Applied Knowledge Exchange

Glasgow Caledonian University will be attending the KTP Scotland Awards Ceremony on 2nd February at the Doubletree Dunblane Hydro in Perthshire.

Glasgow Caledonian Uni has had several successful KTP partnerships with businesses including Novograf.

Current KTPs include those with Fearsom UK and If Only Holidays Limited.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is Europe’s leading programme helping business to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK knowledge base.

At the Applied Knowledge Exchange, we welcome enquiries about funding and eligibility for Knowledge Transformation Partnerships from business and third sector organisations.

The main speaker at this year’s event will be Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland.

SMEs play a vital role in driving the Scottish economy and “yet they do not always received the recognition they deserve for their extraordinary achievements”.

These were the views emphasised by Alasdair Northrop, Editor of Scottish Business Insider, at the SME 300 Awards 2009 event in Glasgow.

According to Scottish Government research, SMEs account for 99.2% of enterprises here and they employ around 52.8% of the population.

Overall the SME 300 companies saw a 0.3% fall in profits reflecting the beginning of the recession. However, that compared to a 2.2% fall in Insider’s Top 500 companies listing, which seems to indicate that SMEs are more resilient in this climate.

Insider, in association with accountancy firm Scott-Moncrieff, set up the awards three years ago to mark the achievements of SMEs in a number of areas including leadership, innovation and focus.

Cormac Bryce, PhD Researcher in the Division of Accounting, Finance & Risk at  the Caledonian Business School, conducted in-depth research for the SME 300 Awards 2009.

Cormac’s research was then put to the panel of judges led by Gio Benedetti. The other judges were Vivien Kyles, Chief Executive of Hamilton Park Racecourse; Audrey Corfield, Head of Office for Glasgow at Marsh; founder of Braveheart Geoffrey Thomson; and Chartered Accountant Nelson Gray.

Emergency veterinary care firm Vets Now scooped the SME 300 Company of the Year award at the Insider & Scott-Moncrieff SME 300 Awards 2009.

Eight awards were presented at a glittering ceremony at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow, attended by 300 key players in the Scottish SME marketplace. The awards recognise the achievement of Scotland’s best performing companies with a turnover of up to £20 million.

Glasgow Caledonian University’s Applied Knowledge Exchange supported the event, working closely with accountancy firm Scott-Moncrieff to complete the research for each award nomination.

Canongate Books and Prosource IT provided Vets Now with competition for the top spot, taking two awards each. Canongate Books picked up prizes for Fastest Growing SME 300 Company and Most Focused Company. Prosource IT won Best Employer and Best Medium Company.

The event was hosted by comedian Fred MacAulay and speaker Charan Gill, the mastermind behind the Harlequin Restaurant Group.

The Applied Knowledge Exchange’s support of the SME 300 Awards comes hot on the heels of its sponsorship of ‘Scotland’s Business Oscars’ – the Insider Elite Awards 2009 in October. Principal of Glasgow Caledonian University, Professor Pamela Gillies, was a finalist in the prestigious Public Service Leader of the Year category.

Whether you are an SME, charity, multinational or public sector organisation, the Applied Knowledge Exchange can provide professional consultancy services, specialist research facilities, bespoke work-based learning opportunities, tailored to your business needs.

For further information contact Fiona Stewart-Knight.

On 2 September 2009,  from 9-5pm an event that aims to explore points of contact between the histories, cultures and peoples of Asia and Scotland will take place at the Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Strathclyde. To attend this free event, please e-mail your details to knowledgetransfer@ahrc.ac.uk.

The event aims to bring arts and humanities researchers in Scotland together with partners from related disciplines and organisations explore contacts between Scottish and Asian cultures with a view to shaping future relationships. These points of contact could be in Asia or in Scotland, or within the wider Scottish and Asian diasporas.

The key questions are what shapes should future relations between Scotland and Asia take and how can arts and humanities researchers work with non-HEI partners in order to realise these?

The wait is over for nominees of the Moffat Awards for Travel and Tourism. Winners were announced at an awards ceremony held on Thursday, 28 May 2009 in The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh.

Hannah Norman, owner of Room With a View Restaurant in Fife, won the Moffat Award for Outstanding Economic and Community Impact along with a £1500 cash prize.

Moffat Awards ceremony

Christine Macintosh, owner of Heb Hostel, a 4-star backpackers hostel located on the Isle of Lewis in The Hebrides won the Personal Growth and Development Award. The award for Excellent Customer Care went to Hattie Fry of Frontline Falconry at Auchen Castle Hotel, Dumfries. While offering flying demonsration and hawk walks, Hattie’s ambition is to extend their breeding programme to provide support for endangered species from around the world.

The awards, In association with The Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust, recognise outstanding young business talents that demonstrate best practice and excellent customer service. Winners also demonstrate a positive economic and community impact on the in the Scottish tourism sector.