Three University partnerships have won awards at this year’s Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards.
The annual ceremony, held this year at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, celebrates transformative collaborations between academia and industry that support Scotland’s ambition to be one of the most innovative small nations in the world.
Winner of the Inward Investment Impact award was the partnership between University of Edinburgh spinout Canon Medical Research Europe and Professor Sotos Tsaftaris, of the University’s School of Engineering.
The relationship with Professor Tsaftaris has contributed to increased inward investment and headcount in Canon Edinburgh, which now employs 135 people, and has helped Canon Medical Japan develop expertise and manage risk in AI and healthcare. Canon Medical has also joined the University’s new Causal AI in Healthcare (CHAI) Hub.
Innovation of the Year was won by student startup SolarSub, co-founded by School of Engineering alumni Sebastiaan Schalkwijk, for its collaborations with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) at the University of Strathclyde, and with Heriot-Watt University, to develop its novel floating solar panel cooling system.
And the University of Edinburgh is part of the winning Multiparty Collaboration, the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC). This partnership between Heriot-Watt University, the University of Glasgow, the University of Dundee, Robert Gordon University and over 170 medical device companies, aims to develop and commercialise innovative medical devices.
Dr Andrea Taylor, CEO of Edinburgh Innovations, said:
Congratulations to our Knowledge Exchange winners, who are spearheading innovation in the fields of energy and AI and healthcare.
Innovation happens at the point that cutting-edge research emerges from the lab, and we are proud to facilitate those collaborations here at Edinburgh Innovations. Well done to all involved! ”
Developments in renewable energy, mental health, medicine and food and drink won awards across 10 categories.
Scottish Government Business Minister Richard Lochhead said:
It was good to see the full breadth of academic and business-led innovation on show at Interface’s annual awards.
It demonstrated why our expertise in so many sectors is revered around the world, from renewable energy and health technology, to food and drink.
Scotland has been at the forefront of many of the world’s most impactful innovations, from the MRI Scanner and penicillin to televisions and telephones. Yet, by combining research and business, so many new and exciting Scottish breakthroughs are just on the horizon and that is something we should all champion."
Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, which organises the Awards, said:
The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards celebrate successful partnerships where knowledge is shared to create new solutions. The nominees and winners we are celebrating exemplify how collaboration drives valuable advancements.
These partnerships have led to the development of new technologies, products, and services that contribute to economic progress and societal benefit. Their innovations are not only transforming Scotland but also have the potential to make a global impact. ”
Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards
