Re-imagining high-performance homes running entirely on renewable energy and being completely self-efficient protecting their occupiers for decades.

Background

Kionnali Living Systems is a startup based in Aberdeenshire created by co-founders Avriel Skolnick and Corrin Fox whose backgrounds in science and engineering and experience in construction and manufacturing has enabled them to design and build LightForm, a prototype home utilising regenerative and resilient building technologies and integrated systems.
LightForm is a modular off-site manufactured home, featuring a unique home climate control system which generates all the heat a house needs, using renewable inputs, distributed recovery and local storage. Inputs include solar thermal collectors, air source heat pump powered by local renewables, and a clean burning biomass back up.

The Journey

Kionnali Living Systems is working to reimagine and build systems that take care of basic needs, from shelter, to energy, to food and water, locally and regeneratively and combine those systems into a modular home that deploys anywhere in minutes and provides everything needed to live, sustainably, on or off grid.

Kionnali was keen to collaborate on several areas including system architecture, materials study and thermal analysis. Initially referred by Business Gateway, the first collaboration instigated by Interface involved a PhD student with the National Environmental Research Council (NERC) and the University of Edinburgh who looked at how a structure with low compaction, no permanent foundation, combined with the introduction of carbon rich compost and clean water, would affect the microbiome of soil.  The research found that Kionnali’s adaptable foundation and lightweight construction could significantly reduce impact from housing on compaction and soil biodiversity.

Taking cognisance of Scotland’s long-term climate change targets and the Scottish Government’s vision that by 2045 homes and buildings will be warmer, greener, and more efficient with renewable energy playing a significant part, Kionnali wanted to test their net-zero energy system concept for the development of self-sustained, net-zero energy buildings suitable for rural and farming communities.
Gillian Hambley, Business Engagement Executive at Interface connected Kionnali with Professor Alireza Maheri of the Centre of Energy Transition at Aberdeen University to perform a feasibility study to verify the Kionnali Net-zero Energy System concept and also evaluate the performance of Kionnali’s innovative technologies (low cost thermal storage system and biomass backup generator) in the context of a net-zero energy system integrated with renewable components (wind, PV, solar thermal) and storage systems.
Funded by an SFC Innovation Voucher the feasibility study conducted by Professor Alireza Maheri found that the Kionnali system can be 100% self-sustaining in any climate, with an 80% reduction in lifetime system cost and negative carbon emissions.

Through the project the company were able to confirm assumptions and develop new design spaces with multifactor optimisation. With the help of a SMART Scotland Grant which funded two full-time positions, the project led on to the development of a full-scale demonstration model.

Interface have continued to support Kionnali connecting them into the Advanced Materials Research Lab at the University of Strathclyde to develop a unique high efficiency, light weight, insulated, modular building panel.

The Benefits

Company

• Development of a modular home that deploys anywhere in minutes and can provide everything to sustain life, on or off grid.
• It is designed to adapt to weather patterns, lifestyle changes, and protect its inhabitants during and after a disaster.
• University expertise has helped prove and accelerate Kionnali’s concept and make their ambition to develop and build systems that take care of basic needs, from shelter, to energy, to food and water, and build sustainable, regenerative communities one step closer.
• Third party feasibility input provided crucial validation data points to propel further growth, from hiring to fundraising and sales.

Academic

• Provided the opportunity to continue research into distributed hybrid renewable energy systems and their impact on a just energy transition.
• Working on this project also provided a valuable opportunity for the further development of MOHRES, a specialised software tool designed to create stakeholders-in-the-loop net-zero energy solutions. MOHRES remains the only tool of its kind, and this collaboration has contributed to its continued refinement through the application to another real-life energy transition challenge.

The Next Steps

• Kionnali are ambitious and are aiming to reimagine the systems that sustain humanity and improve people’s lives with tangible, concrete solutions.
• They plan to grow their team to 15-20 creative doers. In 2025 they are launching three product lines of building technologies based on the Interface funded R&D: FireFly for small spaces, LightForm for residential systems, and LifeBlocks for organisations and disaster relief.
• Over the next 5-8 years the plan is to scale up to full production of the world’s most accessible, sustainable, smart living systems and expand to North America and Europe.
• Active discussions are ongoing with SRUC looking at an “organic waste management system” as an alternative to standard waste toilets that are easy to use, clean and produce sterilised soil. Kionnali will manufacture the composter but would like to collaborate with an academic partner to fully understand the quality of soil and water output from the system, considering soil composition, microbial makeup, and presence of chemicals. They plan to access the Advanced Innovation Voucher to power this work.
• Kionnali’s R&D journey continues at full speed and Interface have continued supporting with further funding applications and opportunities.

The 13th Scottish Fermentation Network Event will take place at the University of Edinburgh Central Campus on 7th April 2025.

Following some refreshments on arrival, a brief update on the network will be given and then an exciting mix of industry and academic presentations from current SFN members. This will be followed by an optional distillery tour and tasting event at Holyrood Distillery.

Agenda

1pm – Registration & refreshments

1.30pm – Welcome talk – Luke Johnston – Senior Upstream Bioprocess Scientist, IBioIC

Session 1
1.40pm – Omics and Biotech. Why bother? – Karl Burgess – Personal Chair of Biological Mass Spectrometry, University of Edinburgh

2pm – Cheaper Than Chicken – Martin Currie – Founder, AMYBO

2.20pm – IP-A: A pint full of intellectual property – Yann Robin – Principal Associate, Marks & Clerk

2.40pm – Sponsor presentation – María Constanza Sadino Riquelme – Senior Process Engineer, Modela

2:50pm – Refreshment break

Session 2
3.10pm – Using Scotland’s spent grains to help solve the global cocoa crisis – Andy Clayton – CEO, Fermtech

3.30pm – Production of biobased molecules to enhance drought tolerance in plants – Josephine Giard – Postdoctoral Researcher, Heriot Watt University

3.45pm – Accelerating R&D: reducing cost improving product recovery with AI Bioprocess Simulation Software – Rafael Boni – Bioprocess Engineer, New Wave Biotech

4pm – Wrap up of main event – Luke Johnston – Senior Upstream Bioprocess Scientist, IBioIC

Main event ends

4.30pm – Whisky tour & tasting (Holyrood Distillery). Note – distillery is a 10 minute walk from 50 George Square venue.

6.15pm – Tasting concludes

Note – tasting will last between 1 hour 15 mins to 1 hour 30 mins.

Join Geovation Scotland and The Edinburgh University’s AI Accelerator for an insightful event focused on the future of infrastructure and data-led solutions. In this event we will hear from Professor Sean Smith, who is heads up the Centre for Future Infrastructure and the Centre for Net-Zero High Density Buildings at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Gala Camacho, Data Scientist and Founder of Diagonal works, Gala is particularly interested in the intersection of data & analytics, community building and technical products that enhance equity in society.

This event will feature key discussions on opportunities for SMEs, community engagement, and the role of geospatial data and AI in building inclusive environments. Following short presentations from Professor Sean Smith and Gala Camacho, there will be a networking drinks reception and a chance to meet with others in the sector.

Louise Arnold of Interface attending.

Stimulating local tech ecosystems has never been more critical. With flagship national programmes designed to widen the funnel for startups and scale-up tech companies, Futurescot’s Glasgow Tech Ecosystem conference brings together industry, government, and academic expertise poised to turn that ambition into a reality.

As we move into the critical delivery phase for Glasgow’s digital economy, local and national government funders will join with the regional agencies whose job it is to support and strengthen the tech sector and, of course, the tech companies looking to transform industries old and new across the Glasgow City Region.

By bringing together all the key players, Futurescot will help supercharge the tech ecosystem in 2024, setting the stage for a future where tech drives societal and economic growth for all.

Learning objectives:

• Understand how to navigate and work with the entire tech ecosystem in Glasgow – from the funders to the national and regional support organisations
• Hear the latest policy directives affecting your organisation – and how to respond to them
• Take advantage of the ‘triple helix’ effect: work with government, industry and academia to collaborate and innovate
• Discover new funding opportunities and practical initiatives that can help build and scale a tech business
• Hear from pioneering and inspiring tech leaders who have built successful businesses – and want to share their insights with the next generation coming up.

Jackie Sanderson and Elaine Sneddon of Interface will attend this event.

Fintech Scotland Festival will take place between 25 September 2024 and 04 October 2024 across Scotland.

The festival will contain conferences, meet-ups, morning breakfast sessions, evening networking events including:

Fintech Summit , 25 September, Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh

Scottish Financial Technology Awards, 25 September, The Sheraton Hotel, Edinburgh

Financial Regulation Innovation, 26 September, Barclays Campus, Glasgow

Payment Innovation, 27 September, Edinburgh Napier University, Craiglockhart Campus

Scaling Your Fintech, 1 October

Data Innovation, 3 October, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Futures Institute

For more information on the Fintech Scotland Festival and other fringe events click below.

Back as the headline event of Glasgow Tech Week, Glasgow Tech Fest is a must-attend event for the tech, digital, and creative communities in Glasgow and beyond. Glasgow Tech Fest will bring together visionary founders, seasoned leaders, insightful investors, ecosystem champions, and experts to connect, network, and share ideas and learnings in a day of keynotes, panels, and fireside chats.

Learn from industry experts and gain practical knowledge with this year’s themes:

• Investing in the future
• Developing inclusive and collaborative ecosystems
• Scale and Growth
• Entrepreneurial journeys
• Breaking barriers

Opening keynote launching Glasgow Tech Fest is the incredible Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock from BBC’s The Sky at Night! Stay tuned as more additions to the agenda are announced, guaranteed to be the ultimate tech event in Scotland!

Hosted by the Department of Design, Manufacturing and Engineering Management (DMEM), this conference event showcases the innovative processes and outcomes from over 40 collaborative student team projects through a series of presentations.

As well as providing a platform for our students’ industry-related output, academics will highlight opportunities and mechanisms for industry to work collaboratively with us in the future.

Registration will take place from 08.45 and the event will close at 14.30.

Who should attend?

• Industrialists collaborating in DMEM industrial projects.
• Industrialists interested in finding out more about DMEM and collaborative opportunities.
• Interface and knowledge exchange professionals.
• Academic staff in the areas of design, manufacture and engineering management.
• Senior undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering (SRPe) Annual Conference 2023 on 31st October is the annual opportunity for industry, academia and government to share the latest technological advances and research in Scotland.
Centred around SRPe’s Strategic Themes; Advanced Manufacturing; Robotics and Autonomous Systems; Engineering for Health and Care; Infrastructure & Environment, the event will take place at the Technology & Innovation Centre in Glasgow.

In addition to Keynote Speakers, there will be Strategic Theme sessions with updates from respective Theme Chairs, and each will host a Guest Speaker with Q&A at the end of each session.

Speakers confirmed are:

• Professor Peter Bonfield OBE (Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Westminster, and Co Chair of the EPSRC ‘Tomorrow’s Engineering Research Challenges’ Report)
• Dr Hina Khan (Executive Director, Space Scotland)
• Dr Janette Wark (EPSRC Head of Regional Engagement – Scotland)
• Professor Trish Connolly (Chair of the SRPe ‘Engineering for Health and Care’ Thematic Leadership Group, Director of the Strathclyde Institute of Medical Devices, University of Strathclyde)
• Professor Sean Smith (Chair of the SRPe ‘Infrastructure and Environment’ Thematic Leadership Group, Director of Centre for Future Infrastructure, University of Edinburgh)
• Professor Bill Ion (Chair of the SRPe ‘Advanced Manufacturing’ Thematic Leadership Group, Emeritus Professor; Design, Manufacturing & Engineering Management, University of Strathclyde )
• Joe Galloway (Research Support Manager – Overseas Funders, University of Glasgow)

There will also be opportunities to learn about SRPe’s industry focused doctorate programmes; the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland Industry Doctorate Programme (NMIS-IDP) and the Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering Industry Doctorate Programme (SRPe-IDP), as well as the latest collaborative funding opportunities for industry and academia in a Funding Showcase.

For further information, please get in touch with Andrew Dryden at andrew.dryden@srpe.ac.uk.

Calling all Scottish tech innovators and entrepreneurs! Attend an event, where the worlds of venture capital and tech startups collide. This event is designed to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and connections needed to take your startup to new heights.

A distinguished panel of experts, comprising seasoned venture capitalists and experts, including Chris Neumann, Marvin Liao, Monique Woodard, Casey Lau, and Mike Sigal, will take the stage to share their invaluable insights on what it takes to become investor ready. From securing seed funding to scaling your business, these experts have witnessed and supported countless success stories.

Prepare to be inspired as we dive into dynamic panel discussions featuring local tech founders who have successfully attracted investments and scaled their ventures. Learn from their experiences, challenges, and strategies for achieving investor readiness in the fiercely competitive landscape of Scottish tech startups.

Amidst the thought-provoking discussions, you’ll have the opportunity to network with fellow entrepreneurs, industry experts, and, of course, our esteemed panellists. Forge meaningful connections, foster collaborations, and uncover exciting opportunities during the networking refreshments that conclude the event.

Don’t miss out on this pivotal event that promises to unlock new pathways to success for your tech startup. Secure your spot today and embark on a transformative journey toward investment readiness and accelerated growth in the vibrant Scottish startup ecosystem.

Who is this event for?

This event is specifically designed for Scottish tech innovators and entrepreneurs who are eager to attract investments, scale their startups, and take their businesses to new heights. Whether you’re an early-stage founder seeking seed funding or an established startup looking to secure additional investments for growth, this event offers valuable resources and guidance for tech entrepreneurs at all stages.