As the SICSA Deputy Director and Director of Knowledge Exchange I’m been learning more about the Knowledge Exchange we undertake in SICSA with industry. SICSA includes all staff and students in Informatics and Computer Science in Scotland and as such all the opportunities available are open to all. If you are a new SICSA PhD student I’ll be meeting you and discussing much of this in detail at the new PhD induction day on Nov 26th in Edinburgh.
SICSA knowledge exchange manifests itself in things like the annual DemoFest, complimentary support to the tech transfer office in each Scottish University, entrepreneurial education, mobile apps clubs etc. Most of the support for SICSA knowledge exchange comes out of the AspeKT program in Informatics in Edinburgh.
Examples of knowledge exchange supports SICSA helps with include:
- DemoFest on Nov 6 2012
- Dedicated Business Development Officers, Tech for Tourism (Alan Settery), Cyber Security (Martin Beaton)
- Network development (building a community)
- Entrepreneurial Education program
- iVenture Tuesday Seminars
- CEO Master Class
- EDP/Ignite bursaries
- Startup Summer School
- Investment Guidance – The annual Engage Invest Exploit event (next May 2013) in 2012: 242 attendees, 58 investors, 151 companies
- The best website to learn more is: http://www.informatics-ventures.com/
If you are in SICSA and reading this then I’d encourage you to discuss your knowledge exchange plans (spin outs, start ups, engagement ideas etc.) with your own tech transfer office first.
Other details on the different and ongoing mechanisms for sustaining and expanding Scotland’s research excellence in Informatics and Computer Science SICSA has can be seen in an earlier post.