Innovation data baseline: final report

Support companies to: grow their business by development of new products, processes or services in Scotland. Increase the levels of BERD in Scotland, address gap Scotland's: leading OECD nations BERD Gap. Greater contribution to a company's turnover through the products launched, processes implemented, or services delivered. More recent focus on jobs that pay living wage

£26.7m

Funding for R&D projects aimed at the creation of new products, processes or services.

Financially viable SMEs, Large Companies or Consortiums Companies Based in or planning to locate in Scotland- different intervention rates based on size.

Projects must be financially viable, significant innovation with commercial prospects, which can't go ahead, or would be much smaller or take much longer without the grant. End products must not have known adverse effects to environment/society.

More recent focus on companies with fair working practices (e.g. living wage, zero hours contracts, etc.).

£4.9m

R&D projects aimed at the creation of new products, processes or services. It can also be used towards a Feasibility Study - this support is only available to large companies as a precursor to applying for a full R&D grant application where the project is deemed to carry too much risk to embark upon without this pre-research.

Account Managed Companies (76)

Stimulating R&D activity

£940k

External consultancy to help design new products and services or to help improve the design of existing products and services. This can include the design of packaging. 70% Fixed Intervention Rate.

NRM companies (312)

Stimulating R&D activity

£72k

External consultancy to undertake technical/market/financial and other relevant studies/investigations into the feasibility or technical aspects of an innovation project for overseas markets e.g. Business Model, Collaboration, IP/Intellectual Assets position, and product development. 70% Fixed Intervention Rate.

NRM companies (29)

Introducing them to innovation concepts, stimulate interest and connect companies to follow-on innovation support.

£3.4k

1 to few engagements with groups of companies, introducing them to innovation concepts, stimulate interest and connect companies to follow-on innovation support. May be delivered by topic experts.

NRM, DRM sector Specific and/or cross-sector 55

Support companies to manage IP, with a view to increasing company profits.

£260k

Advice and guidance to, protect new innovations and developments, manage confidentiality, contracts and ownership, Identify and value assets, go to market, Strengthen and protect brand, and develop international IP strategy

Seek & Solve is designed to support company to achieve business growth through selling new products, processes or services that will be developed in an eligible R&D project with meaningful input from a potential customer.

The potential customer contribution may be in cash or cash equivalent e.g. staff time, access to facilities etc.

Companies operating commercially, or planning to, in the SE area - preference for SMEs. Companies with formal agreement with potential customer to contribute min 20% total R&D project costs.

Encourage business to employ young people, and see value of graduates while graduates get 1^st step in their careers and incentive to stay in HIE/Scotland

Support companies to deliver innovative projects via graduate skills (often digital, internationalisation or product development.)

£198k

Employ a graduate or student to deliver a specific project for their business. Projects are up to 12 months

Scotland-wide programme operated by HIE and Scottish Enterprise

Graduates, Students, Account Managed Businesses (28)

Assist SMEs to research, develop and exploit new, technically innovative, products and processes with good commercial potential.

£7m

2x project supported

Technical and Commercial Feasibility Studies (up to 70% for co.'s with <50 employees and a turnover of ≤€10mand 60% for co.'s with <250 employees and a turnover of ≤ €50m. Maximum grant is £100,000.

Research and Development Grant 35% of up to a maximum grant of £600,000 to develop a pre-production prototype of a new product or process.

SMEs, SE and HIE areas. Companies with appropriate level of technological innovation & Risks and R&D challenge, commercial potential and market demand, exploitation prospects, management abilities and project team, financial viability, additionality, intellectual property rights and wider aspects.

£4.7m

External consultancy covering feasibility, research and technical expertise/advice. This will take the company to the point where it is able to make an informed decision on whether to invest further and proceed to Project Implementation. Fixed Intervention Rate 70%.

Support for Market Research

Support for Innovation Development

Support for Market Launch Preparation

Support for Development Innovation Culture

Intervention Rate 40%

DRM and NRM

(370)

improve the chances of success for a company's innovation project and the growth performance of that supported company, through a better planned and researched innovation project focused on the crucial 'Front end of Innovation'.

£205k

2 days external consultancy - 100% funded by SE (ace-to-face meetings, consultation, desk research, facilitation of meetings/workshops, development and presentation of plans/spreadsheets)

Mainly NRM companies, some DRM through other development projects (171)

Aims to create new companies (mainly spin-outs) which have good growth potential, of which many are hoped to be high growth, and will go on to access further support from SE as well as leveraging further investment from elsewhere to support this growth. Giving fellows the skills to set up a business is also hoped to create serial entrepreneurs and wider benefits beyond the target project.

£718k

Delivered by the Royal Society of Edinburgh with SE funding:

one year's salary

expert training in entrepreneurship

access to mentors

Researchers and innovators w/ promising technology-based business ideas. Beneficiaries may be spin-outs, some of which may be high growth.

Help companies consider and build diversification strategies to enable them win business in the Energy Markets sector. It focuses on identifying and exploring potentially profitable revenue streams for the business as well as a review of the most effective and efficient route forward.

£12k

consultancy support for market analysis and technical due diligence.

Phase 1 - 100% funding for up to 2 days

Phase 2 - 50% for up to 4 days support

Production of company specific report/ presentation to help achieve market objectives.

Open to all companies (including pre-revenue). Not open to Individuals

Markets can include Offshore Wind, Nuclear Decommissioning, Low Carbon Heat, Water and Energy Systems/Storage.(18)

£222k

A range of specialist support, tailored to need. Interventions include Executive Education Strategic Retreats (one-to-many), Masterclasses, networking events and tailored One-to-One support/learning journeys.

primarily for Scaling Account companies

£31k

(445)

The review aims identify priority Organisation and Workplace Innovation actions to support delivery of client's business plan, overcome barriers to growth, etc. Informs development projects w/ SE Account Plan, and helps develop the business plan, and growth of the business.

£301k

Diagnostic tool covers various aspects of organisational and workplace innovation development including leadership and management capability, organisational culture, employee engagement, roles and responsibilities, performance management, skills gaps, succession planning, youth training planning and place (enhancing workspaces and use of technology). Output = report w/ action plan relating to business strategy and growth objectives.

Staff from the chief executive to operational and shop-floor staff across all skills areas. (91)

Embed and support Workplace Innovation

£133k

Supports NRM projects centred around the following themes:

People - Motivating staff beyond pay and supporting learning and development.

Place - Improving or maintaining a positive workplace culture, creatively using physical space, creating time to innovate and integrating technology.

Practice - Supporting work practices to become fair, responsible and improve productivity.

(44)

embed and support Workplace Innovation via:

Improved leadership abilities to direct change

Giving confidence and capability to supervisors to lead their teams and deliver productivity gains

Fair and inclusive practices which drive employee engagement and result in growth

£2.45m

3 sub products:

Leadership Development Support (leadership team or individuals) - develop senior managers, directors, CEOs or MDs to enable strategic change leading to growth.

Management Development Support Development first line supervisors and managers.

Workplace Organisation Support to Embed fair and progressive workplace practices, develop the culture, increase employee engagement and address skills barriers to growth.

(181)

Use of consortium model to promote risk-sharing in new projects, allow access to larger or higher quality markets, cost savings by collective purchasing, sharing facilities or services, and other operational / motivational benefits. Enable businesses of varying types and sizes to work together toward an agreed purpose, on a shared and equal basis.

£24k

Up to 2.5 days of consultant time to help groups of businesses or business people form a new entity which, by achieving scale, helps them improve their individual performance.

Existing businesses from all industries (where SE believes there is, or is likely to be, an advantage to businesses working collaboratively.

For DRM businesses, it must be linked to a Development Project (10)

Improve confidence and capability of leaders and accelerate business growth

£39k

Up to seven 1 day workshops incorporating practical and theoretical based learning covering comprise of personal assessments linking with business objectives to create an action plan, run over 6-8 months. Option of mentoring. Afterwards beneficiaries should implement a strategic business project. . .

AM Companies/Growth Pipeline (128)

Improve confidence and capability of leader's and stimulate ambition

Workshops run over a period of 2 months. Participants undertake a personal diagnostic assessment, up to 5 1/2 day workshops incorporating practical and theoretical based learning followed by a strategic business project.

NRM Companies

Increasing the attractiveness of Scotland as a location for investment;

Raising the competitiveness of businesses operating in Scotland and overcome barriers to growth;

Influence training to a higher standard than would have been possible without support.

It should be delivered in partnership between SDI, CG & I&E Services

£4.7m

Funding to support training to develop the skills of staff, create a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce and labour market responsive to economic change.

Raise awareness of good people management and educate managers to understand their role, identifying and delivering people management solutions which will enable the growth of the business. Encourage managers to adopt new thinking, behaviours, habits and understanding that link to the strategic goals of the business, potentially leading to a positive impact on profit and increased productivity.

£12k

One to many product focussed on people management skills development. Include 6 days with the participants to cover the key learning outcomes and a ½ day feedback/review session topics will include, The Role of a Manager and Setting Goals, Managing Individual Performance to Build High Performing Teams, Communication, Influencing & Assertiveness Skills, Coaching & Delegation, Dealing with Conflict & Difficult People, Change Management & Innovation.

All companies

(472)

Address to address weaknesses in the supply of risk capital to high growth companies via SIB funding matched by accredited co-investment partners.

£280k

Match co-investment partners up to 50% of total funding, from £10,000 up to £1.5m, for deals of £20,000 to £10m

Investment can be made in companies from start-up, early-stage to expanding businesses seeking to develop products and/or markets. 62

Commercialisation of leading-edge technologies and creating growth within a new start-up or existing Scottish company of £5 million turnover or commercial investment of £10 million within five years

£1.75m

Champion and Support for: Commercialising your research and innovation, Market assessment, IP protection, Building a commercial team, Company formation

Scotland's universities, research institutes and NHS Boards, though development of pre-commercial projects which must demonstrate potential for high growth

High growth companies originating from this support

£316k

Provides grant assistance to contribute towards project costs associated with business development/ start-up during the pre-sales period, and also consultancy/ external expertise procured for agreed tasks in support of the growth of the client company. This covers, but is not restricted to, strategy, business planning, corporate finance, intellectual property, specific technical expertise or marketing expertise.

High growth companies (52)

support acceleration of growth and achievement of milestones towards investor and commercial attraction whilst engaged with Company Growth's High Growth Ventures team and the High Growth Spin-Out programme

£525k

Fully funded mentoring/advisory support via supplier as advisor relationship designed.

High growth companies (61)

support companies to acquire new expertise critical to building the investment proposition. The focus is on ensuring that an investable team is in place.

£98k

Grant assistance to contribute towards recruitment and salary costs or fees of early team members identified as critical to building investor confidence

High growth companies

£82k

Specialist support to business owners facing succession issues/options (e.g. MBO, EBO, family transfer, flotation and trade sale) with an expert adviser. - Stage 1 provides up to 1 day advisor input

Stage 2 - 2 days more support for investigating employee ownership option.

DRM companies -linked to a Development Project and where AM and SE/CDS Specialist agree it is appropriate. (37)

Bayes Innovation Programme (Bayes IP) Project A is the initial phase of a new University of Edinburgh (UoE) led programme that will focus on company engagement and entrepreneurship to generate new strategic corporate collaborations, create and scale high growth ventures, attract new investment and deliver economic benefit through Data Driven Innovation (DDI).

Approval of project of £5.7m in 2018 of which SE (£2.75m)

identify, engage and successfully build new collaborative partnerships

develop the Engage Invest Exploit programme to strengthen existing and build new relationships with the investor community in Scotland

corporate R&D groups

academics

Various (see link)

Encourage companies to improve competitiveness, by engaging workforce in supporting innovation and the adoption of new processes and technology.

Operational Review to identify areas for potential improvement, cost savings, efficiencies, etc. and plan to improve

Manufacturing 4.0 review

Business Improvement Academy

Identify supply chain opps via supply chain diagnostic tool

Identify innovation challenges in Scotland's public sector and explore creative solutions with businesses, e.g. to overcome operational challenges, improve service quality, reduce costs, etc.

Boost Scotland's innovation and economic development performance

100% of funding to support the development of innovative solutions Up to 100% funding to find and develop solutions with innovative businesses

Public Sector Organisations (including unis and charities)

Businesses

Support collaboration by providing a portal/network to connect companies and agencies with a challenge to those with the skills and expertise to solve the challenges

To build connections between academia and industry in areas relevant to Scottish Government priorities. IALF is included as a priority area in the Can Do Innovation Action Plan.

£2,268k

Allocated on a project basis, I-ALF supports a wide range of activities linked to building innovation infrastructure, changing culture/raising ambitions and leveraging additional funding through projects targeting UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Funding (or similar). Funded projects include FitWork, Centre of Excellence in Decommissioning & Late Life, Converge Challenge Programme, and Venture Fest Can Do Innovation Summit. College innovation is currently awarded through I-ALF (see below).

University/college staff, businesses and wider society through delivery of outcomes that will enable Scotland to become more productive, economically prosperous and inclusive.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) creates a dynamic three-way collaboration between a business or not for profit organisation, a UK university or research organisation, and a suitably qualified graduate to help realise a strategic innovation project, bring about transformative change and embed new capability.

For those KTP funded by the SFC, wealth creation and social impact are important considerations and the public sector, charities and not-for-profit organisations are also eligible.

£1.5m from Scottish Government to support additional KTP activity in Scotland. This level of funding has been provided by the SG for many years.

Anecdotally for every £1.0m of SFC Grant £1.8m is leveraged from other Grant Sponsors

There are about 90 KTPs in Scotland currently, these are just a few examples.

The types of activity supported by KTP are well publicised on the KTP website.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

The unique collaboration formed by a Knowledge Transfer Partnership is designed to be mutually beneficial to all three partners:

• A business or not for profit organisation: driving innovation, increasing productivity and improving business performance
• A research organisation or university: creating business-relevant teaching, research and publishing opportunities
• A suitably qualified graduate (the Associate): providing a rewarding employment opportunity and the chance to apply academic knowledge to real world business challenges

SFC also makes targeted, time-limited investments to support national priorities in Scotland's colleges and universities.

In FY18/19 - Interface, IVs, and ICs were funded in this way.

No fixed budget.

KE projects:

Quality Improvement Health - SISCC £406k

National Coordination Centre for Public Engagement £14k

SFC/Creative Scotland Partnership for the Creative Industries £23k

Knowledge Exchange Partnership Programme (H&I) £94k

Centre for Fiscal and Budget Analysis £7k

Connecting businesses to universities and colleges

£778k

Brokerage service. Companies are assisted to find the most suitable academic partner to help them solve a problem/challenge.

SMEs and academic staff participating in collaborative activities.

Formula funding to support Research to address the Sustainable Development Goals in DAC nations. (Complements the competitive GCRF grants managed via UKRI.)

£10,279,379 (ODA)

Impact -focused research; fieldwork to establish datasets; testing of prototypes; developing human and organisational capacity to undertake research; establishment of science partnerships; research studentships. All research work to be co-designed and delivered with partner organisations in DAC nations.

DAC nations. (Benefits to Scotland must be a secondary consideration.)

Encourage first time collaborations between businesses and universities and colleges

£542k

A standard innovation voucher offers £5k of academic buy out support matched by companies in kind contribution. This scheme supports the development of innovative new products, services or processes where they cannot be de delivered commercially.

Advanced Innovation Vouchers offer larger grants of up to £20k matched by company through cash and in kind.

Companies benefit from the further development of a novel product, service or process and hopefully from the establishment of a long term relationship with a university or college and all its potential support functions.

Universities and colleges benefit specially on collaborative projects and receive 'a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide non-exclusive royalty free licence to use the Foreground IP for the purposes of academic research, teaching and collaboration, including any collaboration with third parties'

Academic sectors benefit from a gradual improvement of attitudes of businesses towards them and a greater understanding of the benefits of working with academia.

The University Innovation Fund (UIF) incentivises universities to work collaboratively to design and adopt innovative new approaches to exploiting the research base that will lead to a significant positive change in Scotland's already good economic performance.

Equivalent funding streams in the UK are Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) in England, Research Wales Innovation Fund (RWIF) in Wales, and HEIF in Northern Ireland.

£15,897k (please note this funding is allocated on an Academic Year (AY) basis and is normally £13.5M per AY. The UIF was given a one-off uplift in AY2018/19)

The UIF model consists of two elements: the Platform Grant and the Outcome Grant.

The Platform Grant (£250K) represents a baseline contribution towards maintaining each university's knowledge exchange and innovation activities. This element can be used at the institution's discretion to support maintenance of core staff and activities, support activities (such as public and cultural engagement) as well as staff development and the development of policies and practice.

The second element of the UIF, the Outcome Grant, is distributed on the basis of satisfactory contribution to the delivery of seven national outcomes aligned with the Scottish Government's economic strategy, with universities working collaboratively where appropriate.

The Grant is used by universities to support a wide range of commercialisation, knowledge exchange, public engagement and other activities aimed at delivering the UIF outcomes.

University staff, general public, businesses.

The College Innovation Fund (pilot) is piloting different funding mechanisms to support innovation through college/business collaboration. In the period being discussed here the pilot comprised:

College Innovation Vouchers - objectives similar to IV programme set out above

College Innovation Accelerator Funding (CIAF)

Project of scale - Future quipped

Future Equipped £108k

CIAF £4k

College Innovation Vouchers £35k

(funded from IALF - don't double count)

The College Innovation Fund (pilot) is piloting different funding mechanisms to support innovation through college/business collaboration.

The largest project to date and supported during the period in question is Future quipped - FutureEquipped finalists in Scottish Life Sciences Awards

College capacity and staff, students, businesses

To maintain administrative structures for research pools - establishing a critical mass of excellent research in those disciplines in Scotland, in order to compete effectively for funding, research staff and doctoral students both nationally and internationally.

£940k

Funding supports the central, collaborative functions of research pools. Models vary between pools, however, in the main funding supports a Director, administrative functions, a graduate school (central activities not, except in a few cases, studentships) and some activities such as workshops, Distinguished Visitors Programmes (DVPs), summer schools, conferences.

Researchers, Research students

Securing the undertaking of research in the Scottish university sector. Universities must use Research Excellence Grant (REG) funding for research purposes only; targeting their REG allocations predominantly on world‐leading and internationally excellent research.

£237,807k

Provision of staff, facilities, consumables and support services (including university administration) for exploratory research. Contribution to full economic costs of Dual Support funders' research projects.

Universities, researchers

Innovation Centres bring the expertise and capabilities of Scotland's universities, research institutes, colleges and businesses, to address industry demand led opportunities that support growth of the Scottish economy. Innovation Centres support transformational opportunities for industry and work collaboratively to develop Scotland as a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation.

£13,924k

In FY18/19 there were 8 ICs with a multitude of delivery models. All are industry-led (this is includes NHS and health outcomes for DHI and PMS-IC). Most have skills programmes (MSC places and PhDs). All are tasked with challenging and inspiring the Scottish research base to bring industry problems to them to be solved. Phase 2 has led to re-emphasis of ICs in playing a supportive role in helping Scottish businesses and universities win competitively won research funding for Scotland. They are tasked with leveraging their own resources to make best possible use of UKRI funding (ISCF, SiPF, Sector Deals, IUK, Research Councils etc.) and other sources (H2020 etc.)

The IC programme is tasked with demonstrating economic impact for Scotland by benefitting companies working with the academic base and more directly with ICs and other businesses. There are many more benefits to such a wide-ranging programme including the health outcomes of two specific ICs and the improvements to the skills base of universities and future workforce.

The IC programme partners are considering how best to measure other benefits/contributions such as 'climate' and 'well-being economy'

The strategic aim of the programme is to increase the proportion of SMEs in the HIE region (and SE, Northern Ireland, REp of Ireland) and micro-businesses involved in cross-border R&I collaboration across the eligible regions from 22 per cent to 33 per cent.

£195,000

Workshop Clients -176

Business Status Reviews - 60 (BSRs)

Innovation Audits (IAs) - 60

10 days Consulting, 100% Programme Funded - 12

12 month academic R&D projects - 8

Cross Border R&D B2B or Cluster Collaboration Projects (0.5 cluster, 2 B2B projects)

176 SMEs in the HIE allocated region

This targeted pilot programme focuses specifically on accelerating the latter stages of the innovation journey, critically optimising the commercial exploitation of new products and processes, both upstream and downstream (industry relevant demonstration to system test and launch in an operational environment). As indicated in table 1, this element of the programme will operate across technology readiness (TRL) levels 5 to 9, as a near-to-market support mechanism designed to enable products and services to fully enter the market.

£311,816 - Programme closed to applications September 2019

Generally, funding awards will be at a maximum of 50% intervention. Therefore, the company must be able to demonstrate that they are able to meet a minimum 50% cash contribution to the project, in addition to any associated in-kind contributions. Projects from £25,000 to £1m in total project size will be considered.

Helping companies in the HIE region who are part of the supply chain to Aquaculture. £1m funding available. TRL level 5-9

Increase R&D capacity in the region's business base (through increased business expenditure on R&D), leading to increased productivity and export

£1,265,683 paid out to businesses in 2019/20

Grant funding to businesses under GBER Article 25. Intervention rate up to 70% depending on the size of the business, the type of activity (experimental development or industrial research) and the economic impact case

Businesses of all sizes in the Highlands and Islands.

*Note: SMART: SCOTLAND is a type of R&D grant across the whole of Scotland but administered by Scottish Enterprise.

Increasing the number of innovation active businesses in the Highlands and Islands.

Supporting the development of new to the firm and new to the market products and services.

£82,065

Grants of up to £15,000 which must be used to help commercialise a product, service or process being developed by the business.

The HIE Small Business Innovation Grant scheme is aimed at helping companies in the Highlands and Islands (H&Is) that have been identified through the Innovate Your Business programme or account management as having an innovation project that would benefit from funding to help commercialise a product, process or service.

Target of 17 small innovation grants awarded per annum.

Beneficiaries are organisations developing or planning to develop an innovative new product, service or process and hold ambitious plans for growth.

ScotGrad aims to deliver placement projects which are linked to HIE's own key priorities of innovation, internationalisation, process improvement, product development and digital opportunities to support an organisation's growth ambitions. For social enterprises and for businesses in fragile areas, the programme assists sustainability, diversification and growth.

£33,274

Project specific placements of up to 12 weeks induration focused around innovation, internationalisation, process improvement, product development and digital opportunities to support an organisation's growth ambitions.

SMEs and Social Enterprises across the Highlands and Islands, predominantly account managed by HIE.

Social Business strand of the graduate programme supported placements that enhanced the sustainability of not for profit organisations with a community focus, whilst delivering a product or service.

This no longer runs as a separate programme. It was incorporated into the Graduate Placement Programme below in 2018.

N/A

N/A

ScotGrad aims to deliver placement projects linked to HIE's own key priorities of innovation, internationalisation, process improvement, product development and digital opportunities to support an organisation's growth ambitions. For social enterprises and for businesses in fragile areas, the programme assists sustainability, diversification and growth.

£304,815

Project specific placements from 3 to 12 months in duration focused around innovation, internationalisation, process improvement, product development and digital opportunities to support an organisation's growth ambitions.

SMEs and Social Enterprises across the Highlands and Islands, predominantly account managed by HIE.

The Data Lab Innovation Centre have established a hub in Inverness and recruited a Business Development Executive.

£250,000

The Data Lab are focussed on delivering their priorities across the region: data innovation projects; developing skills and talent and community building events.

Businesses, wider public sector, academic/research institutions.

HIE's membership of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)'s Industrial Liaison Programme (ILP) provides access to world class conferences and events, webinars, reports, research, facilities and expertise to both staff and businesses in our region.

£65,000

HIE staff and businesses can register on the members' area of the MIT website and gain access to a suite of online resources as well as access to conferences, events and similar at a discounted rate for members of ILP.

HIE has a dedicated member of staff at MIT who will discuss the requirements of staff and/or businesses and facilitate access to the expertise, research or contacts that is sought. This member of MIT staff will also support HIE staff to organise learning journeys for groups of companies or bespoke meetings for individual businesses. HIE's membership of ILP also provides access to other members, many of which are leading global businesses.

MIT's Industrial Liaison Programme is a membership service that is open and accessible to all agencies, businesses and individuals wishing to access the extensive research, resources and expertise available at MIT. HIE has approval from its Board to maintain its membership of ILP until 2020.

Increasing the number of innovation active businesses in the Highlands and Islands.

Supporting the development of new to the firm and to the market products and services.

£164,435

Innovation support service delivered by HIE's in-house innovation team specialists. Each member has a sector specialisation and can assist Account Managed businesses with an innovation project or issue with bespoke advisory support. Support can come in the form of simple early stage advice, Intellectual Property assistance, funding support and signposting to relevant contacts and agency bodies who can advance enquiries if HIE is unable to adequately support to the level required.

HIE Account Managed Clients. Target to support 100 unique clients across the account management portfolio per annum.

The project contributes to the ambition of The Scotland Can Do Framework and HIE's operating plan and highlights the importance and ambition that is attached to innovation. The aims of these plans are to measure performance in areas listed below.

• Becoming a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative nation:
• Increase the number of businesses.
• Increase research and development spending.
• Improve knowledge exchange from university research.

£63,048.17

Interface connects businesses to the right academic expertise for increased innovation leading to the creation and development of new products, services and processes; Interface

With established connections in each of Scotland's 23 universities and research institutions, Interface is able to identify the right expertise, the best technologies and the most relevant facilities and equipment to solve any number of business challenges.

The Interface team works with businesses to develop their ideas, helping to translate them into dynamic briefs for academics or student projects.

The free and impartial service has helped hundreds of organisations to become more competitive enabling them to increase their profits, maximise their export potential and ultimately become more sustainable.

Interface can also help organisations access a range of funding options to offset the cost of their project; How we can help - Funding

With Interface's dedicated Highlands and Islands business engagement team on the ground, based within HIE, they can help businesses wherever they are, whatever their need - for more information visit How we can help

4 organisations in HIE region funded.

The Innovate Your Business programme is delivered on behalf of HIE by True North Innovation Ltd to non-account managed clients. Account managed clients are supported by HIE's innovation team. Objective to support 170 unique businesses per annum.

Increasing the number of innovation active businesses in the Highlands and Islands.

Supporting the development of new to the firm and new to the market products and services.

£49,522

The IYB programme is part of HIE Innovation Service and aims to increase the numbers of non-account managed innovating businesses in the region. Those businesses that are supported throughout the IYB programme may subsequently feed into HIEs internally delivered innovation service for continued support if considered pipeline for account management.

The IYB programme consists of:

• Innovation Enquiry Service - enquiries are made on-line via the HIE website or Find Business Support portal. These are followed up by a call from the IYB contractor offering up to 4 hours of initial support
• Advanced Support - Up to 2 days of support in total.
• Innovation Workshops

Grant Advice - signposting to appropriate sources of funding and where appropriate support to work up a HIE small innovation grant application

Target of 170 unique businesses per annum supported through the Innovate Your Business programme.

The support on offer through the Northern Innovation Hub is diverse, yet linked by the umbrella themes of Young People, Growth, and Sectors and Place.

Young People

Support is available for small to medium sized enterprises across all sectors through a range of projects

Growth

By providing targeted support to businesses, we will ensure economic resilience which will benefit a wide range of individuals and companies across the region.

Sectors and Place

Support is particularly available to businesses working across life sciences, tourism, food and drink and the creative industries.

£1.3m

Tourism:

Digital Tourism Programme:

D1. Tune into Tourism webinars /podcasts

• Digital Tourism Think Tank
• Digital Skills Academy

Adventure Tourism Programme - to be launched this year

Young Entrepreneurs Programme: IMPACT30

Life Sciences Programme:

• Pathfinder Accelerator
• NEXUS co-working space

Technology Placements Programme (Graduates and Students)

Coding Academy: CodeClan Highlands

Creative Industries Programme: XpoNorth Digital

Food & Drink Programme:

• Highland Food & Drink Innovation Network

Food & Drink Technology Hub

SMEs across the Highland Council area, from start-ups through to businesses of growth

Output

Number of Enterprises receiving modest support to develop innovative products, services or processes

Project totals (unique enterprises)

Tourism - 300 enterprises Creative Industries - 545 enterprises

Total

845 enterprises

Output

Number of Enterprises receiving considerable support to develop innovative products, services or processes

Project totals (unique enterprises)

Life Sciences - 46 enterprises Tourism - 30 enterprises Food and Drink - 75 enterprises Creative Industries - 175

Total

326 enterprises

Output

Number of Enterprises receiving intensive support to develop innovative products, services or processes

Project totals (unique enterprises)

Life Sciences - 170 enterprises

Tourism - 100 enterprises

Technology Placements - 100 enterprises

30 under 30 - 210 enterprises

Food and Drink - 30 enterprises Creative Industries - 15 enterprises

Total

625 enterprises

Output

Number of enterprises

cooperating with research institutions

Project totals (unique enterprises)

Life Sciences - 20 Enterprises

Food and Drink - 10 enterprises

Total

30 enterprises

The aim of the fund was to encourage a culture of collaborative innovation by addressing KEY opportunities or challenges in the Food and Drink sector.

The core focus of the fund was exclusively around achieving an innovation outcome of scale, addressing a key food & drink opportunity or challenge in line with the objectives of the Scotland Food & Drink Strategy. £650k of funding

£23,160 The programme closed to applications on 31 March 2020

The Make Innovation Happen Collaboration Fund will help projects that address a key opportunity or challenge in the Food and Drink Industry to:

• Improve competitiveness in the sector
• Benefit the Scottish economy

Projects typically last 6 to 36 months, and the grant can cover up to 50% of the project costs. Grants in the region of £25-40k.

The grant will not cover an individual business, there needs to be a min of two businesses where there is a win, win for both parties. Routine or periodic changes made to products, processes or services are also ineligible, even if such changes may represent improvements.

The principal requirement is that the projects represent a collaborative relationship between a group of companies or a group of organisations and if appropriate a Scottish HEI or research facility. (min of two businesses in the collaboration)

• F&D Companies must be registered in Scotland or be able to demonstrate that its principal business operation is based here.
• Open to all businesses within the F&D supply chain from farm to fork and sea to shelf.

The scheme is targeted at Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs), but larger companies may form part of the collaboration for grant funding. If the lead Industrial partner is not an SME then additional information on the impact of the proposed project on the SME supply chain will be required prior to the submission of an application.

The NPA programme contributes to and aligns with the Europe 2020 Strategy, national and regional policies and development strategies, macro regional and sea basin strategies, and other programmes in the geographical area. The programme's vision is to assist in the generation of vibrant, competitive and sustainable communities, by harnessing innovation, expanding the capacity for entrepreneurship and maximising the unique growth initiatives and opportunities of the Northern and Arctic.

£776.15 Programme runs to 31 October 2021

Over a period of 18 months, existing research methodology (Nofima and HIE through an existing SEFARI fellowship) will be tested through engagement with businesses (HIE and Iceland Ocean Cluster). This collaborative and co-operative learning will aim to investigate:

The application potential of disruptive technologies for seafood producers in the NPAP region, including an analysis of which supply chain links the technologies are more, or less, suitable for;

What technical and business model process innovation would be required by businesses to adopt respective technologies including implementation costs and longer-term benefits;

The interface between current system and data;

Challenge related to missing or unconnected data and how that would limit the overall benefits;

Pros and cons of blockchain-based system compared to traditional traceability;

Blockchain technologies that would build consumer trust and in turn value;

Visualisation of success.

Using existing research and recognised methodology, this project will test through engagement with businesses, in a collaborative and co-operative learning culture, investigate and define:

Technical and business model process innovation to adopt blockchain technologies including implementation costs and longer-term benefits;

The interface between current system and data;

Challenge related to missing or unconnected data and how that would limit the overall benefits to the seafood industry

On completion of the project we expect to have positive examples of exemplar use of disruptive technologies that can be showcased across the partner territories to raise awareness and provide drivers of change in the seafood industry.