Aberdeen University yesterday unveiled its sparkling £485,000 support centre for fledgling businesses.
The digital innovation incubator, ABVenture Zone, gives alumni, staff and students access to a treasure trove of hi-tech gear, including top-of-the-line computers, laser scanners, 3D printers and private cloud storage.
Local start-up businesses from outside the university are also invited to use the technology and social areas at the centre, which is in the MacRobert Building on the King’s College campus.
The university will also collaborate with the Scottish Institute of Enterprise on a programme that teaches entrepreneurs key business skills as they strive to convert their ideas into market-ready companies.
Yesterday’s curtain-raiser was attended by local MSPs and business leaders, including Ajaz Ahmed, founder of Freeserve, the UK’s largest internet service provider.
University principal Sir Ian Diamond, who formally opened the centre, said: “We have a brilliant pedigree in this university for growing and applying clever ideas. Over the centuries they have emerged through the science and technology of the day, and impacted on society and economy well beyond Scotland. Our track record is evidenced by the acknowledgement of our world-class research impact, and our success in taking pure research to market through spin-out companies operating in many areas of health and technology.
“But we are not just about technology. We are also about people – and about helping people achieve their dreams.”
The incubator was established as part of the city council’s Accelerate Aberdeen initiative, which is aimed at developing an environment that supports entrepreneurship. The cash came in the form of a UK Government grant that has also gone toward financing Robert Gordon University’s incubator, which is expected to open this summer, and a centre run by business support body Elevator.
Liz Rattray, deputy director of research and innovation at Aberdeen University, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this superb facility for colleagues, students and teams to work up their clever ideas and grow them into businesses, with the support of experts.”