Unlocking potential: six universities join forces to commercialise research for Scotland’s future
Six universities have joined forces to launch a pioneering initiative that will strengthen commercialisation and innovation across Scotland’s modern and smaller universities and the college sector. The move will make it easier for Scotland’s universities to commercialise research, which has the potential to improve people’s lives, strengthen key economic sectors in Scotland and reform public services. Supported by the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council, the move will better support the sector in achieving real-world impact.
Led by Queen Margaret University (QMU), Edinburgh, the Shared Academic Knowledge Exchange Services (ShaKEs) initiative brings together a consortium of universities including Abertay University, University of the Highlands and Islands, Robert Gordon University, The Glasgow School of Art, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – alongside Edinburgh College. Together, these institutions will share specialist expertise and professional services to unlock new pathways for research impact, skills development, and economic growth.
Academic teams are brilliant at developing pioneering research which has the ability to improve lives, processes and services, but often they lack the expertise in key areas, such as contracts, legal frameworks and intellectual property required to commercialise their projects.
Despite the fact that many of Scotland’s smaller universities and the college sector are working at the forefront of priority Scottish Government sectors – areas which boost employment and job creation – the limitations of essential basic infrastructure has meant that some valuable research never gets fully developed or used commercially, even though it could have a significant impact on Scotland’s economy and communities. ShaKEs will help provide the “nuts and bolts” services that academics require to translate research into real-world impact, particularly in sectors such as hospitality, food and drink, tourism, social care, creative industries, public and third sectors, and health.”
Areas like food & drink and social care aren’t usually seen as innovative, but universities and colleges can help change that by turning research into practical solutions. With support from the Scottish Government, ShaKEs will support development of a shared service model that helps academics and researchers tackle real challenges. The funding will let us test ideas, learn from different perspectives, and develop solutions that are flexible and better suited to Scotland’s diverse needs. Essentially, it will allow us to better support all of the Scottish Government priority economic sectors, particularly where skills and research combine to unlock new innovation pathways.
The new shared ShaKEs service model will develop, test, and evaluate a sustainable shared model for commercialisation and Knowledge Exchange (KE) by:
- Connecting skills with innovation to strengthen Scotland’s innovation ecosystem.
- Creating sustainable pathways to commercialisation through shared professional services.
- Embedding Community Wealth Building principles, ensuring social and environmental outcomes alongside economic benefits.
- Ensuring innovation reaches communities across Scotland.
If the pilot is successful, the service could be rolled out more widely across Scotland’s university and college sector, helping to boost economic growth, strengthen innovation, and ensure that research delivers tangible benefits for society and the economy.
I am delighted Edinburgh College will play a key role in this consortium with our university partners. Edinburgh College is the college sector’s host college for the National Care Skills Partnership which will take a national and coordinated approach to the provision of skills and qualifications for the health and social care workforce in Scotland and, importantly, support applied innovation across the health and social care landscape. I am particularly pleased therefore that our contributions to this consortium, further developing our alliance with QMU and the Digital Health & Care Institute, will focus on the innovation potential and value in this sector.
This project aligns with many of the Scottish Government’s economic, entrepreneurial, innovation and community wealth building strategies, and will see the university and college teams work collectively to fill the service provision gap. We look forward to using our shared expertise to boost innovation and create new opportunities for Scotland’s people, businesses and communities.
It is excellent to see this new initiative commencing, which is a very welcome development and should help strengthen the commercialisation and innovation processes involved, by sharing best practice, expertise and professional services. I commend all of those involved in this partnership and look forward to seeing the positive difference working together will make. The extraordinary performance of research and innovation in Scotland is one of the great strengths of our university sector. Research undertaken here in Scotland is genuinely world-leading - especially when it comes to collaboration - addressing key global challenges and making positive and meaningful social, economic, and environmental impact, both locally and internationally.
For further information on ShaKEs see the ShaKEs webpage.
Although these universities are smaller in size, together they represent a third of Scotland’s higher education institutions and employ 1,500 academic staff. They already make a significant contribution, generating:
- 4% of the sector’s total Knowledge Exchange income
- 1.5% of consultancy income
- 5% of new spin-outs and staff start-ups in 2023–24
Aligning with national priorities
- ShaKEs builds on lessons from the Scottish Funding Council pilot study and aligns with Scottish Government priorities including the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, new Community Wealth Building legislation, the National Innovation Strategy, and the Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint.
- ShaKEs aims to support excellence in knowledge exchange and innovation wherever is occurs in Scotland’s universities and colleges. It offers a novel approach to better understand the culture of knowledge exchange across the tertiary education sector in Scotland and the specific needs of all Scottish Government priority economic sectors, particularly where skills and research combine to unlock new innovation pathways.
New posts and funding
- The funding will see the creation of new posts with the option to be located at any of the partner universities across Scotland.
- The Scottish Government is investing £750k over a 15 month period in the ShaKEs initiative.
For further media information For further media information contact Lynne Russell, Communications Manager, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: lrussell@qmu.ac.uk (copy to pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk) M: 07711 011239.
