This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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More research ideas getting to market
12/02/2004
Scottish universities have increased their share of
ideas moving from research labs towards the
marketplace.
Compared with the UK total, figures for 2001/02 show
that Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs) filed 17
per cent of all new patent applications - up from 12 per
cent the previous year - and that those granted made up 21
per cent of the UK total.
Scotland accounted for 17 per cent of all HEI licenses
to companies - up from 14 per cent.
The Scottish survey figures are based on the UK-wide
Higher Education-Business Interaction report 2001/02. It
also shows that Scottish universities:
- signed 9 per cent of all HEI contracts with businesses
- same as previous year.
- created 12 per cent of all academic spin-out
companies, down slightly from 14 per cent.
- provided consultancy to an average of 51 firms per
institution, compared to 115 on average per UK
institution.
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Minister Jim Wallace
said:
"Exploiting the ideas and innovations developed in our
universities is essential to creating a genuine
knowledge-based economy.
"This survey shows that great strides are being made in
realising the commercial potential of our research base.
But there are areas for improvement, particularly in
developing consultancy links with business. I want to see
the business community raising its game and taking full
advantage of university expertise - this can be a win, win
situation for both sectors. Business can win by gaining
access to the expertise of universities; higher education
institutions receive an income and increase their expertise
in making research more relevant to industrial
applications.
"The right framework is in place. We are supporting
knowledge transfer though the Proof of Concept Fund, and
through the SCoRe and SEEKIT initiatives we are encouraging
co-operation in research and development and knowledge
transfer between Scottish small businesses and the public
sector science base.
"Over the longer term, record resources are being
ploughed into Scottish Enterprise's Intermediary Technology
Institutes to raise the level of corporate R&D and
encourage the growth of more Scottish technology
companies.
"Scotland must capitalise on the excellence in our
higher education sector in order to reap the economic
rewards."
Case Study - an award-winning academic spin-out
company
The University of Glasgow transfers knowledge to
business and industry through a wide range of routes. One
of the most successful mechanisms over recent years has
been through the creation of companies.
One recent example is Kelvin Connect Ltd, which started
out as an EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research
Council) funded Healthcare Informatics Initiative. The
project investigated the use of mobile palmtop computers to
support anaesthetists in the capture of pre and
post-operative data for decision support and clinical
audit. The technology helps anaesthetists to collate
patient information in real time.
The success of the research enabled Meurig Sage, then a
research assistant and now the Managing Director, to win a
Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship to support
him in developing a business plan for commercialisation of
the technology. The company are currently involved in a
number of projects including: cancer patient care in
association with the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow;
intensive care software in association with a European
neuro-intensive care project; and electronic data capture
for the police in association with Scottish Police
Information Strategy unit.
The company continues to go from strength to strength.
They recently won a 'Small Firms Merit Award for Research
and Technology' (SMART) award of £45,000 from the Scottish
Executive and were also named as 'Spin-out of the Year' at
the 2003 Scottish Software Awards.
The Higher Education-Business Interaction Survey is
undertaken annually by the Higher Education Funding Council
for England (HEFCE) on behalf of a group which includes the
Scottish Higher Education Further Council (SHEFC) and the
Scottish Executive.
The results for Scotland are available at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ASD/ELL-EAS5/00018745/Summary.aspx
Scotland makes up 8.5 per cent of the UK
population.
Commercialisation activity in HEIs is specifically
supported through the Scottish Higher Education Funding
Council Knowledge Transfer Grant of £6.5 million in
2003-04. This is expected to double by 2005-06 following
additional resources provided by the Executive.
The Proof of Concept Fund aims to improve the level and
quality of commercialisation in Scotland in order to ensure
the development of a strong, knowledge-based economy.
Overall, £33 million has been committed to the Fund over
six years. To date, the Fund has supported 121 projects
and committed funding of £19 million.
The £9 million Scottish Executive Expertise, Knowledge
and Information Transfer (SEEKIT) and SME Collaborative
Research programme (SCoRe) were launched on 1 December
2003. SEEKIT grants will be awarded to eligible public
sector organisations such as universities for projects that
improve the ability of Scotland's science base to work with
business. SCoRe will support projects involving
pre-competitive activities in research and development
jointly undertaken between small and medium sized
businesses and public sector research bodies.
Scottish Enterprise is supporting the three Intermediary
Technology Institutes (ITIs) with £450 million over 10
years. These aim to raise levels of corporate research and
development in Scotland and encourage the growth of more
Scottish technology companies in the long-term. They are
based in Aberdeen (Energy), Dundee (Life Sciences) and
Glasgow (Technology and Digital Media).