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Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards 2020

The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards recognise, reward and celebrate the impacts achieved through academic and business partnerships.

The awards categories are:

Knowledge Exchange Champion of the Year

Recognising an individual in academia (university, college, research institute), business or support organisation who has made an outstanding contribution to Knowledge Exchange. Applications should demonstrate how the individual has gone the extra mile above and beyond their day job.

Innovation of the Year

Awarded to an innovative product, process or service that has been developed over the past five years. Applications should demonstrate how the academic partnership has been fundamental in supporting the product, service or process innovation. 

This award is for Interface facilitated and Innovation Voucher projects only. The Interface team will nominate projects and will contact businesses and academics directly to request further details for the judging panel. 

Making a Difference Award

Celebrating collaborative projects which have achieved significant social or environmental impacts that ultimately contribute towards a better, fairer and more sustainable future. 

Multi-party Collaboration Award

Open to groups of consortia involving three or more parties working together on an innovative research project, the group must include research partners from academia and at least one business. Applications should demonstrate innovation and impact as a result of working together to solve a common challenge while also having a significant benefit for each party involved. 

Innovator of the Future Award (formerly Rising Star)

Open to  KTP Associates, final year students or postgraduate students who have been hosted or sponsored by a business based in Scotland for a minimum of three months for a specific project that has increased the skills of the associate or individual student, as well as increased innovation within the company. 

Spotlight Award

To recognise different business sectors and academic disciplines that have come together to provide an innovative solution to a challenge.


The winner will be selected by the judges from all of the applications received.

Deadline for applications: 29 November 2019

Finalists announced: 9 January 2020

Knowledge Exchange Awards Ceremony: 27 February 2020

Full details and to apply visit Interface website here.