Funding awarded for innovation projects

£2.95 million awarded to harness academic ideas for commercial use.

An anti-cancer drug that researchers believe may be up to 500 times more effective than current treatments is among 18 projects receiving pilot funding to develop innovative ideas into commercial success.

The £2.95 million Proof of Concept Fund will support the commercialisation of ground-breaking research across ten Scottish universities including the project targeting blood and solid cancers at the University of Edinburgh. The £125,000 awarded to the project will fund further studies, ensuring it meets industry standards.

The pilot Proof of Concept Fund is awarded to projects that address significant global challenges across a range of sectors including Life Sciences, Quantum, Photonics, Aerospace, AI and Fintech. Projects include:

• A laser system which quickly detects aircraft engine faults
• A non-invasive, radiation-free ultrasound to detect breast cancer
• A more sustainable and healthier alternative to palm oil

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes saw demonstrations from three of the successful projects receiving funding during a visit to the University of Edinburgh Institute for Genetics and Cancer.

Our first National Innovation Week was a declaration of intent by the Scottish Government. Innovation must be our national endeavour and we are supporting it across all areas of society.

Scotland’s world-class universities have the ideas and inventions to help tackle global problems and improve lives. This new Proof of Concept Fund and will help bridge the gap between theory and practice, translating research into real-world impact which in turn drives Scotland’s economic transformation.

The successful projects that we are supporting are quite simply inspiring. They have the potential to be lifesaving and life changing.

– DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER KATE FORBES

Funding will enable researchers to demonstrate the feasibility of projects through developing prototypes, market exploration and achieving regulatory approvals to derisk new technologies and attract investment. The projects have significant and largely untapped economic opportunities, with potential wide-ranging societal benefits.

The transition from ground-breaking discovery to real-world application is one of the most critical stages in research. This funding is a welcome endorsement of the exceptional innovation underway across Scotland, supporting academics to achieve commercial success.

At Edinburgh, the investment in pioneering cancer treatments, lab-grown tissue models and improved detection of aircraft faults shows how this work can hugely benefit people’s lives while also strengthening the economy.

– PROFESSOR DAVID ARGYLE, VICE-PRINCIPAL AND HEAD OF COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND VETERINARY MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

Background

Summary of funded projects:

University of Edinburgh

Commercialisation of Rotational Internal Flow Layer Engineering (RIFLE) into a market-ready vascular tissue model – £102,361.00

Development of a unique drug development product which closely mimics vascular tissue, reducing the need for heart drugs to use animal testing.

Preclinical Development of First Superpotent Superselective mTOR Inhibitors for Cancer Treatment – £124,998.00

Development of an anti-cancer drug which may be up to 500 times more effective against both blood and solid cancers than current treatments.

On-airport diagnosis of aircraft-engine health for sustainable aviation – £206,569.00

A laser system which can detect faults in aircraft engines in five minutes, 25 minutes faster than current tools.

University of St. Andrews

OneTIDE – A One-Step, Green Platform for Nucleotide Production – £124,358.36

Development of a simple and sustainable method to produce nucelosides and nucleotides, molecules which are essential for vaccines and gene editing technologies.

Metasurface-enabled contact lenses for healthcare applications – £125,000.00

A cheaper and discreet alternative to current contact lenses for people with age related macular degeneration.

University of Dundee

SonoStepCT: Developing next generation, high resolution ultrasound imaging for early breast cancer detection – £96,725.22

A non-invasive, radiation-free ultrasound for the detection of breast cancer, which has greater sensitivity than traditional mammograms.

LayawayGo – £122,000.00

A new socially responsible app designed to support young people to set and reach savings goals incorporating gamification and AI.

RHAPSEDA – £209,571.45

New vaccines for two bacterial infections which do not need refrigeration or cold storage, meaning they can more cheaply and easily be delivered to the low and middle income countries that are most in need.

University of Strathclyde

AI enabled CMC DatafactoryTM – £122,362.05

A new digital platform to reduce the time, costs and waste involved in pharmaceutical companies developing medicines.

PCAD – Advancing Technology Readiness for Spin-Out and Investment – £220,715.30

Prosthetics technology that provides rapid and highly accurate 3D scans of limbs, ultimately improving fit and comfort.

University of Glasgow

Industrial Benchmarking of Low Back-reflection Optical Couplers for Silicon-Photonics – £125,000.00

Developing digital communication technology which can help speed up information transfer in areas such as AI Data Centres.  

Demonstrating the commercial potential of precision Disruptor therapies to drive an investor-ready Biotech spinout opportunity in Scotland – £168,824.00

A faster, cheaper and more accurate method of generating precision medicines.

CRYSTAL-Q: CRYogenic Semiconductor Technology for Accelerating Large-scale Quantum systems – £247,225.58

Development of new technology to allow the scaling up of quantum computing.

University of Aberdeen

Targetting the Heart of Hypertension – Novel target. Novel drugs – £124,999.28

Testing of a new drug which will reduce high blood pressure. 

Heriot-Watt University

FlexiShear: Self-powered wearable shear force sensors for optimised compression therapy –  £210,128.00

A new flexible, wearable health sensor for tissue damage that can help reduce healing times by up to 30%.

Abertay University

Flow Fusion: Democratising Digital Twins – £249,717.50

A digital tool that simulates healthcare, anticipating pressures and testing alternatives, which enables clinicians to make evidence-based decisions.

Edinburgh Napier University

Heliaural: Personalised, Real-Time Audio Calibration for Everyday Listening – £124,965.00

A new software system to support people with hearing loss and a new prototype mobile tool. This allows people to independently adjust audio without the need for special equipment or clinical support.

Queen Margaret University

Development of a Licensing Proposition for a Novel Palm Shortening Substitute (palm-alttm)

An alternative to palm oil which is more sustainable, healthier and has less calories, without compromising on taste.