demonstrates that Interface is a value for money service that delivers right across the economy, creating GVA and jobs while also driving sustainable and inclusive growth and well-being.”
Welcoming the report, Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Universities and colleges play a vital and effective role in supporting forward-looking businesses across Scotland to create new products and services through innovation. As we look towards economic recovery after the pandemic, this report is another reminder of Scotland’s resilience. It also highlights the part SFC-funded Interface plays as a catalyst for collaborations between businesses and academics.”
Interface has a successful history of business-academic partnerships with business demand for the service increasing consistently since it was established in 2005. Over the past months despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the team have serviced record breaking levels of demand with the need for businesses to co-design new products, processes and services to survive and drive economic recovery. The service has delivered over 2500 business academic collaborations.
Encouragingly, three quarters of businesses reported ongoing relationships with universities because of Interface brokerage, demonstrating the strength of the connections and collaborations made.
One business quoted in the report stated: “With everything I do now, Interface sits at the back of my mind, thinking is there a link with an academic that could help me with this issue?”.
Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director of Interface, said: “This report shows the significant gains right across Scotland, from the smallest community to the largest city, when innovation and ideas flourish through businesses and academic partnerships.
“We are in a unique position to make a real difference to all aspects of society through the connections we catalyse enabling world leading research to be purposeful.
Our regional team members are a bridge to local business and community networks as well as to universities, colleges and research institutes. We are touching all parts of society – from contributing to low carbon targets to making a difference to everyday lives. Crucially we are contributing to more fragile rural economies and across sectors hardest hit by the pandemic such as tourism, food and drink and hospitality.
“The outstanding achievements of the team at Interface is down to their translation of industry led challenges, understanding of how universities interact with industry for mutual benefit and extensive knowledge of funding and wider support opportunities.”
A range of case studies which highlight the economic and societal benefits of Interface-supported collaborations between businesses/organisations and universities/colleges can be found here.
The Contribution of Interface to Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Growth executive summary can be found here.
Note to editors.
The report is based on information provided to BiGGAR Economics Ltd. by Interface including impact data from 414 businesses, in-depth interviews with businesses and stakeholders, and data from previous surveys and consultations carried out since 2013.
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.
Our recently published Annual Review for 2018-19, gives a flavour of the many faces of knowledge exchange, where businesses and academics collaborate for research and development to prove early stage concepts or gain valuable information to deliver a competitive edge.
The review is peppered with case studies highlighting different ways in which small and medium-sized businesses (and organisations) have been connected with universities and colleges by Interface to progress ideas into something tangible. Often, the resulting product, process or service has a powerful impact on the environment, society or the economy, or all three.
I would encourage you to read the full review to get an overview of Interface’s activities in the past year.
One of the stand-out statistics is that 100% of companies surveyed were extremely satisfied or satisfied with the support they received from Interface. This is due to the passion, diligence and knowledge of the team which make up the sales force for Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges. This feedback demonstrates that we are making a difference, by matching businesses to the right academic partners for ground-breaking projects.
Of course, we know that many more companies and organisations could benefit from our impartial (and free) service and we are working hard to inspire as many small and medium sized enterprises as we can as to the art of the possible. Academics – whether researchers, PhD students, groups of undergraduate students or professors – are ready and willing to share their knowledge and expertise.
A great example of how our matchmaking service has brought benefits to a company comes from one of my colleagues, Shelley Breckenridge, Business Engagement Manager. She has supported Scotland’s largest independent manufacturer of beds, headboards and soft furnishings, Elite Contract Furniture over the past four years, with ongoing advice and access to expertise which cannot be bought off the shelf.
What started as a short-term project with a student from the University of Strathclyde’s Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management (DMEM) department, after a referral from Scottish Enterprise in 2015, led to a nine-month industrial challenge regarding manufacturing methods and materials used in Elite’s mattress production. A year later, a second nine-month project saw a student from DMEM investigate business processes to improve scheduling agility. In 2019, a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) was agreed – a recent graduate from the university will become a KTP Associate with the company. Building on Scotland’s drive towards a circular economy, Elite are focussing the KTP on launching a commercial subscription-based furniture package to the hospitality and care industry, allowing the company to take control of the furniture and furnishings they sell whilst extending the life cycle of their products. The overall objective is to make quality products that last, challenging the current “throwaway society” ethos. The KTP will also look at the designs of the products Elite manufacture by investigating ways of extending their lifespan and how they can be dismantled easily and effectively at the end of their life.
Elite’s production director, Greg Winston, said:
“Another key advantage we have found is that it brings fresh pairs of eyes to the business allowing you to see new solutions to problems you might not have even known existed and new ideas that you may not have even considered.”
As Dr Anup Karath Nair from the University of Strathclyde, pointed out:
“The University of Strathclyde believes in being a ‘Place for useful learning’ and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, like those with Elite, play a significant role in ensuring that DMEM upholds that motto. Such industry-academia collaboration helps ensure that research and subject matter expertise at the University are aligned with the needs and demands of British businesses and the wider UK economy and society.”
As in the case of Elite Contract Furniture, when a business, organisation or entrepreneur and an academic team find a mutual interest, they both reap the rewards – the university or college gains valuable industry knowledge, which makes the teaching experience more realistic, while the business gains new ways of thinking, fresh ideas and input and a resource they possibly wouldn’t otherwise be able to access to solve a business issue.
Greater support for these deeper, longer-term partnerships is a priority for Interface. Feedback from companies we have supported showed that 50% of them plan to continue working with their academic partner once they have completed an initial project. There are a number of ways of achieving this, as illustrated in the Elite case study, KTPs being one vehicle for deeper collaborations. In many cases the KTP Associates have gone onto work permanently for the company, which recognises that keeping the knowledge built up during the duration of the collaboration will continue to bring benefits and impact the business.
In this uncertain world there is much to celebrate and so in February 2020, we will once again host the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, celebrating the people at the heart of ground-breaking and innovative partnerships between businesses and academics. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 29th November, 2019.