This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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University and Business links
27/11/2006
Funding of almost £1.5 million has been approved for four innovative projects designed to improve links between Scottish universities and businesses.
The projects are:
- The Scottish Energy Systems Group at University of Strathclyde has been awarded an additional grant of £41,470 (original grant award was £265,247) to expand its existing project to help SMEs design better energy efficient building systems. Such systems, in the form of integrated building assessment tools, provide an apt means to address the issues and challenges underlying sustainable development in the construction industry
- University of Dundee's SME Innovation Portal will receive grant funding of £406,077 to provide a dedicated knowledge transfer and innovation facility located at Dundee University Incubator. The Portal will help local businesses access technology and expertise residing in both of Dundee's universities and the Scottish Crop Research Institute
- The University of Edinburgh's Scottish Environmental Technology Network (SETN) will receive a grant of £474,964 for a three year project to help businesses in the environmental services sector develop new and better products and processes. It gives them access to the latest technology, expertise and regulatory information and will help them take on new ideas in a supportive one stop-shop environment
- Napier University, in partnership with Queen Margaret University College, will receive a grant of £555,065 to become the first Scottish integrated inter-Higher Education Institution commercialisation service. It will give both institutions a strong internal commercialisation facility that will enable them to help local businesses to make better use of the technology and services each institution has to offer
Deputy Minister for Enterprise Allan Wilson said:
"The latest round of funding from the SEEKIT scheme will further enhance the competitiveness of Scottish businesses by giving them better access to our world class science base.
"Building better university and business links is a key priority and the SEEKIT scheme has so far provided £6.1 million towards helping Scottish Industry improve its knowledge, innovation and research capacity.
"This is by far the largest round of funding from SEEKIT and I am pleased to see a broad environmental theme emerging.
"The additional grant for Strathclyde will assist the construction industry in better sustainable building design practice, while the Edinburgh project will boost the environmental technology sector.
"All four projects will help companies to improve their competitiveness and further strengthen the Scottish economy."
SEEKIT is the Scottish Executive Enterprise, Knowledge and Innovation Transfer grant scheme. It was launched in December 2003 and is designed to support projects that promote co-operation in research and development and knowledge transfer between the Scottish public sector science base and Scottish small and medium sized enterprises.