SATE has scooped the ‘Multiparty Collaboration’ award at the 2024 Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards which recognise winners across seven categories for their achievements in research and development between organisations, colleges and universities.

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), a consortium partner, entered SATE into the awards, which culminated at an event held at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Andrew Rae, UHI’s Professor of Engineering said: “We are extremely proud to see this recognition of work that is both reducing the impact of aviation on the environment and improving connectivity for the communities in our region.  The project is a perfect example of how universities can work with industry and government agencies to create a programme involving partners for whom research is not usual business and create a local solution to a global problem”.

Lukas Princ, SATE Business Manager, added: “We’re immensely proud to have received an award recognising the collaborative efforts being made across the project. SATE’s greatest strength is its international consortium of industry partners, public sector bodies and academia, and this award is a testament to their fantastic work.

“The cross-sector blend of organisations gives SATE access to an incredible breadth of expertise, which has been invaluable in the pursuit of our overarching aims to demonstrate the practical applications of our technology by solving connectivity challenges and creating a strong base for the emerging sustainable aviation sector in Scotland.”

The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards are organised by business-academic matchmaking organisation Interface. They celebrate successful partnerships at the cutting-edge of research and development, from local micro-businesses to globally significant discoveries, partnering with universities, colleges, and research institutes to change lives in Scotland and beyond.

Innovation Minister Richard Lochhead said: “These awards highlight valuable collaborations in Scotland which are developing cutting-edge innovations to make a real difference to people’s lives.

“The Scottish Government is committed to supporting information exchange between businesses and academia. An example is our Inward Investment Catalyst Fund, which since its launch in 2021, has supported 25 businesses outside of Scotland to collaborate on projects with Scottish academic institutions, with an ambition of attracting inward investment.”

To see the full list of winners, visit the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards website.

SATE has also been shortlisted in the Scottish Transport Awards in the Excellence in Technology and Innovation category. The full shortlist can be viewed here stas-2024-shortlist.pdf