Scottish Government invests £2.92 million in university spinouts

The Scottish Government is investing £2.92 million through its Proof of Concept fund to transform university research into commercial business ventures. Seventeen projects across seven different universities will receive the funding to assist with prototype development, market analysis, and investor pitching.

Key projects include Kinera at Heriot-Watt University, which is creating a wearable health monitor for Parkinson’s disease, and Merra-log at the University of St Andrews, which is developing a low-cost environmental monitoring system for marine and freshwater data. Additionally, the University of Aberdeen’s Scensai project is working on a handheld chemical sensing device for the drinks industry.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism & Transport Stephen Flynn stated that the government has invested nearly £6 million over the last two years to support the success of Scottish spinout companies and nurture the nation's history of innovation.