New technologies from leading Scottish universities

University-Technology.com is a web portal set up by 13 Universities of Scotland to promote new technologies from Scotland’s academic base. The site provides an accessible and focussed showcase where all Scottish universities’ new technologies and business opportunities are listed in its entirety.

This is a collaborative project between the technology transfer offices aimed at promoting current research discoveries and technology breakthroughs to a worldwide market.

The website was launched in 2004 by Rt Hon Jim Wallace MSP, then Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, and has since generated widespread interest from new technology companies and investors from across the globe in the technologies and collaborative projects featured.

The site builds on the high reputation of Scottish universities for research and innovation and the website provides worldwide access to the best new technologies and the most exciting technology transfer opportunities that Scotland has to offer.

The site offers users a searchable database where new technology opportunities are featured, the database of technology opportunities can be easily searched for by keyword and sector. Furthermore the site provides RSS feeds, which enable you to stay up to date on the latest new technology transfer opportunities or you can also sign up for email updates (make this a link) for your preferred technology sector.

New technologies from the best Scottish Universities

Scottish universities have increasingly gained respect worldwide for their efforts in research and development of new technologies in a variety of sectors, such as energy, biotechnology, information technology and digital media.

University Technology works collaboratively with the following universities to achieve further recognition in new technologies worldwide:


	Aberdeen University’s excellence in research was recently recognised in the UK-wide Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in 2001, demonstrated by the five-fold increase in the number of departments rated 5 (reflecting their international excellence) from the comparable RAE in 1996. 85% of Aberdeen’s staff are working in departments or research groups that are recognised as centres of national and international excellence. These include research areas in medical science, energy, environment, in addition to the arts and social sciences.

	The University of Abertay Dundee is one of Scotland’s modern industrial universities delivering both a vocationally oriented education programme and leading edge industrial research across a wide range of disciplines including computing and creative arts, biotechnology, environmental science and health studies.

	The University of Dundee is a research intensive university with an international reputation for excellence across a range of disciplines, most notably in life and biomedical science where it has built successful links with the pharmaceutical industry. It also has internationally rated research programmes in engineering, applied computing, and the visual disciplines. Excellence in research is coupled with a strong drive for commercialisation where the university has developed a number of innovative technology transfer models.

	The University of Edinburgh is Scotland’s leading research university, with an international reputation for world-class research across a wide range of disciplines, including Biotechnology, Medicine & Veterinary Science, Proteomics & Genomics, E-science, Engineering & Electronics, Information & Communication Technologies, Materials Science and Micro/Nano-systems. The University is also very successful in commercialising the major scientific advances, discoveries, inventions and innovations generated by this research, through new company formation and partnerships with industry, both within the UK and around the world.

	As one of only two Scottish universities in the world’s top 100, the University of Glasgow undertakes leading-edge, internationally competitive research. Our large and diverse research base allows us to provide a wide range of solutions to large and small companies throughout the world. The University is committed to collaborating with business and industry, and has a strong track record in commercialisation of technology.

	Glasgow Caledonian University has grown into one of the largest Universities in Scotland with over 14,000 students. The University also has a thriving research and development culture with local, national and international businesses. Recent collaborations have included organisations such as Microsoft and Scottish Enterprise.

	Renowned for its research quality and ability to attract support for research, Heriot-Watt University is one of the UK’s most successful universities at addressing the needs of industry. A major player in the research pooling that is helping to create critical research mass across Scotland in Engineering, Science and Economics the University enjoys a significant reputation across Europe and elsewhere for its ability to translate its research outcomes as effective solutions for industry through consultancy, licensing and company creation.

	Napier is a leading exponent of Knowledge Transfer and is a centre of excellence in engagement with business. Napier has excellent working relationships with business in many sectors; it is host to Centre for Timber Engineering and is migrating technologies to industry in fields such as Optoelectronics, Life Sciences, Energy and the Oil Industry. It has specialist skills in variety of disciplines including Health, Music, Sport Science and all elements of Business.

	The Robert Gordon University, based in Aberdeen, was founded as a college in 1881 and gained full university status in 1992. Robert Gordon University has over 10,000 students. The multi-disciplinary research programme includes expertise in the areas of environmental engineering and sustainable energy, creative industries, communication technology, health and social care, public policy and management, entrepreneurship and knowledge economy.

	Founded in 1413, St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland. The university population (staff and student numbers) totals over 8,000. Areas of expertise include optoelectronics and photonics, chemistry, materials science, infectious diseases, environmental biology and psychology.

	The University of Stirling was opened in 1967 on a brand new campus. Stirling has over 8,500 students. Areas of expertise include aquaculture, environment, publishing, marketing and health and social care.

	The University of Strathclyde, is one of the UK’s leading universities, meeting the needs of students, employers, industry and the wider community through its teaching, research and consultancy. The University has five faculties: Law, Arts and Social Sciences; Engineering; Science; the Strathclyde Business School; and Education.As Scotland’s third largest University, Strathclyde has a long-standing worldwide reputation not only for excellence in academic research and innovation which benefits society, but also for commercially-relevant research to assist companies in achieving market leadership.

	The University of West of Scotland has built a reputation as a provider of high quality applied research and innovation, meeting the needs of industry and commerce, locally, nationally and internationally. The University offers a wide range of knowledge and technology transfer activities including research, consultancy and training. Areas of expertise include ultrasonic device design, advanced optical sensors, and finite element analysis.