From spark to prototype: Meet the innovation development manager helping island ideas take off

Heriot-Watt University has appointed Orkney-based Jack Whitwell as Innovation Development Manager for the TalEntEd Islands Programme’s ‘innovation and commercialisation’ project.

In his new role, Jack will focus on helping entrepreneurs, businesses and third sector organisations turn promising ideas into real-world products and services.

The TalEntEd Islands Programme is funded by the Scottish and UK Governments through the £100 million Islands Growth Deal and offers innovation funding and dedicated support.

TalEntEd is delivered in collaboration with the University of the Highlands & Islands, which leads on the development of work-based learning and Robert Gordon University, which leads on the growth of entrepreneurship.

The Heriot-Watt team’s focus is innovation and commercialisation – supporting innovators and enterprises to develop or adopt new products, services and processes that could strengthen local economies, bring lasting benefits to island communities and help realise the ambition for the islands to be among the first places in the UK to achieve net zero. The project offers academic support and innovation funding to local businesses and third sector organisations.

Jack will work across Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides to connect people with the right academic expertise and hands-on support.

He’s keen to encourage people from all sections of the community come forward to see if the project is right for them.

“Innovation in the islands is a broad church,” said Jack. “It might be a new resilient tourism offer, an innovative locally-led housing approach or sustainable textile development – the point is opening university support and expertise to people who might not see themselves as innovators yet.”

Jack’s background spans creative enterprise, heritage projects and community development.

Based in Orkney since 2018, he helped set up a weaving social enterprise using traditional tweed looms and local fleece, supported local firms with design and e-commerce during Covid and worked on island challenges such as helping build resilience in community-owned off grid energy systems on Fair Isle.

Day-to-day, his new role will flex to what each idea needs. That could be anything from light-touch brokering between a business and an academic researcher, to more hands-on support in shaping a plan.

Help could also include leveraging complementary support from other island-based stakeholders like Business Gateway.

Jack said: “TalEntEd is an exciting programme for the isles, and I am looking forward to working in partnership with the other universities to bring real impact for our communities.

“Sometimes it’s introductions, sometimes it’s getting stuck into the detail.”

Face-to-face matters and Jack will regularly be on the ground across Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, building trust and momentum with people where they are.

How to get involved

Whether your idea is emerging or well-developed, the essential first step is to email talentedwp3@hw.ac.uk.

The team will be back in touch to set up a conversation to confirm that this support is right for you.

Jack said: “You don’t have to have all the answers – just an idea worth testing. We’ll help make it happen.”

For more information, visit the innovation support for island enterprises webpage.

What support is available?

The programme offers two levels of potential funding and collaboration:

• Develop Awards (£5,000) for early stage scoping studies, feasibility assessments and initially business planning, usually over a maximum term of three months
• Adopt Awards (£25,000) for early stage pilots or prototypes designed to demonstrate value and create a pathway for further investment. These will typically have a duration of six months and could be a follow-on from a Develop Award

Alongside financial support, applicants will also benefit from:

• Collaboration with leading academics from Heriot-Watt University, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Robert Gordon University
• Dedicated support from Jack Whitwell, Innovation Development Manager
• Direct connections to Scotland’s wider innovation ecosystem and additional potential sources of funding

The TalEntEd Islands Programme

The TalEntEd Islands Programme accelerates Net Zero solutions, addresses demographic challenges, and drives inclusive innovation across Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.

Supported by the Islands Growth Deal – with funding from both the Scottish and UK Government – TalEntEd unites three leading universities: the University of the Highlands and Islands, Heriot-Watt University and Robert Gordon University.

Together, they deliver tailored work-based learning, entrepreneurship programmes and innovation-commercialisation grants to spark sustainable economic growth.

By combining each institution’s strengths, TalEntEd ensures island communities have the skills, knowledge and technology to thrive for generations to come.

The total investment is £5.9 million, with £4.4m coming from the Scottish Government and £1.5m coming from the UK Government.

The Islands Growth Deal is a 10-year package of investment that will seek to drive economic growth and the creation of sustainable jobs across the three regions.

The total value of the deal is £100m, with the UK and Scottish Governments each investing £50m, subject to approval of full business cases for each project.

Heriot-Watt leads the Islands Innovation and Commercialisation component of TalEntEd.