Applied Knowledge Exchange

The Applied Knowledge Exchange attended Holyrood Magazine’s Enterprise Scotland 2010 event in Edinburgh to hear Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism Jim Mather and Scottish Enterprise’s Lena Wilson give their visions for a stronger Scotland for business.

Lena Wilson insisted that Scotland’s businesses had ‘very serious challenges’ and were underperforming against the UK economy and global competitors. Ms Wilson said Scotland had a low number of businesses per head of the population, and that our businesses were very small.

Her aims for focus? Commercialisation and Internationalism. Ms Wilson said we need to capitalise on our world-class research in life sciences, food and drink and energy.

GCU is currently leading the £3.3m European study aimed at tacking foot and ankle pain.

Ms Wilson also emphasised the potential for Scotland’s businesses to export to China and India. Only 50 Scottish companies are active in China, she says, compared to over 200 Finnish businesses.

She called for a ’greater sense of ambition in businesses and the public sector’.

Jim Mather said we need a ‘new beginning in Scotland’, insisting that the Government was supporting ’sustainable economic growth’. He claimed ‘few sectors will offer Scotland as much as the energy sector’ and emphasised his goals of manufacturing innovation and private investment in renewables. The Scottish Government is to publish its Energy Efficiency Plan this spring.

Glasgow Caledonian University’s School of Health will lead a £3.3million European Commission-funded study aimed at tackling chronic foot and ankle pain including such diseases as Diabetic Foot.

Jim Woodburn, Professor of Rehabilitation at GCU, is working on the A-FOOTPRINT project to develop new orthotic devices to support or correct musculoskeletal problems.

See more about Jim’s work in this video clip. Biomechanics – Jim Woodburn

The Applied Knowledge Exchange is also working with Promedics Orthapaedic with its orthapaedic research, through the Business Transformation Fund grant that allows SMEs to work collaboratively with Glasgow Caledonian University and access specialist expertise including consultancy, contract research and access to facilities or equipment.

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 Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) are working together in a strategic partnership to explore potential for enhancing knowledge exchange in the arts and humanities in Scotland.

They are co-hosting an event that aims to bring arts and humanities researchers together with partners from related disciplines and organisations is taking place on 1 September, 9-5 pm, Surgeons Hall, Edinburgh. To attend this free event, please e-mail your details to knowledgetransfer@ahrc.ac.uk.

The idea behind the event is to explore how arts and humanities subjects can contribute to new perspectives on the experience of health and illness in Scotland and and new approaches to therapy and recovery in Scotland.