Spotlight: Creative industries

Abertay University

The Realtime Lab is led by Abertay University with sites in Dundee and Edinburgh College of Art. It is part of a national network of research and development labs built to maintain the UK’s word leading position in the development and exploitation of creative intellectual property.

The Lab focuses on virtual production technology with focus on gaming, film and animation and is featured within the UK’s Industrial Strategy Creative Industries Sector Plan.

Following success in the latest round of the Scottish Inward Investment Catalyst Fund , the Realtime Lab will collaborate with international company Satore Technology to develop new technologies for virtual film environments, similar to ABBA Voyage Live. It will also explore the integration of virtual and physical models sets and props.

The initiative aims to generate internships and job opportunities within Dundee’s growing creative cluster.

University of Edinburgh

The Creativity, AI, and the Human Research cluster at the University of Edinburgh has joined a collaboration with the newly established Centre for Aesthetics and Business Creativity at Lund University, the Malmö Academy of Music and Inter Arts Centre, Sweden.

The collaboration will explore the untapped intersections of business studies, aesthetics, creativity studies and the fine and performing arts, with a focus on understanding how entrepreneurial opportunities emerge in the musical and performing arts and how collective creativity is organised and led.

A standout feature of the project is the development of an immersive AI driven chamber opera.  The opera debuted with a pilot performance in Edinburgh in Spring 2025, followed by a series of international cast and crew from Scotland and Scandinavia.

Audience participants used mobile devices as interactive instruments to co-create music with the singers and musicians in real time.  Research like this will provide insights into how best to support the creative industries through AI.

Glasgow School of Art

The School of Innovation and Technology (SIT) is a new school at Glasgow School of Art. It was established with the aim of integrating social innovations that build upon technological innovations in a way that goes beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries within art and science.

SIT works with a wide range of partners including the NHS, Hitachi, HP, the Institute of Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow and independent TV and film companies.

Through its partnership with the NHS, SIT has developed innovative mixed reality patient leaflets to support patients understanding of complex medical procedures.

One noteworthy project is the Cleft Lip Education Augmented Reality (CLEAR), the first of its kind in the world which explains cleft lip and palate surgery in a clear and easy to understand way.

Taking inspiration from the Harry Potter newspapers that come to life, the CLEAR leaflet creates an immersive learning experience that helps families understand what will happen to their child during surgery.

Partnering GSA in this project included the West of Scotland Innovation Hub (WoS Hub), Canniesburn Plastic Surgery Unit and The National Cleft Service for Scotland.