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Publication - Progress report

National innovation strategy: scorecard - 2024 update

Published
11 October 2024
Directorate
Economic Development Directorate, +1 more … Chief Economist Directorate
Topic
Business, industry and innovation, Economy
ISBN
9781836018902

The national innovation strategy first published an innovation scorecard in 2023, tracking Scotland's performance against key metrics compiled from publicly available data. In the first annual update to the scorecard, Scotland’s innovation performance is compared to UK and global peers.

View supporting documents Supporting documents

4. Academic Income from Business and Community Interactions

4.1 Ecosystem

  • Concept

4.2 Performance Assessment

  • Performance Worsening

4.3 Description

  • Academic Income from Business and Community Interactions (in cash terms) is monitored as an indicator of the level of innovation activity occurring between higher education and business. A total of 7 types of academic incomes are captured this monitor, categorised as contract or other income:

Contract* income includes:

1) Consultancy contracts,

2) Contract research

3) Facilities and equipment related services

Other** income includes:

4) Collaborative research involving public funding

5) CPD and Continuing Education courses

6) Intellectual Property (incl. sale of shares in spin-offs)

7) Regeneration and development programmes

4.4 Time Series

  • Academic income from business community interactions has grown by 44% in cash terms over the past 5 years. Over the same period, contract income grew by 62% while other incomes are up by 29%.
Chart 10: Academic Income from Business and Community Interactions
A bar chart showing Scotland had a total of £685m of academic income in 2022/23; the sum of £340m in contract income and £345m in other income

4.5 Current Performance

  • Total income in 2022/23 was £685m, up 2% in nominal terms, but down 4% in real terms compared to 2021/22.
  • The value of contracts held in 2022/23 was £340m, up 11% in cash terms and 4% in real terms compared to 2021/22.
  • Other income is £345 million.

4.6 Previous Year Performance

Table 3: Income from Business & Community Interactions (Real Terms, 22/23 Prices)
£m 22/23 21/22 %∆
Total £685m £717m (4%)
Contract £340m £328m 4%
Other £345m £365m (11%)
  • Nominal ‘Total’ and ‘Other’ incomes peaked 2020/21.

4.7 UK Regional Benchmark

  • Scotland ranks 1st for Total, 1st for Contracts and 4th for Other as percentages of GDP.
Chart 11: Income (2022-23) as % of GDP (2022)
A bar chart showing Scotland ranks 1st out of the 12 regions in terms of total academic income as a percentage of GDP; this represents 0.36% of Scotland’s GDP and is the sum of the 0.18% for both contract and other income

4.8 International Benchmark

  • There are no readily available international comparisons.

4.9 About the Data

Contact

Email: innovation@gov.scot

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