A world-class £20 million centre of excellence for business and innovation officially opens on the campus in Edinburgh in early autumn. It’s a truly exciting proposition as GRID – the Global Research Innovation and Discovery centre – at Heriot-Watt University is set to become a hive of industry for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
It is being primed to help international businesses of all sizes to work with students, and academic researchers to meet the complex challenges of AI, the Internet of Things and the arrival of 5G connectivity.
“This fantastic new facility is about enabling innovative businesses to grow and succeed. We are the enablers here at Heriot-Watt,’’ he said, as the finishing touches were being undertaken.
“My role is to head up enterprise and to help company start-ups, spin-outs and, in some cases, spin-ins to the university so they can benefit from talent and resources that are available. GRID is set to become a central part of this journey.’’
The key leadership team is Dr Gillian Murray, the Deputy Principal for Enterprise and Business; Professor Steve McLaughlin, Head of School of Engineering and Physical Sciences; Professor Beatrice Pelloni, Head of Mathematical and Computer Science, and Richardson. A new head of commercialisation from a venture capital outfit and an IP licencing professional will soon be joining.
Dr Murray said: “It is much more than a building. It will change how we teach, learn and how we apply our entrepreneurial minds to solving global issues.’’
Indeed, GRID is a core element of Heriot-Watt’s wider strategic engagement with global business, which means it will be working closely with Edinburgh Business School and Professor Heather McGregor’s colleagues in Edinburgh, Dubai and Malaysia.
“We are all working together to see how we create more strategic and industrial partnerships, so there is a talent pool going out into industry,’’ explained Richardson.
David Richardson, Chief Entrepreneurial Executive at Heriot-Watt University
GRID, a 5,200 m2 facility surrounded by the lush green space at the heart of the campus, overlooking the famous duck pond, will be officially opened later in the year. In the meantime, Richardson and the team will be building partnerships with Heriot-Watt campuses in Dubai, Malaysia, the Scottish Borders and on Orkney to explain how they can interact with GRID. This will be coupled with a programme of global research in the spheres of innovation and discovery.
“We will be helping companies to access the latest technology and talent to grow their business.’’
Entering on the first floor on the left is the Flex-Lab which has been kitted out with engineering and testing equipment. Students, staff and industry partners will be working together here to physically make innovative new products. On the other side is the data and computing space for digital collaborations.
“We have a focus on business and enterprise and part of our value proposition is that we are bringing the physical engineering together with the digital,’’ said the enterprise chief.
The open-plan atrium, with its Tuk-Tuk coffee shop, is ideal for informal breakouts and relaxation. At the back of the building there is an imagineering suite for visualisation in 3-D, an area equipped for augmented and virtual reality and gamification. Here students will be challenged to create companies that use gamification.
Upstairs, there is large flexible computer lab with around 100 double-screen computer positions, in a space that can be customised to accommodate a competitive hackathon or collaborative project teams. Behind this is a creative studio, a highly customised space that can be turned into a living lab, a living room and studio, or even an art gallery.
“The purpose of this space is to open up a range or different scenarios and create testbeds where people can come in and work with us,’’ said Richardson.
On the opposite side is a boardroom with smart whiteboards where companies can apply their brains, and private meeting space. There is also flexible space set aside for start-ups with shared-screens for conference calls, and glass-screened interview booths where more sensitive discussions can be held.
There is already a pipeline of companies interested in coming to work at GRID, especially with corporate venturing.
Richardson explained that GRID’s capabilities in artificial intelligence and intelligent sensors will also play a significant role in the development of the UK’s first National Robotarium in 2021; a £35 million joint venture between Heriot-Watt and the University of Edinburgh as part of a data-driven initiative from the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
On this spring day, GRID is a tranquil setting in the middle of the verdant campus, but it is likely to become a hotbed of activity with the new intake of students in late September sharing these outstanding facilities.