23 Mar 2016
On behalf of the SCI Scotland Group, Dr Tiffany Wood (Scotland Group Chair) attended the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards on 25 February 2016 at the Royal Bank of Scotland Gogarburn. The awards were hosted by Interface which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Interface is the knowledge connection for business connecting companies with academics who can help them advance processes and technologies. This activity is well matched with the SCI slogan - ‘where science meets business’.
This year the SCI Scotland Group sponsored the Innovation of the Year Award. The winners of this award were Payfont Ltd for a new invention that provides a service for allowing secure financial transactions to be carried out.
Free one-year SCI membership was awarded to the runners up in this category, Ivan Wood & Sons. The company has invented a filtration system which removes starch from waste water in order to comply with new legislation intending to stop the disposal of starch from foods like rice and potatoes into drains which, ultimately, can block pipes. This will help businesses such as fish and chip shops, fast food outlets, and Chinese takeaways restrict the amount of starch that is going down their drains.
Whilst Malcolm Wood, Managing Director of Ivan Wood & Sons, was developing a working prototype, Interface put Malcolm in touch with Dr Jon Wilkin, Senior Food Technologist at Food Innovation, University of Abertay. Together they submitted a joint application for funding and, ultimately, secured a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) from Innovate UK and the Scottish Funding Council to develop the new technology. Malcolm Wood's business has already been contacted by third parties interested in purchasing the final product.
Through SCI Technical Interest Groups it is hoped that SCI membership will enable the company to connect with other businesses and scientists with shared interests.
Dr Tiffany Wood
Chair, SCI Scotland Group
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