Your weekly innovation digest (13.12.24)
Glasgow City of Science and Innovation
?? Raising the profile of Glasgow and the West of Scotland as a world-class destination for science and innovation.
We're celebrating and supporting the strengths of the Glasgow City Region's research and business communities, which have helped forge our reputation?as a city region at the forefront of technology, innovation and collaboration.
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???Game-changing Glasgow
A plant pot tag for a red campion flower (pictured below), uncovered at the site of the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival, has been named one of Scotland’s top five archaeological discoveries of the year. The tag was the first physical evidence unearthed from the festival's 120-acre site.
Glasgow's Garden Festival, part of an effort to re-imagine Glasgow after the loss of heavy industry in the city, was held on repurposed docklands south of the River Clyde. The festival showcased green spaces, a theme park, and an adventure playground and was officially opened by Prince Charles and Princess Diana. It attracted over four million visitors in its five-month run, boosting investment and urban regeneration efforts.
?? Six projects to share ￡237K funding boost from Photonics and Quantum Accelerator
The Photonics & Quantum Accelerator (PQA) has awarded its first round of funding to diverse impact projects, including innovations in ultra-secure encryption, precise timing, and retinal monitoring. These advancements are expected to drive company growth, create jobs, and improve Scotland’s wellbeing.
The PQA brings together researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt, and St Andrews, alongside local authorities and industry bodies, to strengthen the photonics sector in Scotland’s Central Belt, a hub of photonics innovation for over 50 years with ambitious growth potential.
?? What is Quantum and Photonics?
Quantum physics explores matter and energy at the smallest scales, revealing the properties and behaviors of nature's fundamental building blocks. Photonics focuses on the generation, control, and application of light in areas such as communication, imaging, and sensing. Together, these fields drive advancements in cutting-edge technologies.
?? Find out more about Glasgow's thriving Quantum and Photonics sector here.
?? Glasgow radar-based innovation for knee surgery patients
NHS Golden Jubilee and the 英国格拉斯哥大学 are collaborating on Robust-Knee, a pioneering study to enhance recovery for knee replacement patients. Combining advanced radar-based gait monitoring with innovative exercise therapy, the project aims to improve muscle strength, mobility, and surgical outcomes. This initiative addresses critical challenges such as pain, reduced mobility, and muscle weakness experienced by patients awaiting surgery.
?? Glasgow start-ups shine at Scottish Edge
The latest round of the Scottish EDGE pitching competition has awarded ￡1.5M to 37 early-stage businesses, providing grants and loans of ￡10,000 to ￡100,000. This round saw 12 Glasgow-based companies among the winners, showcasing the city’s thriving entrepreneurial spirit. Scottish EDGE is Scotland’s largest business funding competition, supporting startups, social enterprises, and charities in scaling their ventures.
?? Strathclyde co-lead groundbreaking fight to stop mosquito spread diseases
The 英国斯特拉斯克莱德大学 is co-leading a transformative initiative to combat vector-borne diseases through groundbreaking research on mosquito microbiomes. The MosAIC project, a UK-USA collaboration, has created the first large-scale repository of mosquito-associated bacteria. By revealing how microbiome bacteria influence mosquitoes' capacity to transmit viruses, the initiative aims to tackle diseases responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually.
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Till next time! The Glasgow City of Science and Innovation team