This webinar will give you an overview of how to assess your investment needs, some of the funding routes available beyond grants and loans, and how to manage the process to achieve a successful outcome. Whether you are considering starting a new business, preparing to invest in new equipment or scaling up to meet increasing demand, this session will give you practical insights on how to secure investment to help your growth ambitions.

At the event you will hear from Alex McDonald and Struan Mackie from North Point Distillery who have gone through the journey of securing investment to grow their business. The session will include an overview of

• Crowdfunding,

• Seed Enterprise investment Scheme (SEIS)

• International Investment

• The tools you can use to help get investment

• Different terms that should be understood

The Food and Drink TechHUB is a Northern Innovation Hub programme funded through the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal – a joint initiative supported by £315m investment from the UK and Scottish governments, The Highland Council, HIE and University of the Highlands and Islands.

This interactive workshop will give businesses an overview of the advice, support and funding available around innovation that is relevant to their food and drink sector. If you are looking to innovate within your business, develop a new innovative piece of equipment or technology or collaborate with an academic institution/partner then this is the workshop for you.

The workshop will include presentation from the following organisation who can provide support to help you on your innovation journey.

• Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

• Interface

• Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)

• Innovate UK/Knowledge Transfer Network

• CENSIS

• National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS)

The workshop will also include an interactive session led by CENSIS which will provide a global perspective on current challenges and technology trends in the food and drink industry, discuss the current challenges and unmet needs F&D businesses face in the highlands and develop a roadmap outlining what businesses would like to see in the physical Food and Drink TechHUB Innovation centre.

Agenda includes:

09.30 Registration and coffee

10.00 Welcome and Introduction to TechHUB – Alistair Trail, SAC Consulting

10.10 Overview of innovation support from a variety of support agencies

• John Mackenzie, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE)

• Carol-Ann Adams, Interface

• Laura Dee, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP)

• Debbie Tully, Innovate UK/KTN

• Ally Longmuir, CENSIS

• Alan Whiteside, National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS)

11.10 – Break

11.15 Interactive session led by CENSIS on current challenges and needs F&D businesses face with regards to technology and innovation leading to the development of a roadmap of potential solutions that can be supported by the TechHUB

12.15 Summary + Close

12.20 Lunch

The Food and Drink TechHUB is a Northern Innovation Hub programme funded through the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal – a joint initiative supported by £315m investment from the UK and Scottish governments, The Highland Council, HIE and University of the Highlands and Islands.

This month Productivity Club will focus on innovation.

Innovation is the secret ingredient of every organisation, without it there is no development or growth.

By innovation we mean the practical implementation of an idea that can result in a new process, strategy or product/service that can contribute to the success of the organisation.

We will hear from businesses that have: developed innovative technologies such as Blue Gentoo, collaborated with academia to increase business efficiency such as Albion Environmental, implemented new solutions to reduce their carbon footprint such as Dustacco, or those who have worked in collaboration with University students to explore business market opportunities for Bright Solid.

Experts will attend too to provide further information on the topic.

The sessions are interactive with group discussion, Q&A and networking opportunities.

SCDI recently published the report Now is the time for purpose which has had a huge impact across Scotland.

This seminar follows on from that report by answering the question ‘How does purpose drive growth?’. It will feature key insights from successful organisations, adding detail to the academic research which underpins it. Starting with an overview of purpose-led strategy, it will finish with precise nuggets on how every business can precisely define its purpose and gain both market advantage and internal alignment and acceleration from it.

Lunch will be served after the speaker’s presentation.

Our speaker, Alan Clayton, is the founder and CEO of Revolutionise. He has a twenty-five-year career in purpose driven growth behind him and is still speeding up. Clients range from global giants such as UN agencies right through to small, local start-ups, and from business leaders to freelancers and even amateur racing drivers.

This is a free event for SCDI members and members of Productivity Club Scotland.

This event from Productivity Clubs Scotland will focus on business processes and strategy.

Business processes and strategy are the backbone of productive SMEs.

These can help to increase performance in all areas of your business.

To start the year productively case study speakers will be invited from across the country to share their insights in what they are doing to ensure business longevity.

If you are interested in learning what other organisations are doing, join the Club.

The session is interactive with group discussion and Q&A.

Connect – Collaborate – Communicate

This conference spread over two days will be a hybrid face to face / VC conference, hosted from UHI Moray in the Alexander Graham Bell Centre for Digital Health and is an opportunity for research staff and students to showcase a selection of the varied research happening across the university.

Expect a fully interactive conference with live and pre-recorded elements.

Please take a look at the conference programme. It will be updated on the conference page as sessions and speakers are confirmed.

ZAZA & CRUZ to create a unique natural skincare blend using by-products of the whisky distillation process to rejuvenate and moisturize the skin whilst also shielding against cellular damage and anti-aging.

Background

ZAZA & CRUZ is a natural skin care company that aims to provide high-quality natural ingredients at a reasonable price. Its mission is to make its customers feel confident in their skin.

Rebecca Hastings, a makeup artist, and beauty specialist founded the company in 2013. Her children inspired the company’s name. As a make-up artist, she became increasingly concerned about what was in the products applied to the skin of her clients and her children.  Consequently, she researched the most beneficial natural oils and botanicals in 2011 and created her unique natural blend of ingredients that rejuvenated and moisturized the skin while also shielding against cellular damage and anti-aging.

The Challenge

Kirsty of Interface met Rebecca at a HIE event in 2019, where they discussed the innovation potential of her business.  They chatted about the beneficial effects on aging of the skin that the sake yeast fermentation process was proven to have by a Japanese company SK 11 in the 1970’s. The resulting complex that was created is now used throughout the whole Japanese skincare range.  This led on to a conversation about the potential of whisky in skincare.

ZAZA & CRUZ were looking to use natural ingredients and processes to develop an active antioxidant/enzyme extract from whisky which would help with skin rejuvenation and could be used in their luxury skincare range.

Rebecca, founder of ZAZA & CRUZ was seeking to find out if the antioxidants and enzymes produced during the whisky distilling process could prove beneficial for skin rejuvenation in collagen and cell turnover, and if they could be extracted to become a natural ingredient in her skincare products.

The use of the findings will enable ZAZA & CRUZ to infuse a brand of whisky into their luxury skincare line. This in turn will benefit the partner of the whisky brand to tap into a wider cosmetics market.

The Solution

Robert Gordon University came forward to support Rebecca’s ideas, and Kirsty stayed on hand to support Rebecca with discussions. Rebecca felt that the expertise and enthusiasm from the team at RGU were the right fit for her and so moved forward with an Innovation Voucher

The project focussed on extraction, analysis and testing to discover and prove that the active and complex mix of antioxidants, enzymes and plant phenols released from whisky during the distillation and fermentation process could be extracted and provide a natural and safe solution for the skin which could then be used in the whole luxury line of skincare products for the consumer.

Firstly, the project looked at the antioxidant capacity of pot ale and effluent samples from whisky distillation using different assays as well as evaluating their toxicity at a cellular level. This was then applied into the formulation of the skincare products. Finally, an assessment of their antioxidant activity, that is, their protective effects on skin, was investigated.  It was found that placing the nutrients from whisky in skincare can help to boost the skin and help fight free radical damage from the environment.  In addition, polyphenols from whisky have the added benefit of helping to reduce inflammation, puffiness, and calms redness in the skin; making is a great ingredient to use in a moisturiser every day.

The findings from this collaboration will enable ZAZA & CRUZ to infuse a brand of whisky products into their luxury skincare line that can benefit consumers’ skin.

The Benefits

The benefits to ZAZA & CRUZ:

• Being able to work with a highly specialized and qualified team at RGU with great knowledge of the extraction process for antioxidants.
• A better understanding about the process of extraction and how to adopt a more scientific approach towards testing and incorporating ingredients into skincare products.
• Quality results that can be used to push the project forward and be innovative in the skincare industry.

Venue: APEX City Quay Hotel, Dundee

The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards, sponsored by Salix Finance, is the flagship event that celebrates the partnerships between business, third sector or public sector organisations and academia. Now in its eighth year the annual event recognises, rewards, and celebrates the impacts achieved through these exciting collaborations that enrich society and support sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

To discover more about the categories, and how to apply visit our recent article. Read More.

Background

In his spare time, Mark Yeadon, founding Director of c-monsta, is an avid surfer.  It was during his surfing trips that Mark became frustrated about the lack of way to allow his surf kit to dry, keep it all together and transport in a convenient manner.  This led to the development of an early-stage prototype of a wetsuit dryer, a form of hanger, shaped so that boots and gloves could be hung in an inverted position, allowing them to dry; with a further row that could also hold a wetsuit.

It just so happened that the shape Mark had created looked very much like a sea-monster, and so c-monsta was born!

Throughout the development stage, Mark produced several working prototypes, so he knew the concept was viable and that it functioned effectively.

Challenge

Mark was looking to work in collaboration with a university partner to develop the product further by enhancing the design, minimising the use of materials, and identifying the best possible materials that could be used in the manufacturing process.  Design expertise was needed to make the product fully market ready.

Solution

After being referred by Business Gateway in Moray, Carol-Ann Adams from Interface successfully partnered Mark with Nick Bell from the Product Design Engineering Department at Glasgow School of Art (GSA).

The project focused on optimising the design by taking advantage of the product design skills, detailed materials knowledge, and extensive network of manufacturers that GSA has, to develop a design that would have great functionality and could be manufactured at a price point that would make the product commercially viable.

The collaboration was an immediate success, using GSA’s skills and the client’s network of surfers to develop a product that was viable for manufacture in Scotland.   Glasgow School of Art has excellent facilities – including 3D Computer Aided Design software, 3D printing facilities and a full wood and metal workshop – all of which were utilised for this project.

 This first stage project was funded by a Scottish Funding Council Standard Innovation Voucher.

Benefits

Company

The novel aspect of this product is the combination of features that allow the surfer or watersports enthusiast to air dry their wetsuit, boots and gloves effectively and without using electrical power. The geometry of the product allows the optimal positioning of the equipment – enabling water to drain out and to allow airflow to quickly dry the kit ready for the next session.  By keeping the equipment dry, this design also extends its lifespan.

The added bonus is that the hanger keeps all the equipment organised and in one place – so the surfer should never forget a key item. There are no products on the market that have this combination of features and functionality.

The product has now been developed and sales have surpassed expectations, as more people have been taking up outdoor pursuits such as wild water swimming.  

Scottish Economy

It is hoped that the manufacturing of the final product will be done in Scotland – building on links that both the client and GSA have with Scottish manufacturers and as part of GSA’s commitment to the reshoring of manufacturing jobs. The geometry and manufacturing processes employed will be selected so that recycled plastic material can be used where possible.

Follow-on Activity

The company and academic then successfully applied for a Scottish Funding Council Student Placement Voucher to build on the solid foundation of the c-monsta product design. Callum Leitch, a student from GSA, worked with the company to refine the existing product architecture and materials to make it suitable for the needs of the snow sports market.

Benefits – Company

This follow-on project provided the company with a great opportunity to engage with the knowledge and expertise of the student and academic supervisor – reinforcing the links formed during the initial Innovation Voucher funded project.  By utilising the student’s Project Design Engineering skillset, the company is hoping to penetrate new markets and increase sales.

Benefits – Academic

This provided an excellent opportunity for the student to see first-hand the real-world commercial value and application of the skills they had developed during their degree studies and allow them to produce invaluable content for their portfolio.

The project also provided the basis of an excellent case study for the Product Design Engineering (PDE) department at GSA, showing the current students the real-world application of the PDE skills and processes; taking an initial idea right through the development process, through sketches, prototypes, design reviews and ultimately to a manufactured product.

Students do not often get the opportunity to see projects make it to market, so these types of client projects are invaluable at highlighting the value of the skills they are learning. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to show the value of the teaching/research/enterprise linkages, reinforcing the links between the PDE academic staff and Scottish entrepreneurs.

“From the outset, Callum not only brought enthusiasm to the project, he also took a solid analytical, methodical and practical approach to the problem of drying and storing ski kit. Callum’s design skills were bolstered by great communication skills which made him a pleasure to work with.”  Mark Yeadon, Director, c-monsta