AI tools for farming, 3D modelling and audience analysis are among the university-led technologies competing at this year’s Converge Awards in Glasgow on 1 October. The final brings together 34 projects from 15 Scottish universities, with a £410,000 prize fund at stake.
The shortlist, announced by Converge earlier this month, was selected from 123 programme participants by a panel of university enterprise experts. It represents the widest range of institutions among finalists in the programme’s 15-year history.
Among the technology contenders is Pointcanvas from the University of Edinburgh, which uses AI to create 3D models for industrial and commercial asset operators, designers and surveyors. The University of Stirling’s Crop Intel combines visual diagnostics with real-time weather and market data to help wheat farmers make crop-protection decisions.
Queen Margaret University’s Stage Analytics brings together box-office, review and audience data in dashboards and predictive insights. Heriot-Watt University’s TissueMetrics is developing an acoustic skin sensor for use in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.
Adam Kosterka, executive director of Converge, said: “It’s an extraordinarily diverse group of finalists this year. Not only do we have the largest number of universities represented in the group of finalists, but we are seeing the non-traditional institutions strongly represented. Innovation, research commercialisation and entrepreneurship are now strongly embedded in our universities’ culture across the board and we are seeing the results of that coming through.”
The shortlist follows Silicon Scotland’s earlier coverage of Orbital Marine Power’s support for Converge’s Blue Economy Award. That partnership brought industry expertise and mentorship into the programme, alongside financial support for university-led ventures.
Other finalists in the main Converge Challenge include Heriot-Watt’s FreeForm Photonics and RecoverPX, Strathclyde’s Quantinance, Aberdeen’s Scensai and St Andrews’ SimPatient. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at Glasgow’s Barony Hall.
