Imke Mulder appointed to drive national research commercialisation across Scotland’s universities
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh has welcomed the appointment of Dr Imke Mulder as Commercialisation Manager for ShaKEs (Shared Knowledge Exchange Services), a new national consortium supporting more collaborative approaches to research commercialisation and knowledge exchange across Scotland’s higher education sector.
With support from the Scottish Funding Council, ShaKEs aims to help smaller and specialist institutions access the legal, contractual and commercial expertise needed to turn research into real‑world solutions.
Imke joins ShaKEs at a pivotal stage for the pilot, which brings together six small, modern and specialist universities – Queen Margaret University, Robert Gordon University, Abertay University, Glasgow School of Art, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of the Highlands and Islands – alongside Edinburgh College.
She brings extensive experience in research commercialisation, innovation support and business growth across the life sciences and higher education sectors. Her career includes senior roles focused on translating early‑stage research into real‑world impact, supporting start‑ups and spin‑outs, and working closely with academics and industry partners to develop sustainable commercial pathways. This blend of strategic and practical experience closely aligns with the aims of the ShaKEs initiative, particularly its focus on developing flexible, shared approaches to intellectual property, contracts and commercialisation that recognise the diverse strengths of Scotland’s modern universities.
The project is led by Queen Margaret University, but Imke will be hosted by Robert Gordon University. Working alongside Dr Rachel Simpson, the newly appointed Director of ShaKEs, the duo will support academic and professional services colleagues across the partnership to develop shared models for legal, contracts and intellectual property expertise, while also opening up alternative routes to commercialisation across a diverse range of sectors.
It’s been a fantastic start with the ShaKEs Consortium, connecting with colleagues and learning more about the collective ambition behind this pilot. In many of the sectors we’re working in, traditional commercialisation models don’t always fit, so there’s a real opportunity to rethink how we support early-stage ideas and help translate them into impact.
The ShaKEs pilot aims to reduce barriers to commercialisation and strengthen knowledge exchange by pooling expertise and resources across institutions, helping research and innovation deliver meaningful economic, social and cultural benefits.
Imke added: “ShaKEs represents an important opportunity to deliver lasting impact for Scotland’s world‑class research and innovation. I’m really looking forward to playing my part in building something genuinely collaborative across this important higher education and college partnership.”
For further media information contact: Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, E: pressoffice@qmu.ac.uk.
