Scotland’s new innovative research projects announced

The projects, which form part of the Programme’s Round Nine awards, were chosen for support as they have the potential to result in innovative spin-out companies and/or licensing agreements to existing businesses, which will ultimately help grow Scotland’s economy.  Each project awarded support has to demonstrate the quality of the research idea and the market demand for the resulting product or service.

The projects being announced today, by industry sector, are (see Notes to editors for full project titles and media contacts):

Life Sciences

• An easy to use detection system for abnormalities in DNA using molecular diagnostics which hospitals and clinics can use at the point of care (Robert Gordon University)
• New technology to improve the solubility of poorly soluble drugs using a simple, energy-efficient process that gives significant advantages over currently available technologies (University of Strathclyde)
• A new way of delivering drugs that uses the body’s biological clock to ensure the drug is delivered to the body at the most effective time (University of Strathclyde)

Enabling Technologies and Engineering

• Atomic force microscopes (AFM) are essential in the development of new technologies and products in the electronics/semi-conductor industry to study surfaces and in medical/pharmaceutical industries for studying intermolecular forces in biological processes. Calculating the spring constant (force exerted by the cantilever) on which AFMs rely is, however, problematic. Development of the CALM device is a step forward which could significantly improve the accuracy and speed of samples being tested and thus enhance our understanding of many materials (University of St Andrews)

Energy – Oil and Gas

• A unique, low-cost, fibre-optic sensor system, based on robust optical technology, enabling accurate measurement of pressure and temperature in extreme oil production environments such as deep sea wells and oil sand environments (University of Strathclyde)

Energy - Renewables

• Higher performance electricity generation technologies that will provide a small footprint, energy efficient, lower cost generator system initially suited to small and medium scale wind turbines, helping Scotland achieve its goal of 40 per cent of power from renewable sources by 2020 (University of Strathclyde)

The Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme has awarded funding of £1.51 million to these six projects following in-depth feasibility studies to ensure that the commercial opportunities for each project are maximised.

The Proof of Concept Programme, created in 1999, aims to address the lack of available funding, from both the public and private sector, to support the development of research concepts into commercial products or services. To date the Programme has invested a total of £41.37 million in 212 projects.

Eleanor Taylor, head of the Proof of Concept Programme, comments, “Through the Proof of Concept Programme we are creating the opportunities to build real, commercially viable spin-out companies and commercial licences from ground-breaking innovative research ideas.

“We know this approach works. Lumicure, Brinker and Biopta are just some of the innovative, growing companies which started with Proof of Concept Programme support.

“What we want to achieve are more companies created as a result of the Programme. Since we started, we’ve helped 42 companies to spin-out and helped create 16 licence deals, creating over 500 jobs and leveraging £231 million of public and private investment which would not otherwise have happened in Scotland.”

Jim Mather, Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism, says, “The Proof of Concept Programme helps turn cutting edge Scottish ideas into profitable products – both nationally and globally.

“It supports the kind of innovation and creativity which Scotland has in abundance, and offers the means to improve the ability of the innovators to achieve commercial success.

“These projects demonstrate the potential of the knowledge and research at our disposal. With the help of the Programme they can make a real contribution to achieving our goal of increased sustainable economic growth.”

Notes to editors

View the full project abstracts

About the Proof of Concept Programme

The Proof of Concept Programme supports the pre-commercialisation of leading-edge technologies emerging from Scotland's universities, research institutes and NHS Boards. It helps researchers to export their ideas and inventions from the lab to the global marketplace.

Projects can be typically defined as occurring after advances made during curiosity-driven or strategic research. This is usually after a background patent has been filed, but before a full scale demonstration, pre-production development or prototyping or commercial funds for development have been made available.

It is not simply another source of research funding. Successful applicants must demonstrate that their ideas have originality and true commercial potential.  Ideas should have the potential to form the basis of either a new high growth business or a licence to an existing company.

The Proof of Concept Programme is fully committed to exploiting research advances and encouraging Scottish innovation. This commitment is demonstrated by the projects supported by the programme, which are high risk and may take several years to become commercially attractive to private investors.

The Programme has £79 million to award and is developed and operated by Scottish Enterprise in partnership with key stakeholders including: Scottish Government, Universities Scotland and Scottish Higher Education Funding Council.  It is partly funded by the European Union.

For further information on individual projects please contact the named Press Officer in the Notes to editors table above.