Enhancing engagement in Edinburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

“A two-step translation is essential between academic innovation and global challenges”

“Duncan Martin and I have very different roles, but they complement each other. I focus on the internal aspects of the institution—embedding Bayes within the university, resourcing, and persuading the institution to support and embrace our objectives. Duncan, on the other hand, works externally, engaging government and industry partners in new ways“, says Neil McGillivray.

Universities create new academic knowledge while also producing a skilled workforce of graduates. At the same time, the world faces pressing global challenges that require innovative solutions. These two areas are too far apart to bridge in one step, which is why this two-step translation is essential between academic innovation and global challenges, adds Duncan Martin.

“My role within the Bayes Centre is to bridge the gap between commercialisation processes and ground-level academic ideas. The question is: what else does the University need to do to connect these two worlds? All this falls under the banner of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activity”, he indicates.

“Ensuring that the supporting infrastructure exists”

Duncan Martin indicates that the Bayes Centre “plays a crucial role in fostering this entire environment, not just creating entrepreneurs and connecting them with investors but ensuring that the supporting infrastructure exists as well”.

A critical element is how commercial activities are translated into impact and revenue. At the University of Edinburgh, commercialisation services are delivered via Edinburgh Innovations, set up as a subsidiary company within the University organisational structure, which is "a relatively rare structure in the university ecosystem”.

"Building on the existing expertise"

Neil McGillivray indicates that the Bayes Centre “offers a tenancy model where industry and government partners can come and work in and locate in Bayes. The beauty there is that they get to work alongside world-leading academics, our research students, and some of the entrepreneurship programmes that Duncan and his team are delivering. It's all about making the university as accessible as possible”.

“The other thing we’re trying to do is evolve the university’s model by ensuring that these activities are recognised as core business. We need to align resources, position these activities alongside the institution’s academic strategy, gain academic support, and clearly define our work so that it becomes an integral part of our efforts to drive progress."

We talk a lot about creating a new university—a university that thinks differently, a university that's a lot more porous. But all of that, crucially, must be built upon the traditions of the existing expertise the university has.

“The external world can lose patience with universities”

“The external world sometimes suggests the commercialisation of university outputs can be slow, which arguably is correct. The lawyers, the investors, the banks, and the support for company creation can lose patience with universities because of the time it takes to get IP out there to commercialise”, states Duncan Martin.

According to him, this can be explained by the fact that universities traditionally do not operate in that world.

“There is a need for patience and understanding. The inward conversation is: how do you convert the needs of that world into the outputs of this university? And it takes time. But it's vital for the university to remain relevant and important and for the world to gain the benefits this could potentially deliver. One can't do it without the other”.

Scotland’s small size, recognition of expertise…. The challenges that need to be overcome

Asked about the challenges still faced to implement needed changes both within the university and externally, Duncan Martin talks about “the expectation that universities can just start operating in a commercial world - they cannot, they need time to adapt”.

The fact that Edinburgh is a really key player in entrepreneurial outputs is important because, for an output to be global, it needs to scale. Not necessarily very quickly, but it does need to grow significantly. Universities are not currently equipped to do that. There is definitely a culture change needed within the university to release its innovations. Universities have a role to play in this world, but they must also know when to step back and allow others to take things forward.

He also mentions Scotland’s small size: “Considering Brexit and trying to do things on our own means we lack markets big enough to deliver meaningful impact, we must engage externally. Whether that’s with the EU or the rest of the UK in the first instance, we have to reach beyond our borders”.

"Recognise the expertise we have within the university"

For Neil McGillivray, “to help the institution succeed in these areas, we need to recognise the expertise we have within the university—not just academic and research expertise, but also professional services and business development expertise. We need to help these individuals think differently about their roles, their objectives, and, ultimately, the purpose of the university itself”.

He mentions the need to “encourage people to recognise that the work they already do, and the diverse activities across the university, are incredibly relevant. The problem is that we tend to keep them hidden. If we open up the university and let collaborators see what we do, we don’t necessarily need to change much—we just need to position and expose our work better. We need to help people to think differently about what they do and why they do it. That’s the internal shift we’re working towards".

While Bayes isn’t officially defined as a strategic change programme, it is driving cultural change—changing how we think, how we partner, and how we collaborate.

He also talks about the way universities operate. “We often talk about running Bayes like a hotel—it's a building full of tenants, partners, and collaborators. That’s very different from a traditional university building, which typically contains students, academic staff and those supporting the subject area. What does that mean for our estate, finance, legal services, or IT support? How do you provide core services to people who aren’t on your payroll? These are important challenges”.

"Engaging with local, national and international ecosystems"

Neil McGillivray encourages people from other institutions, which would be interested in strengthening their innovative culture to “listen and not assume you have the answers”.

Universities can contribute to solutions, but they must first understand the challenges. It’s about agility, resourcing, and shifting perspectives. Change doesn’t mean abandoning tradition but integrating new models alongside existing expertise. That means creating a new mindset and understanding the role the university plays in city and national life. Universities need to pivot to convene national conversations rather than just serving themselves.

Duncan Martin recommends, “spending time outside the university, engaging with local, national, and international ecosystems. Universities cannot define their own innovation mission—they must learn from external needs".

"Also, don’t just copy other entrepreneurial ecosystems. Each one is unique, shaped by specific historical, cultural, and economic factors. Learn from others but forge your own path”.