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1 December 2003
Two new initiatives worth a total of £9 million over three years to help support the transfer of knowledge from Scotland's labs to businesses were announced by the Scottish Executive today.
The money is designed to promote greater collaboration between our science base and our companies so that great ideas become money making ventures.
The two schemes, SEEKIT and SCoRe, will also encourage greater participation in research and development by Scottish small and medium sized businesses.
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. This can include outreach projects and the money can usually be doubled up with European Regional Development Funding.
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 depending on uptake, around £4.5 million will be awarded through each initiative.
Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Jim Wallace made the announcement at the University of Aberdeen. He said:
"We know that we have great ideas in our laboratories and a strong science base - our challenge is to help ensure that these ideas and research can effectively transfer into the marketplace to the benefit of Scottish companies and the economy.
"I'm delighted therefore to announce that £9 million has been transferred into two new funds designed specifically to help make the science base more accessible to industry, and to help strengthen Scotland's corporate research and development capacity over the next three years.
"Commercialisation, effective knowledge transfer and increased business R&D are key elements of our long term economic strategy - these two schemes strengthen the Executive's pipeline of support which is already in place." he said.
The £9 million was earmarked for collaborative research to help indigenous companies, during the earlier review of Regional Selective Assistance and has been transferred from the RSA budget.
Feedback from public sector research labs and industry has shown strong support for the new initiatives - Scottish Executive Expertise, Knowledge and Information Transfer (SEEKIT) and SME Collaborative Research programme (SCoRe).
Professor Dominic Houlihan, Vice-Principal (Research and Commercialisation), the University of Aberdeen said:
"The University is delighted to support these important new initiatives. Getting close to the SME community and building new business on the back of our research excellence is a strategic priority."
Dr Kevin Cullen, Director of Research and Enterprise, the University of Glasgow, said :
"We believe that SCoRe and SEEKIT will help us to link the University's world-class research with Scotland's companies and build the Smart, Successful Scotland we all want."
John McClelland, Chairman of Technology Ventures Scotland said:
"These initiatives were reviewed by the Advisory Group of Technology Ventures Scotland. We were impressed with their content and feel they respond well to needs that exist in the key area of technology commercialisation."
Organisations or businesses who want to find out more about the new programmes should go to : www.scotland.gov.uk/innovationgrants
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