Presented in Partnership with Interface and the School of Innovation and Technology (SIT) at Glasgow School of Art.

Tapping into academic skills, resources and capacity can be a powerful way to explore and unlock innovative new products, service and processes for your business, organisation, freelance practice or network. It can also help you think differently about how you approach problems, create additional resource to develop and test ideas and offer valuable support to realise your ambitions more fully.

Although deeper collaborative relationships between academia and the creative, heritage and business sectors holds significant potential, bringing these elements and their distinctive talents together for mutual benefit can be challenging. In this insightful session, Professor Steve Love, School of Innovation and Technology (SIT) at Glasgow School of Art, will offer an overview of their dynamic knowledge exchange ambitions, discuss the specific support programmes networks can access— and look at how this relationship could pave the way for exciting new possibilities.

This interactive online workshop will offer an overview of SIT’s design-led innovation approach and how they could support your businesses, organisations or networks regardless of scale or capacity to engage in the below key areas:

• Take an active part in co-designed activities to enable capacity building and knowledge exchange to collaboratively uncover new opportunities.
• Design, prototype and evaluate new services, applications and work practices.
• Bring cutting-edge thinking into your business to tackle cultural, social and economic challenges, unlock new opportunities and increase innovation more meaningfully.

Carol-Ann Adams, Business Engagement Executive at Interface, will also provide an overview of how they can help make your links with academia work, including the potential to access innovation grants.

The event will also offer attendees the opportunity to discuss their specific projects in more detail, find out how SIT and Interface could support their ambitions and establish next steps.

The School of Innovation and Technology

The School of Innovation and Technology (SIT) at The Glasgow School of Art was formally launched in August 2023 and is a merger between the Innovation School and The School of Simulation and Visualisation. SIT is based at The GSA’s main campus locations in Glasgow and at the GSA’s highland campus in Altyre, Forres.

SIT’s Knowledge Exchange (KE) strategy is based on creating a scalable KE Impact & Innovation Ecosystem and impact-based culture that makes a significant local, national and international difference beyond academia.

Interface

Based regionally throughout Scotland, Interface works with organisations of all sizes and in all sectors, to match them to Scotland’s world-leading academic expertise, to help with their growth ambitions or solve a challenge they may be facing. Our primary aim is to encourage individuals, community groups, businesses & social enterprises in Scotland, to work with a university partner to drive innovation and encourage creativity, turning knowledge and ideas into value for society. With connections into all Scottish universities, colleges and research institutes, Interface has an established and efficient process that will save time and money in identifying and accessing academic expertise, research, technologies, specialist equipment and funding. Our free and impartial service has helped thousands of organisations become more competitive, enabling them to increase their profits, reach new markets and ultimately become more sustainable.

Steve Love

Professor Steve Love is Head of Knowledge Exchange activities in the School of Innovation and Technology at The Glasgow School of Art. His primary research expertise is investigating the impact of digital applications and services on people’s behaviour and lives. His work has been sponsored by funders such as the AHRC, EPSRC, ESRC, InnovateUK, Scottish Funding Council, European Space Agency, the European Social Fund, BT, Sharp Laboratories Europe and “3”. He has extensive experience of managing multi-disciplinary teams from both academia and industry. He is a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Peer Review College and a Fellow of the Design Research Society.

Carol-Ann Adams

Carol-Ann worked for 29 years in banking, latterly working in the Corporate Markets division, and attained Chartered Banker status during her career. Having embarked on a lifestyle change, Carol-Ann relocated to the Highlands in 2014, and worked for Highlands and Islands Enterprise’ Inward Investment Team for just under a year. This gave her a fantastic breadth of knowledge of the region in a relatively short space of time. Joining the Interface team in early 2015, Carol-Ann’s role concentrates on promoting the Interface service to as many businesses as possible, encouraging them to enter successful academic collaborations.

Join Visit Moray Speyside for the first collaboration event with Moray Climate Action Network [Moray CAN] to hear from speakers about sustainable tourism.

This event aims to highlight the significance of sustainable tourism practices, shedding light on how collective efforts can contribute to preserving the beauty of Moray.

The event will feature The Cabrach Trust, Duffus Estate, Threaplands Garden Centre, InKeith and Strathisla and WDC Scottish Dolphin Centre who are all dedicated to being a sustainable business/organisation. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation and learn how you can contribute to responsible tourism while enjoying the best that Moray has to offer.

The Food and Drink TechHUB Business Support are running a FREE online Workshop on “Green Marketing”. The free 3 hour interactive workshop will Include sessions from four experts on sustainability, marketing and messaging for the food & drink industry. There will be plenty of interactive elements, loads of time for Q&A and some 1on1 virtual time with the experts. The workshop will take place on Wednesday 31st January 2024, 10am – 1pm TechHUB Green Marketing

With Environmental, sustainability and carbon messaging becoming even more important to the consumer, it’s critical that your business gets the right messaging and you make the best possible decisions to be more sustainable.

It’s crucial that in doing so, you avoid green-washing, avoid using banned terminology, avoid fines and that you provide a true and authentic picture of your business’ sustainability. This interactive virtual workshop will help cut through the confusion and help you to get it right.

Aquaculture UK is the UK’s largest meeting place for aquaculture professionals.

Meet the companies driving infrastructure, farming technology and equipment forward. You’ll discover real-time solutions that boost production and profitability. And take away key insights on sustainability, welfare and environmental challenges.

Join your industry on 14-15 May at Macdonald Aviemore, Scotland, and share ideas to define the future.

Find out more and register.

This event is delivered in partnership with the National Trust for Scotland and it is aimed at businesses and organisations within the Highland and Islands tourism sector only.

Join this interactive day-event focussed on the critical issues and opportunities shaping the landscape of the Highland & Islands Tourism sector.

Hear real stories from peers, on staff retention, attraction and innovation. With a mix of case studies, panel discussion and workshops we will touch on topics that will help your business to stay competitive.

Don’t miss the chance to be part of a solution-focused conversation, and join a day of learning, inspiration and networking.

Agenda of the event and speakers will be announced soon.

Get ready to revolutionize your social enterprise by harnessing the power of AI in a webinar organised by Impact Hub Inverness. For more information and to register click below.

The Inverness Business Show is the Highlands of Scotland’s Premier Business Networking Event 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.

There are around 50 companies exhibiting and with a packed programme of 8 fantastic seminars and workshops, networking events and a huge exhibition to browse there are opportunities galore for attendees and exhibitors.

Get full event details and information about speakers, sessions and exhibiting at Inverness Business Show.

The creative and heritage sectors are widely viewed as incredibly fertile spaces for innovation, consistently stepping outside the boundaries of traditional thinking to find new ways of working. As these sectors continues to navigate uncertainly, now more than ever, businesses, organisations and networks are looking to reach their customers in different ways and develop new processes, services and products. However, from identifying possible areas of innovation- to articulation, funding and undertaking R&D – embarking on the journey can seem like a daunting and complicated process.

In this practical workshop, John Mackenzie, Senior Development Manager for Innovation at Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), will break down their range of innovation services, how to access them and talk through the dynamic opportunities it could offer the creative and heritage sectors.

John Mackenzie provides innovation support to both HIE staff and clients providing advice on innovation funding, IP, access to external expertise and support on how to structure an innovation project. He is also HIE’S lead on their partnerships with the Censis and Best innovation centres, the advanced manufacturing cluster builder programme, and Interface.

Lochaber Chamber of Commerce brings you Lochaber Ideas Week 2023, a celebration of thought leadership and innovation! World-class thinkers, diversity experts, politicians, and public servants unite to shape Lochaber’s future. Engage in a week of inspiring debates and discussions ranging from The Digital Revolution: AI, Apps & the Future of Business, to Tourism Day to Around Lochaber in 80 Tables and culminating in Lochaber Ideas Week Gala Dinner.