Products will be on sale at George Street store in run-up to Christmas
Design students from Edinburgh Napier University will have their products on sale to the public in the lead-up to Christmas thanks to a link-up with a social enterprise that champions local creative talent.
The Scottish Design Exchange – which has two stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow – has offered the students the chance to create and sell their own designs – commission free – at its George Street store in the Scottish capital.
The organisation sells exquisitely designed products by artists living in Scotland. Every penny spent by its customers goes directly to those who create. This festive period, its Edinburgh store will welcome works from a number of Edinburgh Napier students.
Two students’ products are already available in the outlet – third year product design student Melissa Halliday’s range of unique totes bags and face masks printed from original acrylic prints and second year product design student Sara Kloszinska’s original illustrations inspired by nature.
They will soon be followed by work from three fourth year graphic design students – Rory Bain, Dan Brady and Yusra Quereshi.
This link-up is the latest development in the partnership between the University and the Scottish Design Exchange.
After first coming together during the Edinburgh Napier Creative City Challenge in 2017, the product sale has been led by Scottish Design Exchange’s Lynzi Leroy, with the University’s Design Society visiting the George St store, and working with Leith-based Bare Branding, as part of the research and product design phases of the project.
Lynzi Leroy of Scottish Design Exchange said: “I am delighted to be working on this project with Edinburgh Napier to help the product design and graphic design students gain experience in selling their products in a retail environment.
“It is a vital that part of their learning includes how to price their products and get customer feedback. Working with the Scottish Design Exchange team, we will help them do just that. There is no better learning process than selling or not selling a product. This teaches you how to adapt and change your design or pricing if required, before taking it to a wider market.”
Claire Bee, employer engagement partner at Edinburgh Napier, said: “Edinburgh Napier is delighted to be working in partnership with Scottish Design Exchange to showcase the creativity and talent of our students.
“The generosity of Scottish Design Exchange has given our students the unique opportunity to showcase their creativity, develop entrepreneurial skills, sell their products, and put their learning into practice.”
Sustainable living app showcased at Global Grad Show
Edinburgh Napier product design graduate Rachel Naysmith has won international recognition for a project which rewards good environmental deeds and helps combat climate anxiety.
M.O.S.S. – My Own Sustainable Self – has been selected for the Global Grad Show, an initiative by the Art Dubai Group which showcases 100 potentially world-changing ideas.
The newly-opened exhibition, normally in Dubai but being held online this year, attracted 1,600 applications from 270 universities in 60 countries.
Rachel’s work, and that of three Glasgow-based students, features alongside ideas like a diabetes monitoring earring, a London Underground air pollution solution, an alternative to Styrofoam made of food waste, a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome prevention device and a skin patch that monitors nutrition data.
Rachel, 23, of Insch, Aberdeenshire, developed M.O.S.S. as her major project on her way to a first class B Des (Hons) Edinburgh Napier degree and the 2020 Class Medal, and she was encouraged to enter the Global Grad Show after her work was spotted on Instagram.
The project appears at the interactive online show under the category, “Coping in a complex world: Supporting mental health in challenging online and offline environments”.
M.O.S.S. recognises that people doing their best to follow environmentally-friendly lifestyles can easily become disheartened and feel their personal initiatives count for little when set against the catastrophes which play out on the news.
However, the app-based project keeps motivation levels high by providing targets and allowing users to keep tabs on their own sustainable efforts, and it rewards the achievement of goals with a M.O.S.S. panel housing a mini ecosystem which can be attached to the outside of any building.
“A one metre squared area of moss produces the same amount of oxygen as 78 trees,” said Rachel. “You are not only provided with a visual representation of your efforts but you also help purify the air, reducing air pollution one M.O.S.S. panel at a time.”
She added: “I am very proud of the project and also proud to be one of the first four graduates from Scotland to be represented on this international platform.”
Global Grad Show was launched in 2015 as an exhibition of impact-driven designs from 10 universities, but has grown quickly.
Tadeu Baldani Caravieri, director of Global Grad Show, said: “The diversity of the community of young talented researchers we bring together at Global Grad Show has many facets: they span across six continents, institutions from Ivy League to regional colleges and disciplines from bioengineering through to architecture.
“They do have however, a reassuring common denominator: they investigate problems, social and environmental, that matter for everyone.
“Today we present 100 projects that are, in essence, alternatives and remedies put forward by our global community of graduates whose ambition is to create a future-ready world.”
Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) has awarded £300,000 to the University of Edinburgh, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier, to conduct new research into the experiences of ex-Service personnel living in Scotland.
Dr Gerri Matthews-Smith, from Napier’s Business School, will be the research lead on the study.
The project, entitled You’re in Your Own Time Now, will address the current lack of up-to-date and in-depth data on ex-Service personnel in Scotland.
It will map the distribution of Service leavers across Scotland and seek to understand their aspirations, concerns and support needs when leaving the Armed Forces. It will examine a range of outcomes for Service leavers including education, housing, employment, health, and finances.
The project team will also undertake qualitative research with organisations that provide support to Service leavers in Scotland, as well as research with Service leavers themselves.
The findings of this study will be disseminated widely to both the UK and Scottish Governments, as well as the third sector, to help inform them about the changing landscape of Service leavers’ needs in Scotland and the resources required to support them.
The project is expected to start in mid-November 2020 and will be conducted over two years.
Dr Gerri Matthews-Smith, University lead for Military Research, Edinburgh Napier University, said: “I look forward to accurately representing the voices and perceptions of military personnel here in Scotland. This is a practice-based study with a real Scottish focus that will have a positive impact on the military community.
“At Edinburgh Napier University, we have a proud history of supporting the military, including through high-level research projects focusing on military families, and on developing a better understanding of PTSD in service personnel and its potential treatments. This latest study will deepen our knowledge and further strengthen those armed forces links.”
Ray Lock, Chief Executive, Forces in Mind Trust, said: “FiMT’s goal is to enable successful and sustainable transition for ex-Service personnel and their families across the UK.
“To be able to do this we must first acknowledge and understand the differences in each of the devolved nations, including in the organisation and delivery of support, and how these can impact upon the experiences of Service leavers as they transition out of the Armed Forces.
“The report will complement our studies in Northern Ireland, and we continue to work with the Welsh Government to understand their evidential needs.
“This exciting project will provide policy makers, service providers and local authorities with the evidence they need to be able to make informed decisions and implement effective interventions to support the ex-Service personnel who choose to settle in Scotland.”
Doug Mackay, Project Director, University of Edinburgh, said: “I am very grateful to Forces in Mind Trust for their generous support and delighted to be working on this project in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, which already does so much to support the wider military community.
“The University of Edinburgh’s Data Driven Innovation initiative is focused on improving many aspects of society by harnessing the power of big data. This project is all about ensuring that servicemen and women, and their families – many of whom have made considerable sacrifices and are now returning to civilian communities – are included, and given the help they need as they make that transition.”
Caring Joanna wins University’s Simon Pullin Award
AN award-winning student nurse has told how the experience of being thrust into the Covid-19 frontline lifted her caring skills to new levels.
Joanna MacDonald was on a placement in the emergency department at Borders General Hospital at the height of the pandemic.
The Edinburgh Napier student, the newly-announced winner of the University’s Simon Pullin Award for 2020, said: “My compassionate caring skills were vital in a period when families and carers were not allowed into the department.
“On numerous occasions it was my gloved hand these patients were holding and not their families whilst they were seriously unwell or dying.
“At times I found the role overwhelming but I soon grew into it and made an active effort to do all that I could to ensure the patients experienced my compassionate care at such an important time.”
The Simon Pullin Award was established to recognise the human side of nursing and midwifery. It was created in memory of Senior Nurse Simon Pullin, who played a key role in the University’s Compassionate Care Programme up until his death from cancer in July 2011.
Joanna, 32, from Haddington, who graduated this week with a Bachelor of Nursing (Adult) degree, was named this year’s winner after impressing university and external assessors with a sensitively written submission about her experiences.
They said it highlighted her ability to provide compassionate care and work to a highly professional standard regardless of the clinical situation or workload pressures.
Joanna, who studied for her degree while bringing up daughters Poppy (9) and Flora (5), also wrote about her earlier work in the acute medical unit at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
She said: “I always made time for the small things such as ensuring the elderly men would have a shave and be in matching pyjamas or clothes for the morning visiting. Or that the elderly ladies had their hair combed the way they liked it and a spritz of perfume too!”
A placement within the hospital’s day surgery unit brought her into contact with patients who were having pregnancies terminated or treatment for cancer, and she also worked elsewhere on a palliative care ward for patients nearing the end of their lives.
Joanna said: “Ensuring that each of the patients in my care had a dignified and comfortable death was important to me.”
Joanna, who has just taken up a post as a staff nurse at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, said she was honoured and proud to be named this year’s winner of the Simon Pullin Award.
“Care and compassion are important aspects of the NHS values and something I am always mindful of upholding with the patients in my care. Reflecting on my journey in gaining these skills was a proud moment too to see how far I have come in the past few years.”
Dr Stephen Smith, a senior lecturer at the university and Honorary Nurse Consultant in Compassionate Care with NHS Lothian, said: “Joanna received exceptional feedback from staff in clinical practice and staff in the university.
“All the feedback pointed to core learning and development in the provision of compassionate care, very particularly knowing that it is the seemingly small things that matter to each individual.”
Dr Alison Wood, Joanna’s Personal Development Tutor at the University, added: “Despite all the challenges due to Covid-19, Joanna has maintained her focus on patient-centred and compassionate care – I am delighted she has secured her first qualified staff nurse post and will be able to continue to provide compassionate care in her new role.”
MBA journey included two redundancies and serious illness in the family
Determined James Homan was awarded a degree with distinction after an extraordinary journey which saw him twice made redundant and his wife diagnosed with cancer.
The dedicated student and dad-of-two refused to give up on his Master of Business Administration dream despite having to juggle his academic work and family challenges with living in Edinburgh and having demanding jobs in Dubai and London.
James collected his MBA this week – one of hundreds of Edinburgh Napier students to graduate after completing their final year during a global pandemic. He is still searching for work and his wife is undergoing chemotherapy, but he spoke today of his pride in securing an impressive degree in difficult circumstances.
Sales and marketing executive James, 44, from Currie, had no idea of the obstacles which lay in wait when he set out on his online MBA in January 2018. Even though he lived in Edinburgh, he opted for distance learning due to work and family commitments.
However, just one month later, James – who is married to Lindsey, 48, and has two daughters, Olivia, 14, and Ruby, 11 – had to rethink his plans after losing his job in the capital.
He found new employment within weeks in the shape of a contract role in Dubai. Leaving his family in Edinburgh, he jetted out to the Emirate, landing in Dubai at 7.30am and starting his new job two hours later.
It was an extremely demanding job – long hours, big budgets, more than 120 staff and on call seven days a week – and his MBA work and visits home had to be crammed into any spare time he could find.
James said: “The job also involved plenty of travel around the Middle East and over to Africa. I remember sitting in Lagos airport completing one of my module assessments.”
The contract ended in August last year and he was able to return to Edinburgh to family life and some study at Edinburgh Napier’s Craiglockhart campus, but by December he was on his travels again after being offered a job based in central London.
James settled into a life of London during the week and Edinburgh at weekends, the carriages of the Edinburgh-King’s Cross service becoming his new study area. Then came Covid-19 and lockdown, followed three months later by James being placed on furlough.
The anxiety didn’t end there though. James said: “In June this year, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, which knocked us all sideways. It was time to take stock and focus on what was important in life, which perhaps meant putting the final part of my MBA – the research project – on hold.
“After liaising with my wife, my tutor and even my kids, and after very careful deliberation, we decided I should continue the project, push through and hit the August deadline. As long as I could provide my wife and family with the necessary emotional support and be able to focus there was no reason to put the project on hold.”
James did push on and hit his deadline – but not without the added stressful complication of again being made redundant.
He said: “The decision had been made though, and with continued academic support from my tutor and emotional reinforcement from my wife, despite her condition and regular visits to the hospital to begin chemotherapy, I completed the project in August.”
James concluded: “My 32-month MBA journey has had its twists and turns, but despite being placed on furlough, made redundant twice, moving abroad and moving back and my wife being diagnosed with cancer and starting her treatment, I managed to obtain a distinction as my final mark.
“I guess undertaking a tough academic programme such as an MBA and expecting a smooth passage throughout would be naïve. Maybe the elements of adversity that popped up throughout the course actually helped me focus more. Whatever the case, I feel proud to have achieved my final mark which I could not have done without my family’s love, tolerance and support throughout.”
His wife Lindsey added: “He always made me smile because mid-way through each module he would complain that it was the hardest unit he had done yet – no matter what the subject was – yet every time he would pull it out of the bag and he managed to achieve an overall distinction.
“Through sheer determination and hard work he did it, and we’re so proud of him.”
Anna MacVicar, James’s MBA dissertation supervisor at the University, said: “James was always a highly motivated, focussed dissertation student. I would have completely understood if he had wanted to pause his efforts and told him so, but I also reassured him that I was sure he could pass.
“I was absolutely delighted when his work achieved distinction level.”
Ground-breaking Augmented Reality Communications spin-out recruits as it prepares to go to market
A NEW Edinburgh Napier spin-out business is expanding as it seeks to market a product which brings real-world objects to life in mobile devices.
3FINERY uses ground-breaking Augmented Reality (AR) technology which can boost customer engagement with remote marketing campaigns by portraying goods, services and venues in innovative ways. It is expected to appeal strongly to businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The new twist on traditional AR methods was developed at the School of Computing over a three-year period by Professor Kenny Mitchell (above) and his former PhD student Dr Llogari Casas.
Intermediated Reality technology enables uniquely efficient communication via animation of real objects. It has been showcased at international conferences and trade shows, and the growth of 3FINERY has been supported with major cash injections from the ICURe programme and Innovate UK.
Now the start-up is looking for Graphics Software Engineer and Technical Artist talent with the intention to grow the team rapidly in readiness for the final push to get the product market-ready.
Co-founder Llogari (above) said: “The technology provides a novel way of interacting with products both around you and far away, and can be easily integrated with existing software, offering unique interactive experiences.
“It is very exciting to have got the project to this stage, with the backing of the University, and we are now looking to press on with commercialisation.”
Augmented Reality allows brands to create fun interactive experiences for their customers with a few taps on their mobile phone, but the 3FINERY technology goes a step further than competitors, who use AR to overlay content on the screen, and can bring any desired object to life remotely and realistically.
Intermediated Reality, the technology behind the company, is a framework for highly efficient distributed communication. It was developed by Llogari and Kenny through an EU Horizon 2020 project entitled ‘DISTRO’. 3FINERY enables play and collaboration via remote channeling of voice and motion through objects that come to life in mobile Augmented Reality.
The ICURe programme – Innovation to Commercialisation of University Research – made a grant of £45,000 to support six months of intensive market assessment and engagement with prospective customers, suppliers, partners and regulators to test the project’s commercial potential.
3FINERY raised a further £150,000 to develop the product for the market by winning a highly competitive Innovate UK funding competition.
Fiona Mason, Head of Business Engagement and IP Commercialisation at Edinburgh Napier, said: “3FINERY is a really exciting new technology emerging from our School of Computing.
“As a follow-on from the EU Horizon 2020 funding where the idea was developed, we were delighted to receive backing from ICURe to help us with our commercialisation journey – this is a highly competitive funding programme and well sought after, and the team found the support invaluable.
“The recent award from Innovate UK is further testament to the ingenuity of the idea, the expertise and skillset of the inventors, and the market readiness of the idea.
“Over the last 10 years, our School of Computing has achieved three successful cyber spin-outs – ZoneFox in 2010, Symphonic in 2013 and Cyan Forensics in 2017. We are delighted to be including 3FINERY in our venture portfolio and believe this magical technology will be a welcome disruptor in a fast-paced marketing landscape.”
Napier responds to fears tech employers are missing out on huge talent pool
EDINBURGH Napier has received funding to help people with a range of conditions boost their career prospects by developing their skills in cybersecurity.
National skills agency Skills Development Scotland has provided grants totalling £150,000 to the University, Inverness College UHI, West Lothian College and Perth Autism Support for new education programmes.
The MASCOTS project, which follows a successful pilot programme, will see Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing support neurodiverse learners as part of a drive to combat the global surge in cybersecurity threats.
Neurodivergence, where the brain functions, learns and processes information in different ways, includes Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
By offering supportive learning environments and industry mentorship, the University programme aims to nurture talent and equip neurodiverse learners with the skills to help satisfy the mounting demand for people who can identify and thwart the next generation of cyber criminals.
MASCOTS, which stands for Mentoring; Articulation; Supporting; Careers; Opportunities; Taster; and Sustainment, will provide real industry skills for 16 people recruited to the course through the Into Work charity.
The eight-day programme over four weeks in November and December will combine online and classroom teaching, followed by a careers event in January which will introduce the learners to employers.
The core Edinburgh Napier team are Professor Bill Buchanan, from the School of Computing, Basil Manoussos (The Cyber Academy Manager) and Matt Burdge (Business Development Manager).
Professor Buchanan said: “A more diverse and inclusive world allows every single person to achieve their full potential. We are all different and all wonderful in our own ways.
“Being different is good, and brings forth new ideas and new viewpoints. We spend too much of our lives trying to be normal, but there’s really no such thing as normality.”
Basil Manoussos added: “A core part of the work is the creation of a mentorship scheme.
“We aim to provide one-to-one support, and focus those with neurodiverse conditions on understanding how they can match themselves to the jobs market, and on developing their career, and we are keen for those in industry to come and help support our candidates.”
Matt highlighted the need for a strong industry network.
He said: “Edinburgh Napier is a leader in cybersecurity education with NCSC (National Cybersecurity Centre) certification for both its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and is developing a network throughout Scotland and beyond to ensure all learners have a suitable pathway to education and future careers in the industry.”
Claire Gillespie, Digital Technologies Skills Manager at Skills Development Scotland, concluded: “With more than 13,000 job opportunities waiting to be filled in the tech sector, we need to look at as many different ways as possible to plug that skills gap.
“By ensuring neurodivergent people are given all the support they can get in education, which this funding aims to achieve, we will be able to help them as individuals while also building cybersecurity capacity in the tech talent pipeline.”
New guide names Napier University as top Scottish ‘modern‘
Edinburgh Napier has made a dramatic surge through UK university rankings in back-to-back assessments carried out for the national Press.
The University climbed 38 places in the rankings for The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021, published this weekend, and was the highest placed of the Scottish post-1992 modern universities.
The success follows hot on the heels of another significant leap, in the Guardian University Guide, which saw Edinburgh Napier move up 43 places in the overall table.
And just two months ago, the University was ranked number one in Edinburgh for student satisfaction, according to the National Student Survey (NSS) 2020.
The largest student feedback survey in the world revealed an overall satisfaction level of 86 per cent at the University – up seven per cent on last year.
Professor Andrea Nolan, Principal of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “Our climb through the rankings is a wonderful lift for everyone at Edinburgh Napier in what are, and will continue to be, extremely challenging times for Higher Education.
“These tables are based on varying sets of metrics so to perform so impressively in successive assessments of the university landscape is a tribute to the hard work which goes into ensuring studying here is a rewarding experience.
“It is particularly pleasing to be ranked the top modern university in Scotland, an accolade which will inspire us to keep setting high standards as we embark on a new academic year.”
The Times and Sunday Times Guide places Edinburgh Napier ninth in Scotland and 63rd in the UK, a significant leap from last year’s UK rank of 101st.
Fuller details of the analysis carried out for the guide will be published on Sunday, but it follows the jump of 43 places in the Guardian Guide earlier this month, the largest increase in rank of any Scottish institution, to joint 62nd out of 122 UK universities.
The earlier guide saw Edinburgh Napier named the top institution for Film Production & Photography in the UK, and number one for Music and Media & Film Studies among the modern universities.
The university had five subjects in the top 10 for UK institutions – Film Production & Photography (1), Media & Film Studies (5), Hospitality, Event Management & Tourism (6), Music (7) and Journalism, Publishing & Public Relations (10).
The National Student Survey which was published over the summer saw satisfaction levels among students rise in all six of the University’s Schools; Applied Sciences (84 to 86 per cent), Arts & Creative Industries (84 to 94), Computing (81 to 85), Engineering & the Built Environment (78 to 79), Health & Social Care (67 to 81) and the Business School (84 to 87).
Every university in the UK participates in the survey.
Young players can study to degree level while pursuing their professional careers
Edinburgh Napier is teaming up with Heart of Midlothian FC and Hibernian FC to support young Academy players on a dual career pathway – studying at the same time as training and playing with their clubs.
A new course has been specifically tailored towards players whose training commitments make traditional study options difficult. The programme was developed in response to a request from HMFC Head of Academy, Roger Arnott, who was looking for a way to help support the young players to remain in education while beginning their journey as a professional footballer.
The University’s innovative part-time programme, for which young players from both Celtic and Rangers have also signed up, combines campus-based workshops and online learning which will develop the academy players’ knowledge of elite sport in a business context.
It will support the players’ integration into the world of professional football, while at the same time developing important academic and business-related skills. This approach is being used to allow the players to understand their environment, find their place within it, and connect more productively with professional sport and the world of employment.
The players will begin their studies this month at a level which offers six modules over two years to Certificate of Higher Education standard, with topics including psychology, the athlete in sport, and football in the digital age.
They can continue studying part-time for a further two to four years to complete a BA in Business and Enterprise in Sport degree, building their management, communication and leadership skills, financial acumen, and ability to identify entrepreneurial opportunities.
Students enrolling on the new pilot course must be registered as academy level footballers, but do not require Scottish Higher level school qualifications for entry; they will typically have chosen to pursue a professional football career before completing their Higher year at school.
Upon successful completion of this award, these players will be at the same or a higher education point as their peers who chose to remain at school. In this way, we hope to remove the disadvantage of leaving school for these players, while fully supporting that choice by using their new environment as a context for their learning.
The course offers the flexibility other study options have lacked for youngsters dedicated to football, and could be the key to a future career in sporting performance, administration, funding or marketing.
The only one of its kind in Scotland, this course is being piloted with a limited number of clubs initially and will be evaluated with input from dual career experts across Europe, with a view to potentially rolling out the model nationally and internationally.
Dr Tom Campbell, Programme Lead, BA Business & Enterprise in Sport, said: “One of the real strengths of the programme lies in the widespread application of theory to a familiar context, allowing students to draw upon their existing sporting experience while generating new knowledge and understanding.
“This new development will see the same principles applied to the football academy environment, and having the academies’ input into the design of the course has been invaluable in creating a state-of-the-art programme.
“I have no doubt that the students will hit the ground running and find the course to be engaging and rewarding.”
News of the course follows the announcement in June of a collaboration between Edinburgh Napier and the Scottish FA to launch the BSc (Hons) Football Coaching, Performance & Development, a four-year undergraduate programme to develop coaching professionals for the modern game.
Dr Susan Brown, Edinburgh Napier lead for partnerships and enterprise in sport, said: “This programme, developed in collaboration with the clubs, is an important part of Edinburgh Napier’s commitment to supporting the dual career of athletes, not only those who have reached elite level performance, but also those who are committed to pursuing a career in performance sport but are still in the development stage.
“This approach will take advantage of the environment the players are in.
“There is mounting evidence that a dual career approach is beneficial to performance and not only a useful activity for the future. We believe we can help the clubs support their young players to succeed both on and off the pitch.”
She added: “It is in developing these productive partnerships that we as a University can support clubs, organisations and governing bodies in sport and ensure that our academic programmes are fit for purpose for the students we work with. This programme follows the new collaboration with the Scottish FA, and existing partnerships with Scottish Rugby, Scottish Gymnastics and Cricket Scotland in particular, where the University is a key partner in the development and delivery of education provision at multiple levels.”
Graeme Mathie, Sporting Director at Hibernian FC, said: “It is a fantastic position for us as a Club to be able to deliver not only a high quality football education, but now through this partnership with Edinburgh Napier, a high quality education programme to our players. It is very much aligned to our strategic aim of being a Learner’s Club, and I have no doubt the players will benefit from the programme.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to my colleagues Sean McPartlin and Steve Curnyn who have been in discussions with the university for some time in order to deliver this partnership, and also to confirm a list of learners of various ages and stages from within the Club.”
Roger Arnott, Heart of Midlothian FC Academy Manager, said: “As a club, we place a strong emphasis on developing our young players both on and off the park.
“This partnership with Edinburgh Napier offers our talented youngsters the chance to enrol in a fantastic higher education programme. We have no doubt that this will stand them in good stead in the years to come.”
Bright Red Triangle supporting more businesses than ever before
Bright Red Triangle – Edinburgh Napier University’s hub for innovation and enterprise – is supporting more businesses than ever before after an increase in the uptake of its services during lockdown.
The hub – which provides a range of support that allows students and alumni to explore, test and develop business ideas – has reported a 30% increase in business sign-ups.
Bright Red Triangle has had 71 start-ups register with it during 2019/20 – with a number of these new sign-ups coming during lockdown as students and alumni prepare for life in a post Covid-19 economy. A total of 554 students and graduates are now part of the wider Bright Red Triangle community.
Nick Fannin, head of Bright Red Triangle, is delighted with the increase and believes that more and more people will be looking to start their own business as a result of an increasingly difficult economic climate.
He said: “With the economy contracting and competition for graduate jobs increasing, it is becoming more important to enable our graduates to make opportunities for themselves and to be prepared to build their own portfolio careers from a mix of employed, freelance and self-employed work.
“Employability skills, particularly enterprise skills, are going to be incredibly important as we look forward and Bright Red Triangle has a big role to play at Edinburgh Napier in helping our students and alumni to prepare for life living in the post Covid-19 economy.
“Starting a business or a side hustle can be a game changer for people struggling with employment in the current economic climate. Our students and graduates are already starting to recognise this and we are thrilled to have seen a spike in the numbers of new businesses registered with our incubators. We look forward to supporting these start-ups further in the months and years ahead.”
Despite the University’s campuses being forced to close to both students and staff as a result of the pandemic in March, the Bright Red Triangle team has continued to virtually support its members with a number of online initiatives throughout the last four months.
Most recently – thanks to generous support from Santander Universities – 22 entrepreneurs representing 16 businesses took part in Bright Red Triangle’s Summer Accelerator programme.
Over the course of four weeks, its team of experienced business advisers delivered practical online workshops to support these ambitious entrepreneurs to accelerate their ideas and reach their business goals.
The programme also included a suite of helpful business start-up resources, one-to-one coaching, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, networking opportunities, and advice from experienced professionals and entrepreneurs within the entrepreneurial eco-system in Edinburgh and beyond.
The programme culminated in a pitching competition, where participants had the chance to win a share of £6,000 provided by Santander Universities. Lindsey McArthur of Santander Universities and Bruce Walker, CEO of FutureX, were part of the judging panel.
Taking home the top prize of £3,000 was Fine Piece, a Scottish design company that specialises in producing furniture and homewares made from reclaimed and recycled materials.
Also winning was Aaron Reid who was awarded £2,000 towards his fitness training business, Lifestyle, and career coaching start-up, pRESPECT, who was awarded £500.
Fine Piece, which was founded by Edinburgh Napier product design graduate, Kirsty McKain and her business partner, Rebecca Subido, was delighted to take home the top prize.
Kirsty and Becka said: “Covid-19 was the catalyst for us to apply for the summer accelerator programme at Bright Red Triangle. Having fallen through every gap in the government support schemes, we thought we might have to close up shop.
“We saw an opportunity with a plan we had in the pipeline – the turning school. With the money given to us through the programme we can not only survive but we can turn this pipeline dream into a reality.
“We are really excited for the future and grateful to the Bright Red Triangle team and Santander for this opportunity.”
More information on Bright Red Triangle can be found here, with more on its Summer Accelerator Programme here.
