Oiling the wheels

Scottish academia should better align with the economy, says vice-chancellor.

Scotland should capitalise on the strength of its universities to lure foreign investment and boost research and development, Ferdinand Von Prondzynski of Robert Gordon University told a conference in Glasgow today.

As a mature economy, Scotland needs to tap into the innovation potential within its universities to carry out economic regeneration, he added. Although Scotland has excellent universities, Von Prondzynski said there is currently “little strategic connection” between academic research investment and the country’s economic priorities. The country has low levels of research and development, he said, particularly in high value sectors such as life sciences and oil and gas. “Why are our universities so ineffective at stimulating R&D? These are the questions we need to ask ourselves,” he said.