Strategic Plan
Our ambition is to raise the profile of Glasgow and the West of Scotland as a world-class and distinctive destination for science and innovation and to leverage our offer in science and innovation through high-profile partnership projects to help drive greater productivity and regional inclusive growth that benefits everyone in society.
Our objectives as a co-ordinating organisation are to realise this vision by delivering on 5 key objectives:
- Raising our Profile – To achieve global recognition as a place of scientific and innovation excellence through a targeted communications strategy.
- Showcasing our Vision – To build an inspirational portfolio of high-profile, brand-building, interdisciplinary projects that demonstrate our vision.
- Brokering Partnerships – To build on existing networks and broker new interdisciplinary local, UK and international alliances.
- Demonstrating our Distinctiveness – To promote Glasgow and the West of Scotland’s distinctive science and innovation ‘offer’ to boost economic development and quality of life.
- Influencing Policy – To work in co-operation to influence and shape science and innovation policies in government, industry and academia whilst promoting the use of scientific advance and technology to address major societal challenges.
As a facilitation organisation, we bring partners together, now 89 organisations, to make people’s lives healthier, longer and better by boosting new investment, jobs and skills within a buoyant, knowledge-based economy.
Acting as ‘the heart’ of our innovation ecosystem, the Glasgow City of Science and Innovation partnership supports local, national and international:
Investors – By bundling and showcasing our collective proposition or ‘offer’ for science, innovation, culture and place whilst promoting investment opportunities (e.g. through regional mapping/investment propositions for our developing innovation sectors) and access to innovation actors of interest through our high-profile projects e.g. VentureFest Scotland and the CAN DO Innovation Summit.
Partners, industry & innovators – By creating a ‘common platform’ for science and innovation that facilitates knowledge and ideas exchange as well as cross-disciplinary co-operation to leverage innovation with impact (e.g. through digital media, events and major projects). GCOSI also supports partner’s wider business objectives including brand exposure and corporate citizenship through its demonstrator projects
Learners & educators – By supporting STEAMMS* skills development, careers and enterprise education opportunities and brokering new collaborations to support project impact (e.g. Our entrepreneurial talent programme for Venturefest Scotland (supported by Young Scot and the business community) provides an exemplar workable model for empowering less advantaged students to codesign disruptive ideas that use technology and progressive business models to address major societal challenges).
Policy makers and politicians – a collective and informed voice that can influence STEM and innovation related policy (including consultation exercises) whilst promoting opportunities and addressing challenges along the innovation journey (including working with policy makers to help businesses navigate the complex innovation support ecosystem).
Public – By providing up-to-date intelligence for partners involved in public engagement (including the media) to inform, inspire and better connect the wider public to regional research and innovation (R&I). The civic innovation agenda is also specifically supported through our iCapital activity. We also provide R&I intelligence to partners working in STEM education (e.g. GSC, HEFE etc).
Media and regional – Go-to hub for local media to access science and innovation expertise.