Knowledge Exchange
Working closely with universities and our key delivery partners, the SFC aims to lever innovation and value from the Scottish research base to achieve an effective, demand-driven exchange of knowledge and expertise with business, public and third sector organisations, which enhances competitiveness and promotes economic growth. We aim to support the formation of new business and easy access for small and medium-sized enterprises to the facilities and services of universities. We also seek to achieve continued investment in Scotland to exploit knowledge, develop solutions and demonstrate applications. Contact the team.
Universities
SFC supports and promotes the capacity of universities to engage in knowledge exchange activity with business, public and third sector organisations through formula funding (the Knowledge Transfer Grant), funding for demand-led strategic and collaborative projects and smaller project funding for university and SME collaboration. When successfully implemented, this can have impacts across a range of Scottish Government priorities.
For more information regarding how SFC supports knowledge exchange in Scotland's universities, including information on project funding - see Universities
Colleges
In 2007 SFC created two streams of funding to help colleges build capacity to support social and economic development by engaging with public and private sector organisations. These streams have now been included in core funding and SFC continues to support and promote the work of colleges in this area - see Colleges
Working with businesses and the public and third sectors
The flow of knowledge and information through, for example, informal advice, consultancy, applied research projects or long term strategic partnerships can be extremely valuable to businesses and other organisations. Through its KE funding for universities, SFC supports KE activity from one-to-one projects to open collaboration or innovation models.
For more information on how SFC supports universities to develop other organisations - see Working with business and others
Public engagement
Public engagement describes the many ways in which universities and their staff and students can connect and share their work with the public. For more information regarding how SFC supports public engagement - see Public engagement
National infrastructure
SFC works in a Scottish, UK and international context with a range of other funders and government agencies to support the KE infrastructure and projects in Scotland.
Key partnerships include Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise, the Technology Strategy Board, the Research Councils and the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
The SFC also directly funds activity that adds to the knowledge landscape in Scotland. For example, we are the core funder of the national (Scotland) organisation Interface: the knowledge connection for business. Interface acts as a matchmaking organisation for businesses interested in collaborating with a Scottish university.
For more information regarding SFC's support in this area - see National infrastructure