Tay-Forth Catalyst to develop shared services with partner universities

The Tay-Forth Catalyst is one of four projects to receive funding from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) as part of its new £3 million Research & Innovation Shared Services Collaboration Fund (SSCF). This initiative provides funding to develop sustainable models for the implementation of shared services, including – but not limited to – sharing technology transfer office (TTO) facilities and research offices.

This project will seek to create, for the first time, a coordinated and efficient commercialisation ecosystem across the Tay-Forth region to address low levels of regional business creation and investment outcomes. The partners will coordinate, share and drive institutional change to improve conversion of their research and innovation into relevant and valuable business opportunities. 

Their shared ambition is to deliver major and sustained change in the scale and pace of research commercialisation that is badly needed for Scotland’s industry, society and regional growth. They will also raise the profile of the Tay-Forth region as a place to learn, discover and build outstanding businesses.

Anna Grey, Director of Research and Innovation Services at the University of Dundee, said, “The need to improve the support for commercialisation is well understood and Scottish Universities already collaborate and share good practice. This scheme though allows us to explore more concrete and formal opportunities to share skills and expertise”

Leveraging complementary expertise across three research-intensive universities, the project will develop a flexible framework comprising scalable training programmes, business advisory services, funding mechanisms, and collaborative infrastructure. The project will focus on:

• Consolidating existing enterprise provisions to eliminate duplication and create efficiencies.
• Launching a new integrated shared service providing clear pathways for first-time founders.
• Establishing sustainable funding mechanisms to support high-potential ventures through development stages.
• Building opportunities for collaborative research and commercialisation across the partner institutions to unlock our combined potential.

By co-developing to deliver best practice in commercialisation support and aligning with regional economic development priorities, the project will demonstrate viability of collaborative innovation models. While maintaining institutional autonomy in decision-making, this initiative will enhance collective commercialisation capability and reinforce the region’s reputation for research-led economic growth.

The SSDF aims to promote long-term collaboration by supporting the initial costs of change, enabling institutions to navigate the difficult proof of concept stage and reducing the risk of exploring new approaches in a financially constrained environment. Ultimately, the Fund will support the sector to work differently and create efficiencies through the sharing of essential R&I back-office services. 

A total of up to £3 million is available over academic years 2025/26 and 2026/27 with individual awards ranging from £250k-£750k. Funding is intended to support the transition to a different way of working by proving the feasibility and viability of a shared approach.