Finalists for the prestigious Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards (SKEA) have been announced after InnoScot Health helped to identify the most outstanding entries as part of an expert panel of judges

Organisers Interface launched the 2026 awards — Scotland’s flagship celebration of business–academic collaboration — back in October, inviting applications from businesses and academics throughout Scotland.

Now in their 11^th year, the awards shine a spotlight on the most vital and innovative partnerships between business, the third sector, the public sector, and academia, recognising and rewarding the impacts achieved.

InnoScot Health’s Innovation Commercialisation Manager Fiona Schaefer was a member of an independent panel which reviewed and shortlisted entries to the ‘Research & Innovation in Digital Health and Social Care’ category, sponsored by The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI).

One of two new categories this year, it celebrates “digitally enabled knowledge exchange projects that have made a significant positive impact on health and social care”.

Formal NHS Scotland partner InnoScot Health encouraged health service teams collaborating with academia, as well as clinical academics working with industry, to apply and demonstrate their innovative thinking — and was pleased to see a great response.

The three finalists are:

• EPIC Think Learn C.I.C. and University of Edinburgh
• Sentinel and University of Strathclyde
• The Cleft Lip Education through Augmented Reality (CLEAR) programme and Breast Cancer Augmented Reality Education (CARE) programmes — West of Scotland Innovations Hub, The Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, The Beatson Cancer Charity and The Glasgow School of Art

The awards ceremony will take place at the Macrobert Arts Centre, University of Stirling, on Thursday 19 March.

Fiona said: “We’re proud to have contributed to these awards which recognise vital collaborations, which are key to innovation which delivers economic, environmental and social benefits for Scotland, and I am grateful to DHI for inviting me to join the panel.

“It was a real pleasure to have the opportunity of judging submissions for the awards’ new digital health category. It fits well with our own innovation goals by identifying important examples of NHS staff working in close partnership with industry and academia.

“We believe the three finalists selected represent a selection of Scotland’s absolute best digital innovation partnerships and wish them well with the awards — part of their launchpad for a very promising future.”

She added: “Our Executive Chair Graham Watson will be in attendance on March 19 and looks forward to meeting them all and congratulating them on their shortlisting.”

Director of Interface, Amelia Whitelaw said: “What stood out this year was the strength of collaboration across sectors.

“We’re seeing businesses, public bodies and third sector organisations working with colleges, research institutions and universities in ways that are delivering real impact for Scotland, from tackling net zero challenges to improving health and well-being. That’s exactly what these awards are here to recognise.”

Interface — funded by the Scottish Funding Council and hosted by Edinburgh Innovations Ltd — says that “winning a Scottish Knowledge Exchange Award is more than recognition, it shines a spotlight on collaboration, demonstrates real impact, and raises the profile of those driving innovation”.