Edinburgh Innovation’s Startup Summer Accelerator Showcase takes place on Thursday 27th August, 1–5pm at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
Twelve of the University of Edinburgh’s most promising early-stage founders will take the stage to pitch the ventures they have spent the summer building. For some of them, the right connection made that afternoon could change the trajectory of their company, whether that’s a mentor, an early collaborator, an introduction, or simply someone willing to give them a few minutes of honest advice.
The cohort are working across a range of sectors including AI, medtech, edtech and more. They have taken part in a competitive 12-week programme supported this year by the CHAI Hub and Santander Universities.
Expect an afternoon of fast-paced pitches, insightful conversations and the chance to connect with others across Edinburgh’s vibrant startup and innovation community. There will be plenty of time to connect with fellow founders, investors and partners from across the ecosystem too.
Spaces are limited, please register.
Across two days, Innovate UK and partner organisations will share insights and learning from projects focused on innovation skills, workforce readiness, and future talent development.
The showcase will explore how innovation capability, workforce foresighting and technology roadmaps can support the UK’s future innovation economy, with sessions covering:
• Innovation skills and capability development.
• Workforce readiness for emerging technologies.
• Innovation literacy and talent readiness.
• Private sector innovation roles and skills planning.
• Data-driven approaches to future workforce development.
Day One – Innovation Skills in Action – City of Glasgow College
10:00-16:00
Venue: City of Glasgow College,City Campus, 190 Cathedral Street, G4 0RF
Kick off the Showcase with a deep dive into the skills that power innovation. Day One focuses on building capability- from understanding the core skills needed to innovate, through to embedding them at scale across regions, organisations and education providers.
Hear from leading practitioners as they explore the Innovation Skills Framework, share insights from the Greater Manchester Innovation Literacy Programme, and demonstrate how regions like Glasgow are integrating innovation skills across their ecosystems. The day also introduces work to professionalise innovation practice, helping to define the roles, standards and career pathways shaping the future workforce.
Expect practical insights, real-world examples and opportunities to connect with peers working across the talent and skills landscape.
Day Two – Workforce Futures & Frontier Technologies – Glasgow Kelvin College
10:00-16:00
Venue: Glasgow Kelvin College, Springburn Campus,123 Flemington Street, Glasgow, G21 4TD
Day Two shifts focus to the future – exploring how workforce insights, data and technology roadmaps shape the skills needed for emerging industries.
Sessions will uncover who is driving innovation in the private sector, highlight the importance of aligning technology strategies with workforce readiness, and showcase how organisations are turning foresight data into actionable skills planning.
From understanding innovation roles to preparing for future technologies, this day offers forward-looking perspectives and practical approaches to ensuring the UK workforce is ready to thrive.
Highland Business Week returns from 21-25 September 2026 with a fresh new look, exciting opportunities to connect and collaborate, and the chance to celebrate the very best of business across the Highlands.
As part of Inverness Chamber of Commerce’s new brand identity, Highland Business Week, Highland Spotlight and the Highland Business Awards have all been reimagined with a bold new visual look that reflects their growing profile and importance within the Highland business community. Whether you’re looking to grow your network, raise your profile, showcase your business or celebrate success, Highland Business Week offers something for organisations of every size and sector.
Knowledge Exchange UK Conference 2026: Knowledge Exchange for the Future will explore how universities, research organisations, businesses, policymakers, and communities can work together to shape a more resilient, innovative, inclusive and prosperous future.
After reaching full capacity in 2025, the KEUK Conference has reinforced its position as the UK’s flagship knowledge exchange forum. In 2026, it will again convene leaders from research, business, and policy to share best practice, strengthen collaboration, and inform the future direction of funding and policy.
Hosting the event at the ICC Wales will shine a spotlight on Welsh innovation and partnerships, reflecting the regional diversity and strength of knowledge exchange across the UK. As a membership organisation, Knowledge Exchange UK is committed to moving its annual event around the country, ensuring opportunities for engagement and participation are spread nationally.
Dr Alicia Greated, Executive Director of Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) and Interface Strategic Board member will be speaking at this event.
Join Dr. Dave Hughes for the next GCoSI Deep Dive at Glasgow Science Centre, exploring entrepreneurship, invention and building deep technology in Glasgow.
Glasgow has always been a city of ideas — from engineering breakthroughs on the River Clyde to scientific and medical innovations that have shaped industries worldwide. Today, that inventive spirit is carried forward by founders, researchers and innovators turning ambitious ideas into real-world companies.
This GCoSI Deep Dive explores what it really takes to build a startup in Glasgow — tracing a line from historic invention to modern deep technology and wearable innovation. It looks beyond theory to the lived realities of spinouts, entrepreneurship and scaling technology from a Scottish base.
Join an intimate, audience-led conversation with Dr. Dave Hughes, deep-tech entrepreneur and consultant, as he reflects on his journey from academic research to company creation. Drawing on experience building wearable and sensing technologies, Dave will share the moments that mattered most, the challenges behind the headlines, and how Glasgow’s unique innovation mindset continues to shape what gets built — and how.
This isn’t a lecture — it’s a conversation shaped by you.
The KTP Images Showcase returns for 2026 celebrating the ideas, talent and real‑world innovation delivered through UK-wide KTP projects working in partnership with academic experts from the Glasgow Region.
This year also marks 30 years of the West of Scotland KTP Centre. Since 1996, they have supported 542 partnerships and secured £84 million in funding for businesses working with our knowledge bases. The evening will celebrate this milestone and shine a light on the projects and people shaping innovation right now.
Why Attend?
- Discover Inspiring Projects: Immerse yourself in the creative and innovative work of KTP Associates as they exhibit visual representations of their groundbreaking projects.
- Meet the people behind the ideas: Hear first-hand from Associates about the challenges they’re tackling and the impact their work is having in businesses and communities.
- Connect with the KTP community: Network with Innovate UK, business partners, academics and fellow Associates, a great space for sparking new collaborations.
- Celebrate outstanding work: The evening rounds off with an address from the guest speakers and awards presentation for the most compelling project images.
The Universities of Abertay, St Andrews and Dundee are co-organising a workshop for researchers from across the region to explore how our inventions and discoveries can be commercialised through the formation of companies (spin outs).
Funded by the Scottish Government, the workshop is part of the Pipeline Flywheel Project, an initiative to foster collaboration across our Scottish Universities, Colleges and Research Organisations that will lead to growth in the quantity and quality of spin outs.
Activity
The day will include practical activity to tease out and develop commercial opportunities that could arise from your work. You will also be invited to contribute your views research commercialisation – how do we build the pipeline, motivate researchers and create successful ventures? The hope is that you will leave inspired to continue exploring your ideas and armed with pointers to funding and support.
The workshop will be facilitated by Cait Murray-Green and Andrew King of Strategic Scientific Consulting.
Who is it for?
People involved in research from
- University of Dundee
- Abertay University
- St Andrews University
- NHS Tayside
If you are from another organisaiton then contact the organiser.
The event is open to everyone from Early Career Researchers through to experienced Principal Investigators and clinicians interested in commercialising ideas. The event is sector agnostic and suitable for all research disciplines.
If you are unsure whether the event is right for you, contact Elaine Kearney, ekearney004@dundee.ac.uk
Gillian Hambley of Interface will be attending this event
Over the course of this two-day conference, participants will meet, talk, and connect with people who are creating and nurturing ecosystems where new and growing businesses can thrive.
Ecosystem Exchange 2025 will discuss and challenge three key areas of ecosystem building:
Ecosystem Builders & the Future of UK Tech
AI powers 85% of today’s innovation, but the UK’s tech future depends on more than AI alone. We’ll explore how to support AI-native startups, update outdated frameworks, and strengthen the wider ecosystem.
Universities as Engines of Innovation
From research labs to venture builders, are universities evolving fast enough? This session looks at how academia can drive talent, policy, and commercial impact while making limited resources go further.
Building a Cohesive National Tech Strategy
Are the UK’s innovation goals fit for reality? This session will compare the national agenda against what’s happening on the ground and explore how to align funding, talent, and governance for long-term success, while keeping an eye internationally.
Speakers shaping the 2025 conversations include:
- Adam French – Partner, Antler – England
- Ana Stewart – Chief Entrepreneur, Scottish Government – Scotland
- Andrea Taylor – CEO, Edinburgh Innovations – Scotland
- Andrew Elphick – Director of Business Clinic & Senior Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University – England
- Chris Neumann – Associate, Creative Destruction Lab – Canada
- Claire Cockerton – Managing Director, Cockerton & Co – England
- David Herbada – Founding Partner, Fikra Ventures – England
- Dex Hunter-Torrike – Head of Global Communications & Marketing, Google DeepMind – England
- Elizabeth Scott – Chief Executive Director, Turing Innovation Catalyst Manchester – England
- Emilio Cuevas – Ecosystem Innovation & Growth Specialist, Innovate UK – England
- Henry Whorwood – Managing Director – Research & Consultancy, Beauhurst – England
- Jane Kennedy – Chief Business Officer, Discovery Park – Scotland
- Jennifer Craw – Chief Executive, Opportunity North East – Scotland
- Jennifer Forbes Iannolo – VP Business Acceleration, CodeBase – Scotland
- Michael Rovatsos – Dean of Research & Innovation, University of Edinburgh – Scotland
- Mike Jackson – Head of Venture Cafe UK, Venture Cafe – England
- Nadine “Noodles” Groves – Co-founder & COO, Natural Velocity – Australia
- Rob Kenedi – Founder, Decelerator with Rob Kenedi – Canada
- Rose Luckin – Founder & CEO, EDUCATE Ventures – England
- Sarita Runeberg – CEO, Maria 01 – Finland
- Siobhan Clarke – Chair, Supercritical – England
- Stephen Brown – Head of Barclays Eagle Labs, Barclays – England
Ecosystem Exchange 2025 is an exclusive event featuring thought-provoking panels, curated networking, and an evening mixer designed to spark new connections and fresh ideas across the UK’s evolving business ecosystem.
Only three weeks until the launch of Highland Business Week 2025 from Inverness Chamber of Commerce and the programme is shaping up with events looking to inspire, inform and upskill.
Taking place from Monday 22 to Friday 26 September, the week features an exciting series of events including networking opportunities and seminars along with the well established Highland Spotlight business exhibition and Highland Business Awards lunch.
It’s a brilliant opportunity for the Highland business community to get together and be inspired and informed.
A fantastic programme is lined up, so check out the details below and book your place today!