Moredun Nominated for Place-based Impact Award

Moredun has been shortlisted for the Place-based Impact Award at Interface’s 10th Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards for its role in the Scottish Government-funded Sheep Scab Control Programme on Lewis & Harris. This nomination recognises the project’s outstanding success in disease control through coordinated community collaboration. Beyond its impact on livestock health, the programme has helped combat social isolation among crofters. The collaborative effort reignited a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose, helping to rebuild working relationships within villages and crofting townships. With 32 individuals, teams, and projects shortlisted across 10 categories, this year’s 10th-anniversary celebration is set to be the largest to date. The finalists highlight ground-breaking innovations across diverse sectors, including renewable energy, mental health, education, sport, medicine, and food and drink.

Amelia Whitelaw, Director of Interface, which organises the Awards, commented:

“At Interface, we are proud to deliver the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards on behalf of Scotland’s vibrant innovation ecosystem. These awards are more than just a celebration of achievements—they showcase the transformative power of collaboration between academia and industry. Each finalist represents the spirit of partnership, driving solutions that create lasting economic, environmental, and social impact. As we mark the 10th anniversary of these awards, we are inspired by the breadth and depth of innovation thriving across Scotland, reaffirming our commitment to fostering connections that unlock new opportunities and strengthen Scotland’s future.” The awards ceremony will take place on 19th March at the Edinburgh Futures Institute.

Lewis & Harris Sheep Scab Control Project

The Lewis and Harris Sheep Scab Control Project is a pioneering effort led by Moredun scientists in partnership with:

• Lewis and Harris Sheep Producers Association
• The Old Mill Veterinary Practice (Hector Low, Stornoway)
• Scottish Government
• The Crofters of Lewis & Harris
• Lewis Crofters
• Neil Fell Mobile Dipping Ltd
• Zoetis Animal Health Ltd
• Bimeda Ltd

Moredun’s team worked closely with local coordinators to recruit crofters for a plunge dipping campaign, incentivising participation through assistance with animal gathering and subsidised treatment using organophosphate dip. Key Achievements:

• Over 400 crofters participated, covering 30,000 sheep (80-95% of the island’s sheep population).
• The project tackled challenges posed by the crofting system, where sheep are widely scattered across common grazing lands.
• Mobile dipping logistics required coordinated efforts to transport flocks to designated dipping sites, ensuring treatment compliance.
• A monumental team effort ensured sheep were safely gathered, treated, and returned to grazing, while ensuring waste dip was safely managed.

This initiative revitalised traditional collaborative working practices that had waned due to changes in crofting. By fostering a community-led approach, the project not only achieved high disease control coverage but also enhanced social well-being within the crofting community.

Interface’s 10th Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards

The finalists are:

Innovation of the Year – sponsored by HGF Ltd 

• Highland Heat Harvesters Ltd and Robert Gordon University
• SolarSub Ltd, Heriot-Watt University and the University of Strathclyde
• SymphoMe Ltd and the University of Stirling

Innovator of the Future – sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise 

• Dr Dayi Zhang – Inspectahire Instruments Company Ltd and the University of Strathclyde
• Matthew Gibson – Ailsa Reliability Solutions Ltd and the University of Strathclyde
• Dr Sonam Norbu – The Crichton Trust and the University of Glasgow

Inward Investment Impact – sponsored by International Social Enterprise Observatory 

• Canon Medical Research Europe and the University of Edinburgh
• Smartify and the University of the West of Scotland
• ZIYX and the University of the West of Scotland

Knowledge Exchange Champion – sponsored by Knowledge Exchange UK 

• Dr Andrea Rodriguez, the University of Dundee
• Dr Bryan McCann, Glasgow Caledonian University
• Professor John Bachtler, the University of Strathclyde

Knowledge Exchange Heroes – team and individual – sponsored by Azets Ltd 

Individual 

• Kevin McIver, Heriot-Watt University
• Dr Kirsty Ross, the University of St Andrews
• Susan Armstrong, Glasgow Caledonian University

Team 

• Scottish Centre for Food Development Innovation, Queen Margaret University
• Formulation Unit, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, the University of Strathclyde
• Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science, the University of Dundee

Making a Social Difference 

• Enable and Edinburgh Napier University
• Scottish Action for Mental Health (SAMH) and Glasgow Caledonian University
• Sport Aberdeen and Glasgow Caledonian University

Making an Environmental Difference  

• Heerema Marine Contractors Nederland SE and the University of Dundee
• National Trust for Scotland and the University of the Highlands & Islands
• Renewable Parts Ltd and the University of Strathclyde

Multiparty Collaboration 

• INTErPRET-NAFLD – Bering Limited, HistoIndex, BioDev, Precision Medicine Scotland and the University of Edinburgh
• Medical Device Manufacturing Centre (MDMC) – Heriot-Watt University, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow, the University of Dundee, Robert Gordon University and over 170 medical device companies
• Underwater Intervention for Offshore Renewable Energies (UNITE) – Heriot-Watt University, Imperial College London, Frontier Robotics, Fugro

Place-based Impact sponsored by Business Gateway 

• Digital Dairy Chain – Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), the University of Strathclyde, the University of the West of Scotland, First Milk, Lactalis, NMR, SmartSTEMs, Kendal Nutricare, CENSIS and Cows & Co
• Control of Sheep Scab – Moredun Research Institute, Lewis and Harris Sheep Producers Association, The Old Mill Veterinary Practice, Scottish Government, The Crofters of Lewis & Harris, Lewis Crofters, Neil Fell Mobile Dipping Ltd, Zoetis Animal Health Ltd and Bimeda Ltd

Powerful Partnership sponsored by Skillfluence 

• BAE Systems and the University of Strathclyde
• Safehinge Primera and Glasgow Caledonian University
• Vertebrate Antibodies-EpitogenX Ltd and the University of Aberdeen

Read more about the projects here: The Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards | Interface Online. Join the conversation on X at #SKEAwards and LinkedIn at @Interface. Ends  Notes to Editors Applications were invited from all Scottish universities, research institutes and colleges, as well as businesses and organisations, demonstrating research and development and innovation-led partnerships which have had a positive impact on the economy, society, and the environment. The finalists have been chosen by a specially selected panel of judges from across Scotland’s innovation ecosystem.