Written by John Swire
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) provides more business value to SMEs than any other higher education institution in the UK.
This is according to a new study by Universities UK that found – over a four-year period – that SRUC generated more than £57.5 million of income through its consultancy and Veterinary Services.
SRUC was ranked above the University of Liverpool (£54m) and the Royal Veterinary College (£31.5m), with the University of Edinburgh (£16.5m) and the University of St Andrews (£12.5m) the only two other Scottish entries in the top ten.
In terms of the UK, Scotland finished above the North West (£83.5m) and London (£76.1m), with SRUC responsible for more than half of Scotland’s £102m total revenue.
The news is hot on the heels of SRUC being named as one of the top 50 UK universities by Times Higher Education (THE).
Professor Wayne Powell, principal and chief executive, said the new report showed the value of SRUC’s modular operating model that embraces mission diversity, giving equal emphasis to research, education and business engagement through consultancy, contract research and services.
He added: “While this is a tremendous accolade, this is not an overnight success story but builds on the long-term commitment that SRUC and its predecessor, SAC, has to serving the farming and rural communities across the length and breadth of Scotland.
“At a time when the education sector is under huge pressure and traditional university business models are being challenged, the most resilient institutions have multiple strings to their bows. This, together with our focus on the sustainable natural economy, puts SRUC in a strong position to build on this business model and play an important role in Scotland’s green economic recovery.”
Compiled by the Industrial Strategy Council on behalf of Universities UK, the full report can be found here.
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