The University of Glasgow has played a major role in an influential report on university-business collaboration.

The University enjoyed significant representation on the Growing Value Scotland Task Force which last month launched its flagship report – ‘The Step Change: Business-University Collaboration powering Scottish Innovation’.

The Task Force, established in mid-2014 by the National Centre for Universities and Business, brought together business leaders, university principals, and senior policy makers from across Scotland and the UK.

The Principal, Professor Anton Muscatelli, and Professor Jon Cooper, Vice-Principal Innovation & Knowledge Exchange, served as Executive Group and Steering Group members and Dr. Elspeth Elliott (Research Strategy & Innovation Office) project managed the Task Force and co-authored the report.

‘The Step Change’ report highlights the vital role that Scottish universities can play in collaborating with business, harnessing creativity and inventiveness to transform Scotland’s innovation system. The findings and recommendations have been presented to government, ahead of its announcement on innovation policy reform, and will form part of the evidence for the SFC’s Innovation Centre review.

Professor Jon Cooper commented “Innovation and Engagement with the private and third sectors are central priorities for our university, as well as for our funders and government. We welcome the report for acknowledging the vast range of innovation activities that our academics undertake and for its recommendations on expanded funding for innovation, the role of entrepreneurship and business education for our staff and students and the need for business to clearly articulate their needs to universities”.

The report and further information on the Growing Value Task Force can be found at:

Growing Value: Scotland Task Force

First published: 7 June 2016

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