Opportunity North East (ONE) is partnering with CodeBase to deliver a regional tech ecosystem event series: Founders’ Fireside. Each Month these sessions bring together local businesses and stakeholders to explore relevant topics for people working in innovation. These sessions will facilitate insightful conversations, broaden our networks, and help raise awareness of the resources available for organisations in the North East.

This May, Interface are delighted to be partnering with ONE and CodeBase to bring you “Getting Business-Academic Collaborations and Funding Right”. Interface are based regionally throughout Scotland and connect organisations and academics working with organisations of all sizes, in all sectors to match them to Scotland’s world-leading academic expertise to help them grow.

With connections into all Scottish universities, research institutes and colleges, Interface has an established and efficient process that will save time and money in identifying and accessing academic expertise, research, technologies, specialist facilities and funding. Gillian Hambley, Interface’s Business Engagement Executive for the North East region will be facilitating this fireside conversation between Kelly Fraser (KTP North), Corrin Fox (Kionnalo) and Dr Ann Lewendon (University of Aberdeen). We’re delighted to bring together this brilliant group of experts from across industry, academia, and funding to discuss the wide diversity of opportunities available to businesses in the North East.

Over the hour-long session, the following will be covered:

• Collaborative work bringing projects to life
• Funding including Innovation Vouchers and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
• Nationwide support available to people working in the North East

This session is open to people based in the North East of Scotland who want to unlock the collaborative potential of Scotland’s universities, research institutes and colleges.

Join The Entrepreneurship & Innovation Group to celebrate the achievements of the RGU Startup Accelerator entrepreneurs at the annual Startup Showcase event.

The 2024 RGU Startup Showcase will be held on Thursday, 16th May 2024, from 5:30pm to 8:00pm at the Amphitheatre, RGU Campus, Sir Ian Wood Building, RGU Campus, Garthdee Road, AB10 7GJ.

The event marks the culmination of this year’s Accelerator program, where the entrepreneurial startups will showcase their innovative businesses, you can find out more about this year’s cohort here Back to the Future with the RGU Startup Accelerator 2024 | Economic Development | RGU

The finalists will take to the stage to pitch, competing for prize funding for their new ventures – and as in previous years, the audience will get the opportunity to vote for your favourite! The Showcase event also promises Back to the Future themed surprises in store for guests!

Interface’s Gillian Hambley will be in attendance at this event so why not come along and say hello.

The Bettii Pod Ltd – Revolutionising Menstrual Care 

Background

The Bettii Pod Ltd, founded in 2021 by CEO Elaine Galston, is a start-up dedicated to normalising and destigmatising periods while promoting sustainable menstrual practices and enabling access to the testing of menstrual blood for key female focused health concerns. Focused on creating an away-from-home infrastructure for the management of reusable sanitary wear, the company aims to address challenges faced by users of reusable menstrual products, specifically the lack of facilities for cleaning and sanitising menstrual cups and discs in away-from-home environments.

1.8 billion people have periods, leading to 100 billion soiled single use period products being disposed of every year. These products are over 90% plastic and take over 500 years to decompose.  The planet cannot support this. Reusables is the largest growth sector in the menstrual market with an estimated 64 million menstrual cups sold per annum with a 56% growth prediction. 

The Challenge

The primary challenge being addressed by The Bettii Pod Ltd relates to the absence of convenient facilities for cleaning reusable menstrual cups in public spaces, an issue deemed such an obstacle that it was raised by the UN in a 2021 report which implored governments across the world to consider how to enable access to water within female toilets for menstrual cup cleaning. This obstacle, together with the lack of awareness and understanding of menstrual reusables, hinders the widespread adoption of sustainable menstrual products, affecting issues such as period poverty, environmental sustainability and at-home health testing adoption.

Currently menstrual cup users either do not clean their cup or use bottled water and/or disposable wipes which is not good for health, for the environment or practical. Over 23% drop their cup down the toilet or on the floor. The intended purpose of the Bettii product is to support sustainable menstrual practices, enabling eco-friendly menstrual product adoption and mitigating health concerns related to inadequate washing facilities. This gives potential users confidence to adopt cost saving reusables thereby helping eradicate period poverty and enabling access to the market for at-home testing of menstrual blood for key health concerns. 

The company’s innovative solution was to develop an installable menstrual cup washer and sanitiser within toilet cubicles of various public locations, such as offices, gyms, cinemas, stadiums, airports, tourist attractions and other public infrastructures.

The Solution

Interface introduced The Bettii Pod Ltd, together with their designers Fearsome Ltd, to West College Scotland and with the help of Innovation Voucher Funding, the project to develop the world’s first menstrual cup washer and sanitiser for away-from-home environments was born. The collaboration involved extensive research, design, review of key, potentially limiting regulations, and the creation of a lab-based prototype.

The project looked at designing an installable sanitary washer, identifying related infrastructure requirements, and developing installation training. The outcome of the initial phase is the process design of a sanitary menstrual cup washer with the potential for global installation. 

The partnership utilised the technical expertise of the College and active engagement from Bettii Pod’s product development team to design a prototype and toolkit, laying the foundation for commercial viability. The academic team’s support filled crucial gaps in electrical and plumbing expertise, providing insights into design alterations’ impact on sustainability and compliance with standards. This collaborative effort ensures the product’s alignment with industry standards and efficient installation requirements. 

The support from the technical academic staff became invaluable providing crucial insights into the entire design process, from the conceptual stage to compliance and manufacturing. Their expertise was particularly beneficial in assessing how design alterations could positively impact sustainability, with a specific focus on Ingress Protection (IP) which determines the different degrees of protection of the enclosures of electrical and electronic equipment against external elements, IK rating which is defined in international standards and indicates a product’s resistance to mechanical impact, and Water Regulations Approval Scheme (WRAS) compliance.  

This unique contribution filled a critical gap in Bettii Pod’s capabilities, ensuring that the product design would meet the necessary standards and considerations for long-term success. The academic team’s input was instrumental in addressing challenges that could not be sourced elsewhere or managed internally, highlighting the pivotal role they played in the development of the project. 

The lab prototype was developed, eradicating key operational and installation barriers giving the Company much needed assurance as to the commercial applicability of their innovation.

This product boasts a pioneering design that sets it apart as the first of its kind, addressing a critical gap in the market with no comparable alternatives currently available. Full market analysis and proof of concept have now been completed. The lab-based prototype is finalised with patents to be registered in early 2025. 

The collaboration between The Bettii Pod Ltd and West College Scotland represents a ground-breaking effort to revolutionize menstrual care, promote sustainability, and address societal period, reusables and health challenges. By combining industry expertise with academic insights, the partnership has created a pioneering product with significant potential for societal and environmental impact. Ongoing collaboration will ensure a successful development and integration of the product into the market, emphasizing a commitment to innovation, standards compliance, and mutual success.

The Bettii Pod Ltd and West College Scotland continue to work together to develop and introduce the product to the marketplace.

The Benefits

• Supports sustainable menstrual practices
• Offers an eco-friendly menstrual choice
• Addresses period poverty by improving access to sanitation facilities
• Mitigates health concerns related to inadequate washing facilities
• Enables uptake of potentially life saving at-home health testing of menstrual blood
• Patent to be registered in 2025
• Collaboration between The Bettii Pod Ltd and West College Scotland is ongoing to finalise and bring the product to market.

• Do you want to hear about future innovation in the north east?
• Interested in the new Seedpod development and how SRUC can support Food and drink businesses?
• Are you interested in leading-edge food & drink associated research?
• Do you want to hear about potential collaboration opportunities?

Then why not join this SRUC event which will showcase the breadth of their food & drink activities from product development & innovation to industry-focussed research, consultancy and education. From meat, fish & plant-based protein, food security, processing production, emerging technologies, & political drivers, to innovative food & drink product development – food & drink is very much a focus at SRUC. If you’re a food & drink business this event will give you a better understanding of how SRUC / SAC Consulting can help you and will also showcase some examples of products that we have helped to develop.

Opportunity North East will join SRUC at this event and provide an update on the transformational SeedPod project that is currently under construction at SRUC Craibstone. It has been developed with industry and partners and has been set up to grow the food and drink manufacturing sector in the region and nationally. Seedpod’s facilities and support programmes will put businesses at the forefront of innovation, productivity and sustainability, increasing high-value exports and creating new jobs. It will help businesses and the sector deliver low-carbon production and contribute to net-zero goals. SeedPod is due to open in late 2024 and is co-funded by ONE, the Scottish and UK Governments and is a key industry innovation project within the Aberdeen City Region Deal. SRUC is a strategic delivery partner in the project and is providing the site for SeedPod on its Craibstone campus.

SRUC welcomes this development on its Craibstone campus given its alignment to SRUC’s strategic growth strategy and food & drink expertise.

Lunch will be provided between 12:30pm – 1:30pm

Are you a seafood, farming or food and drink processing business? Is your organisation facing challenges and keen to discover more about how 5G technology can be used to manage records, improve camera video feed, remote monitor equipment and reduce time for machinery maintenance and more?

Opportunity North East (ONE) and The Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) are hosting ‘5G Unwrapped: For Food, Drink & Agriculture Businesses’ at ONE Tech Hub on Tuesday 30th January from 12pm-3pm.

Hear from ONE and Scotland 5G Centre about the opportunities, facilities and support for businesses like yours. Listen to those who have embarked on a journey to implement 5G into their operations to solve everyday business challenges.

5G could help your organisation and enable:

• Reliable connectivity, no more buffering or lag
• Remote monitor equipment and reduce machinery maintenance
• Reduce costs, maximise productivity and improve margins
• Implement innovative technical solutions for your business
• More flexibility, you could have your own private secure network

Gain valuable insights and directly meet the people who can help with your upcoming journey and its challenges. Network with like-minded people in the digital and food and drink sectors and discuss how investment in technology could be implemented in your business.

CeeD in partnership with the North of Scotland KTP Centre, are hosting Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) – Opportunities and Success Stories on Thursday 30th November 2023 at the Amphitheatre, Sir Ian Wood Building, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen AB10 7GJ from 9:30am for registration, starting at 10am and closing by 11:45am.

Innovation can be key to accelerate a business to the next level. A company may have an innovative idea or challenge that they believe will lead to increased productivity and business growth, but they lack the skills or expertise to develop it. A Knowledge Transfer Partnership may be the perfect solution. Having run for almost 50 years, the KTP is a leading Innovate UK program to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through better use of knowledge, technology, and skills. A KTP will link a company to a knowledge base (either a university or a Research Organisation) and a capable graduate or postgraduate who will be recruited to deliver the project, guided by a team of academic experts.

Hear an overview from Kelly Fraser, KTP Centre Manager and about two KTP case studies:

University of Aberdeen / Global Design Innovation

Project description: To develop a software tool that automatically recognises equipment from laser scans of production plants. Processing terabytes of scan data automatically will yield massive savings in engineering time and enable new products and services such as verifying a whole plant design.

Robert Gordon University / Harper UK

Project description: Design a novel remote recovery system for the decommissioning of concrete mats from the seabed with the use of baskets to recover to the back deck of an offshore support vessel. The system will eliminate the need for divers, improving Health & Safety outcomes and standardising operational costs.

The North East of Scotland’s Premier Business Networking Event is taking place on Wednesday 11th October, 2023, at the Ardoe House Hotel, Aberdeen where you can meet 100’s of local decision makers who have already registered to attend this event.

Designed for decision makers, team leaders, owners, managers and directors from all sizes of business.

What should I expect?

The show features everything you might need for a great day of business. There’s an awesome array of things to do and people to meet. It’s no exaggeration to say that we welcome businesses from all industries and sizes.

1-2-1 Networking

With over 15 years of experience in networking and events, we know how to connect people. Unlike some events, our networking sessions are free to attend all day. We connect you with the kind of in-person connections that make your business tick. With 82% of our delegates being decision-makers, you know you’re in the right company.

Workshops and Seminars

From world-class business leaders to award-winning authors, sporting heroes to captains of industry; we bring you the most insightful and inspiring speakers. We don’t lose sight of our roots and a small business either. We bring the best local experts to each event and keep you connected at every level.

The Transform Business Festival returns to Aberdeen on 14th November 2023.

Last year, over 300 attended the event at Aberdeen Science Centre with a host of inspirational speakers, educational workshops and more.

This year organisers Elevator and Business Gateway aim to make the #TransformBizFest even bigger and better and as part of Aberdeen’s thriving ecosystem Interface are exhibiting in the Ecosystem Village.

Festival delegates will be able to meet and engage with potential clients, hear from guest speakers, promote their products and services, and celebrate Aberdeen’s thriving ecosystem over the course of the day.

Come along and chat to our very own Gillian Hambley of Interface in the Ecosystem Village.

Find out more about the Transform Business Festival.

The 50th anniversary of SPE Offshore Europe takes place between 5-8 September 2023 at the P&J Live Aberdeen, to secure sustainable and equitable energy for the next 50 years and beyond.

If you are ready to connect with the Offshore Energy industry, network with brands across the entire value chain to find the latest innovations and developments within the industry and discover cutting-edge insights and trends attend the SPE conference designed around the four key themes of Energy Security, Energy Transition, Innovative Technology and Future Talent.
Reconnect with the industry to explore the evolving nature of the energy industry.

To find out more and to register visit SPE Offshore Europe