Glasgow Mini-Projects

The University of Glasgow split its funding from Aspect to support three initiatives: (1) Innovation Audit, (2) Entrepreneurship/ Challenge-led placements, and (3) Zinc and investor relationship building.

INNOVATION AUDIT 

The Innovation Audit set out to uncover and develop existing research for innovation activity. The University IP & Innovation team run these ‘audits’ in the STEM colleges regularly and have begun to look at how to adjust the model to work for SHAPE disciplines.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP/ CHALLENGE LED PLACEMENTS 

This part of the project aimed to empower SHAPE researchers to deploy entrepreneurial skills to short- term placements around specific challenges for business partners to develop depth of private sector relationships with strategic partners alongside building innovation confidence in keen researchers. 

ZINC & INVESTOR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

Across SHAPE disciplines we recognise the need to grow a base of investors who understand the nuances of early-stage investment and how that differs from our STEM counterparts (i.e., often earlier stage and potentially lower growth but high societal good, different business models etc), whilst helping shape suitable business models that excite investors. This part of the project enabled travel for both academics and professional support staff to attend Zinc events in London, providing a verity of options to catalyse innovative growth from research.