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Appliance of Science is Way Ahead for Business Technology Sector Offers Opportunity for All

Posted on: Monday, 13 March 2006, 15:00 CST

By JONATHAN RENNIE

NATIONAL Science Week begins today and all across the country programmes and events are being put in place for people to see the role science plays in our lives.

And organisers of the event are hoping the next seven days will fire the imagination of canny entrepreneurs and make them realise the sector's potential.

Sandy Smith, regional officer for the British Association for the Advancement of Science, said: "National Science Week is all about creating public engagement - about getting people interested in science, seeing its relevance and gaining insight into the work scientists undertake.

"While the event isn't about business, science's importance to industry in the UK cannot be ignored.

"We have science parks across Scotland where the focus is encouraging scientific and technological development and universities and academics are realising they can gain from working with the private sector.

"We want schoolchildren, adults and entrepreneurs to realise that there are good opportunities and great careers to be found in science and technology."

Peter Inglis, of Glasgow product design firm 4C Design, agrees that entrepreneurs should look towards the sector for opportunities.

He said: "I think entrepreneurs are starting to wake up to the fact that science can offer business opportunities in Scotland.

"The key to a lot of our business is using science and engineering to create products and solutions.

"We recently worked with scientists at Strathclyde University who specialise in gases and we used their skills to come up with a knife cutter fired by butane gas for use in the yachting and sailing market.

"These are interesting ways of exploiting science.

"I think everyone is becoming more aware of the sector's potential.

"Universities, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Executive are now promoting science as a sector for business people, not scientists.

"It is a good move and I think the interest and the momentum will be sustained in the long term."

Former Evening Times copyperson Craig Clark launched Glasgow's only dedicated space company last year.

From a base at the city's West of Scotland Science Park, his firm creates systems to power satellites.

Some of the business's technology has been used on the European Space Agency's Galileo satellite.

Craig said: "Science and technology is one of the sectors which brings in most revenue to this country and it is probably one of the easiest ways for small businesses to make money.

"While most of the high volume production might take place outside Europe, we are at the forefront of design.

"And that is where money can be made - through patents and intellectual property rights."

Source: Evening Times; Glasgow (UK)

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