Innovation Centres
SFC’s Innovation Centre programme
SFC is working in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, to support transformational collaboration between universities and businesses.
The Centres aim to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship across Scotland’s key economic sectors, create jobs and grow the economy.
Innovation Centres (ICs) have backing from industry and draw on all of Scotland’s research expertise in the relevant sector to work on problems and opportunities identified by industry. They add value through secondments, industrial studentships, spaces for collaborative work and shared access to equipment.
Innovation Centres (ICs) also support skills and training to develop the next generation of researchers and knowledge exchange practitioners through masters and post-doctoral level provision.
Innovation Centres - Key Documents
SFC’s funding to Innovation Centres
We committed £120 million for the Innovation Centre programme over five years (2013-18) to support the university infrastructure. Each Innovation Centre is expected to lever further investment from industry and other sources of public funding.
Further information on the individual Innovation Centres that SFC supports.
Independent Review of Innovation Centres Programme – Chaired by Professor Graeme Reid 2016
The review focused on the delivery of the original vision, aims and objectives of the Innovation Centres Programme. It was chaired by Professor Graeme Reid and supported by an Advisory Committee and economic assessment consultants, EKOS Ltd.
Further information
Innovation Centre Infrastructure Assessment Process 2023
Our Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability recommended we relaunch our flagship investments, including Innovation Centres (ICs), as stable long-term infrastructure. We have developed a process for assessing the current ICs and their suitability for SFC Infrastructure Investment which will make recommendations to the
SFC Board in summer 2023. An Assessment Panel has been formed to support this process with the current 7 ICs (only) being invited to submit plans.
Further information.
Subsidy Control Scheme
The SFC’s Innovation Centre Scheme operates under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation agreement (TCA) and within UK Subsidy Control requirements.
See the Subsidy Control page for further details
