ShaKEs - Shared Knowledge Exchange (KE) Services
ShaKEs is a consortium of the six smallest higher education institutions in Scotland.
The consortium includes Abertay University, The Glasgow School of Art, Queen Margaret University, Robert Gordon University, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and University of the Highlands and Islands plus Edinburgh College, representing the Further Education (FE) sector.
Through a new novel and collaborative approach, ShaKEs aims to develop, test and evaluate a sustainable model for commercialisation and KE infrastructure focused on shared legal, contracts and intellectual property resources by:
- Repurposing and reframing the traditional shared Technology Transfer Model in Scotland to meet the specific requirements of predominantly non–biotech/engineering disciplines and cultures.
- Testing the efficacy of shared intellectual property, legal and contract functions.
- De-risking long term sustainable models for partner investment.
- Identifying fit-for-purpose innovation pathways for non-biotech/engineering disciplines.
Our Consortium builds on long-standing collaboration and distinct academic strengths in Scottish Government priority sectors: Food & Drink, Creative Industries, Gaming, Health, Social Care & Wellbeing, Tourism, Built Environment and Service/Public and Third Sector innovation.
These areas have historically been underrepresented in R&D but are where our collective agility can unlock new innovation pathways.
- What
- Why
- Policy Background
- KE Culture
- ShaKEs Institutional Contacts
ShaKEs aims to create sustainable pathways to commercialisation through shared professional services infrastructure that supports translation of research into skills, place-based impact and economic benefit. A focus on pooled expertise in contracts, legal, and Intellectual Property tailored to our sectors, portfolios and culture, underpinned by efficiency and cost-sharing. Traditional Technology Transfer Office (TTO) models misalign with consortium partner missions and routes to research impact.
Our case for shared infrastructure rests on this distinctiveness.
Taking learnings from a Scottish Funding Council-commissioned pilot and lessons from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Connecting Capability Fund – Research England’s regional commercialisation initiative, ShaKEs’ offers fit-for-purpose KE facilities aligned with Scottish Government priorities.
The UK Government’s recent Spin Out Review also highlights the importance of sharing technology transfer expertise. Ensuring that world-leading research from Scotland’s research-active universities is successfully commercialised depends on access to this critical expertise.
Strategic collaboration boosts both financial viability and Scotland’s research commercialisation pipeline.
We are committed to the intersection of skills, KE and place, guided by new Scottish Government Community Wealth Building (CWB) principles to secure social and environmental as well as economic outcomes, and share learning across Scotland’s tertiary sector.
Funded by the Scottish Funding Council, ShaKEs aims to share and increase access to much needed fit-for-purpose specialist innovation infrastructure providing an opportunity to further the Scottish Government innovation ambitions as outlined in the National Innovation Strategy, Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint, National Strategy for Economic Transformation, in addition to the delivery of the wellbeing outcomes in the National Performance Framework.
ShaKEs will be embedded in very distinct university cultures, predominantly focused on learning and teaching, with relatively limited commercialisation infrastructure and systemic EDI barriers to R&D, while also engaging with near-market, co-produced research that directly informs practice, policy and the economic sectors we serve. Many of the academic staff that ShaKEs service will support will have non-linear career pathways and bring significant expertise and experience rooted in practice, policy, industry, co-production and lived experience.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): The ShaKEs service delivery model will be equality proofed, embedding EDI across design, implementation and evaluation. This includes identifying barriers, engaging diverse communities, and monitoring impact on those with protected characteristics. Consortium partners already employ a higher proportion of such staff than the wider sector (HESA Staff Record 2023–24) and are committed to advancing evidence and understanding of EDI barriers in KE and commercialisation.
Novel Approach: The ShaKEs' proposition is distinct: strong brand identity across untapped Scottish Government priority economic sectors, with staff embedded in these industries and delivering co-produced, near-market research. However, innovation has been hindered by underinvestment, inadequate infrastructure, and funding instruments that are not always best suited to the modes of KE that meet the needs of all priority sectors in the Scottish economy.
ShaKEs Institutional Contact Points
| Institution | Main Contact | Vice-Principal (Research) Representative |
| Abertay | Professor Nia White Dean of Research and Graduate School Email: n.white@abertay.ac.uk |
Professor Nia White |
| GSA | Colin Kirkpatrick Head of Research Support Services c.kirkpatrick@gsa.ac.uk |
Professor Sarah Smith Head of Research sa.smith@gsa.ac.uk |
| QMU | Kim Stuart Director of Research and KE Email: KStuart@qmu.ac.uk |
Professor Richard Butt Deputy Principal Email: RButt@qmu.ac.uk |
| RGU | Grant Davidson Head of Research Strategy, Culture and Performance Email: g.davidson6@rgu.ac.uk |
Professor Nick Fyfe Vice Principal, Research and Community Engagement Email: n.fyfe@rgu.ac.uk |
| RCS | Deborah Keogh Head of Engagement Email: d.keogh@rcs.ac.uk |
Professor Steven Broad Director of Research and KE Email: s.broad@rcs.ac.uk |
| UHI | Darlene Russell KE, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer Email: darlene.m.russell@uhi.ac.uk |
Professor Nick Owens Vice Principal, Research and Innovation Email: Nick.Owens@sams.ac.uk |
Additional Contact: Orla Kelly, Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Collaboration Manager - SFC Funded. Email: orla.kelly@uws.ac.uk
