SCOTLAND: Business-academia links on the rise

Collaborations between business and academia have risen sharply in the past year, according to new research, reports the BBC.

Interface, which acts as a broker between firms and universities and research institutes, reported a 47% growth in figures in 2010-11. The Scottish Funding Council-backed organisation brokered 144 contracts between research teams and Scottish businesses in the last academic year. It estimated that the deals were worth £2 million (US$3.1 million).

Interface director Siobhan Jordan said small and medium-sized businesses were playing a vital role in boosting Scotland's growth. She continued: "Universities have a wealth of knowledge and expertise across many different sectors which businesses can tap into to increase their competitiveness and exploit new market opportunities."
Full report on the BBC site