21 June 2001

Dundee named fastest developing university for innovation and enterprise

The University of Dundee was last night (19/6) given a special award in the LaunchIT 2001 competition recognising innovation and entrepreneurship.

Vice Chancellor and Principal of the University of Dundee Sir Alan Langlands today congratulated the staff - as well as Scottish Enterprise Tayside and the city - on their contribution to Dundee's success. He said:

"The University of Dundee's record for turning ideas and knowledge into products and services is clearly making an impact on the national - and indeed the international - scene. To be named as the UK's fastest developing UK university in the field of innovation and enterprise is a success not just for the University but for the City of Dundee and for Scottish Enterprise Tayside whose partnerships are so vital to this process.

"Commercialisation is a key strength of the University of Dundee where the intellectual property portfolio includes more than 80 live patents ranging across life sciences, digital media, civil engineering and materials science. More than 30 projects are currently licensed, many to Scotland-based companies. Last year alone 34 new inventions were disclosed. University research has already led to seven spin out companies employing 75 people, including Cyclacel - which last week announced a £34 million private placement. Dundee is one of Scotland's top three universities for attracting research income - 25% of which comes from industry.

"The partnership approach, which recently led to the development of spin out company AMCET to commercialise a range of materials technologies, has great inherent strengths and is at the core of the University's recently launched Centre for Enterprise Management designed to catalyse new spin outs and further entrepreneurial activity among both students and staff.

"In the creative industries the University has ambitious plans to establish a creative entrepreneurs in residence initiative as well as a Futures Products Laboratory based on integrating media, hardware and software."

The Cross Atlantic award was received in London last night by University Chancellor and Nobel prizewinning scientist Sir James Black.

See the University of Dundee's entry form for LaunchIt 2001