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.
A one-day event where you’ll hear inspiring impact success stories, meet potential collaborators from other Scottish universities, and explore funding and training opportunities to kick-start your own impact-focused projects.
The IAA Impact Festival is organised by the five Scottish universities with EPSRC Impact Acceleration Accounts (IAAs): Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt and St Andrews.
Speakers
This year’s keynote speaker is Fran Scott. Listed in The Progress 1000 London’s most influential people, Fran is the Science Content Developer at the Royal Institution as well as being the only female science presenter on CBBC. A scientist by training and an engineer at heart, Fran uses her knowledge to entertain and excite audiences of stage and screen. She is best known for her playful (and often fiery) demonstrations on the CBBC show Absolute Genius with Dick and Dom. With her own production company, Great Scott! Productions, she writes and produces high-octane shows for clients such as Google for Education, Mishkat Science Centre, Siemens and National Grid. Balancing entertainment with education, Fran manages to inject her demonstrations with narrative and humour to make them as enjoyable as they are informative.
You’ll also hear lightning talks from impact leaders at the five organising universities, sharing insights into their projects and the value of partnering with industry, government, and the third sector.
Networking sessions
Meet other researchers from across Scotland and creatively explore opportunities to collaborate through facilitated, structured networking sessions.
Exhibitors
In the exhibition space, you will meet funders and innovation hubs that can provide support for your impact activities. Interface are exhibiting at this event.
CreativeTech Scotland Gathering takes place on the 20th of June on the University of Edinburgh campus and promises to be an exciting day of cutting edge creative tech keynotes, demos and panels with workshops and a closing reception with live improvised electronic music from Boardgame.
The aim is to bring people together from across the creative and cultural sector in every discipline to meet, connect, share know-how, be inspired by new innovations and be amazed by how we each use creative technology to deliver our services, products and audience experiences.
The Programme will include a range of industry spotlights, hands-on workshops, and a showcase of creative tech demonstrations and lightening talks, with a closing reception and performance in Inspace with networking and refreshments.
The event will be hosted on The University of Edinburgh campus across the Informatics Forum, Inspace Gallery and the Student Enterprise Hub.
Full programme can be found here
Louise Arnold and Howell Davies of Interface will be attending this event.
Re-imagining high-performance homes running entirely on renewable energy and being completely self-efficient protecting their occupiers for decades.
Background
Ria Living Systems (previously 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
Ria 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.
Ria 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 Ria’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, Ria 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 Ria with Professor Alireza Maheri of the Centre of Energy Transition at Aberdeen University to perform a feasibility study to verify the Ria Net-zero Energy System concept and also evaluate the performance of Ria’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 Ria 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 Ria 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 Ria’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
- Ria Living Systems 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. Ria 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.
- Ria’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.
Showcasing emerging tech innovations and companies from Scotland’s world class universities.
Hosted by the University of Edinburgh, EIE25 presents the leading spinouts, startups, and scaleups from Scotland’s top universities, all focused on tackling global challenges.
Working with key ecosystem partners, EIE25 will showcase startups and scaleups at the forefront of Scottish tech innovation.
Gain valuable insights into emerging technologies and connect with pioneering companies shaping the future.
Co-hosted with the Tech Tour Growth Deeptech event, EIE25 provides a premier networking platform for global investors to explore impactful opportunities and engage with Scotland’s vibrant innovation ecosystem.
Louise Arnold of Interface will be attending this event.
The Edinburgh Futures Institute will host AIMday Tourism & TravelTech as an in-person event on 26th March 2025 at the Edinburgh Futures Institute building, 1 Lauriston Pl, Edinburgh EH3 9EF.
What is AIMday?
AIMday® (Academic Industry Meeting day) is based on workshops where challenges submitted by participating organisations around a central theme are discussed with experts from different areas of expertise.
After the event, participating academics and researchers can apply for funding from an exclusive funding call, to work with an AIMday participant on their challenge.
Read more about the AIMday Concept.
AIMday Tourism & TravelTech
Some of the most interdisciplinary, intriguing challenges are found at organisations working in the Tourism, Travel, & Festivals sector.
Examples include:
- How might AI and enhanced automation be integrated in your business, while maintaining a good customer experience?
- How might we overcome productivity and staff shortages in the tourism and travel industry?
- How might tourism become more sustainable, circular, or even regenerative for communities and the environment?
- How might residents have a voice in managing the visitor economy?
- How might we use forecasting and data analytics to improve decision-making for creating more impactful experiences in tourism?
- How might visitors be encouraged to go beyond just the well-worn paths and hotspots?
- How can the tourism industry leverage gaming technologies?
Addressing challenges connected to this sector is key to the Edinburgh Futures Institute’s contribution to the £1.3 billion Data Driven Innovation programme. Collaboration between organisations and academia, utilising EFI’s diverse interdisciplinary expertise, is key to understand, break down, and tackle these challenges. We will convene expertise in Design, Informatics, Engineering, Forecasting, Circular Economy and others from across the University of Edinburgh, providing alternative and novel approaches to these challenges.
How to participate
To participate in AIMday as a challenge-holder, you need to submit at least one challenge phrased as a question, which you wish to discuss in a small workshop setting. We welcome challenges in all aspects of Tourism, Travel, and Festivals. We would be happy to discuss your challenge idea further. Feel free to e-mail joshua.ryan-saha@ei.ed.ac.uk
Join AIMday Tourism & TravelTech to access expertise at the University of Edinburgh. Participating organisations meet teams of researchers to explore and address the specific challenges each organisation faces. Each question submitted is tackled by a multi-disciplinary group of academics and researchers with the aim of finding pathways to solutions. Get in touch with joshua.ryan-saha@ei.ed.ac.uk to help you come up with or phrase appropriate question(s).
One question, one hour, a group of academic experts: that is the AIMday format!
After the event, our academics can apply for funding from an exclusive funding call, to work with an AIMday participant on their challenge.
Register your attendance at AIMday Tourism & TravelTech by submitting your question(s) on the registration page for organisations by Monday 4th November 2024.
Edinburgh Innovations are hosting a webinar showcasing research expertise in AI Frontiers on 24 October at 2.00pm- 3.00pm (GMT+1/UK time).
Prof Themis Prodromakis, Director of the Centre for Electronics Frontiers will deliver a talk on “Innovations across AI and Semiconductors”, while Emily Lekkas, Program Director in AI at Edinburgh Innovations will introduce the latest research and expertise at the University. There will also be an opportunity to hear from an industry partner who participated in AIMday Digital Frontiers 2023.
Explore Digital Frontiers is a series of webinars showcasing research expertise in AI, data science, quantum computing, robotics and more from our leading researchers.
Our next webinar in December will focus on Data Science Frontiers. Details and registration will be available soon!
Perhaps these webinars inspire you with questions?
Are you looking to collaborate with our leading experts on Digital Frontiers? You can explore answers with experts from the University of Edinburgh by registering your challenges for our AIMday Digital Frontiers event! Participate in this hybrid event on the 26 February 2025 by submitting your questions by the 13 December 2024!