University’s economic impact worth ten Commonwealth Games

Photo of the University of Edinburgh

A report into the University of Edinburgh’s economic and social impact has found that the institution has more than 10 times the impact on the UK economy than the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The independent financial study found that the University generates £7.52 billion per year to the UK economy compared with £740 million over seven…

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Farming robot to help care for crop plants and reduce chemical use

Photo of Small Robot Company’s ‘Tom v4’ agritech robot

A pioneering autonomous robot is set to help farmers better monitor the health status of individual crop plants and reduce herbicide use. Experts from the National Robotarium, the UK’s world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence, and the James-Hutton Institute will use Small Robot Company’s ‘Tom v4’ agritech robot to remotely scan agricultural fields to…

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Tech ethics expert announced for Edinburgh keynote

Photo of broadcaster and author Stephanie Hare

The broadcaster and author Stephanie Hare is to deliver the keynote talk at this year’s Scotsman/University of Edinburgh data conference, on Wednesday 27 September 2023. The ‘DataFutures, AI Futures’ conference takes place at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh and will explore challenging themes, including how data and AI are shaping the future of…

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Healthcare robot with ‘sense of touch’ could reduce infection spread

picture of group shot of touchlab team

A first-of-its-kind robot which gives clinicians the ability to ‘feel’ patients remotely has been launched as part of a Finnish hospital pilot by deep tech robotics company Touchlab, a new tenant of the world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence the National Robotarium. Controlled by operators wearing an electronic haptic glove, the Välkky telerobot is…

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DDI hubs to lead purpose-driven banking centre

Photo of NatWest Group chief executive Alison Rose and Edinburgh University principal Peter Mathieson. Image by Adam Hollingworth.

The Data-Driven Innovation hubs Edinburgh Futures Institute and the Bayes Centre are to lead the creation of a new centre for purpose-driven banking. The centre is a partnership between NatWest Group and the University of Edinburgh, and will draw on expertise from more than 100 academics across the whole of the university. The centre builds…

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£35.5m award supports next phase of Roslin Institute research

Picture of Roslin Innovation Centre at the Easter Bush Campus

The Roslin Institute in Edinburgh is benefiting from a share of £376m to support its research into pioneering animal bioscience. The strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, part of UKRI, will support research into genes and traits for healthy animals and prevention and control of infectious diseases. It will enable Roslin’s…

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Students deliver challenge think tank

picture of participants in the students as change agents think tank

The University of Edinburgh’s Students as Change Agents (SACHA) initiative held its first think tank on 4 May 2023. Students were welcomed to Dove Cot Studios in Edinburgh by SACHA’s director, Ruth Donnelly, for sessions covering climate and the environment, student growth, and experiential learning. At the lively event, attendees were encouraged to move between…

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Grain-surfing robot set to revolutionise crop management

A unique burrowing robot which ‘swims’ through grain bulks to ensure crops are stored more efficiently has been launched by agritech developer Crover, a new tenant of the world-leading centre for robotics and artificial intelligence the National Robotarium. The t-shaped robot, which is being funded by Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise and private funders, has been…

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Barclays Eagle Labs launches Digital Growth Grant for UK tech companies

A new government-funded two-year programme series dedicated to boosting regional innovation across the UK has been announced by Barclays Eagle Labs. Following the recent awarding of funding by the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Barclays Eagle Labs will make its first big step towards boosting growth of UK tech start-ups and…

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