The new partnership will see SOSE provide funding of £75,000 for a one-year period to enable Interface to inspire greater numbers of businesses and communities in the South of Scotland of the benefits and opportunities from working with the knowledge and expertise of Scotland’s Universities and Colleges.

The arrangement will also support more businesses and communities to become innovation active, improve their resilience and competitiveness and drive recovery from COVID 19. A particular area of focus of the new partnership will be enabling the longer-term ambitions of the region including achieving net-zero.

With team members based in the South of Scotland, Interface works with businesses of all sizes, in all sectors, to match them to Scotland’s world-leading academic expertise to help them grow. With connections into all Scottish universities, research institutes and colleges, Interface has an established and efficient process that will save businesses and organisations time and money in finding and accessing academic expertise, research, technologies, specialist facilities and funding.

Jane Morrison-Ross, South of Scotland Enterprise chief executive, said: “There are already a number of excellent examples of Interface working successfully with a variety of South of Scotland businesses and organisations and I am delighted this work can expand further thanks to this new partnership with SOSE.

“SOSE’s vision is to establish the South of Scotland as a centre of opportunity, innovation and growth, and our new agreement with Interface is another step towards realising this goal.”

Dr Siobhán Jordan, director of Interface, added: “We welcome the investment from South of Scotland Enterprise. There is huge potential within the region, and we look forward to further enhancing relationships with the South of Scotland Enterprise team ensuring that Interface foster valuable connections across the region. Through partnering local businesses and communities with our world-leading academic institutions we can tackle economic and societal challenges in innovative ways helping to boost productivity, create new jobs and drive sustainable and inclusive growth and well-being.”