Corporate partners on board as Scottish Internet of Things accelerator looks to generate hundreds of jobs

Filament STAC has added a string of local corporate partners to help drive forward Scotland’s first Smart Things Accelerator Centre and create hundreds of jobs.

Accountancy and business services firm Anderson Anderson & Brown (AAB), law firm Burness Paull, European patent and trade mark attorney Scintilla, software development and data analytics specialist Arceptive, construction consultancy Soben and Integrated Graphene, which is developing next-generation power technologies, have all come on board.

Filament STAC was launched as an industry-government partnership aimed at producing Scottish Internet of Things (IoT) companies capable of scaling and competing on a global level. It has a three-year target to create more than 25 IoT companies supporting around 750 jobs, reporting revenue in the region of £750 million, and cohort companies raising investment in excess of £100m.

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An 18-month programme for IoT companies commenced at Skypark in Glasgow earlier this month.

Ian Marshall (Anderson Anderson & Brown), Callum Sinclair (Burness Paull), Paul Wilson (STAC), Gregor Aikman (STAC), LeighAnne Jordan (LeighAnne Jordan Talent Solutions), Gillian Rushton (Anderson Anderson & Brown), Stefan Raue (Arceptive), and Scott Smyth (Soben). Picture: Stewart AttwoodIan Marshall (Anderson Anderson & Brown), Callum Sinclair (Burness Paull), Paul Wilson (STAC), Gregor Aikman (STAC), LeighAnne Jordan (LeighAnne Jordan Talent Solutions), Gillian Rushton (Anderson Anderson & Brown), Stefan Raue (Arceptive), and Scott Smyth (Soben). Picture: Stewart Attwood
Ian Marshall (Anderson Anderson & Brown), Callum Sinclair (Burness Paull), Paul Wilson (STAC), Gregor Aikman (STAC), LeighAnne Jordan (LeighAnne Jordan Talent Solutions), Gillian Rushton (Anderson Anderson & Brown), Stefan Raue (Arceptive), and Scott Smyth (Soben). Picture: Stewart Attwood

Paul Wilson, CEO of Filament STAC, said: “We are combining the resources and passion of some of Scotland’s most innovative and tech savvy companies, businesses who realise the potential of what we are building at STAC.

“The partners we are announcing today cover professional services and technology support, which are vital for the scale-up tech companies we have on the programme.”

The venture is also supported by Glasgow-based Beringar, which designs and develops building intelligence sensor systems for the commercial property sector, helping clients including British Land, Kingfisher and the NHS improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.The firm’s recently launched hot desk booking technology will be utilised by the IoT companies on the Filament STAC programme.

Wilson said: “STAC is unique in that it is positioned to be a self-sustaining industry-led funding model, with Scottish business leaders pulling together to scale tech companies. We are creating a movement that will result in a Scottish IoT powerhouse sector, one which will collaborate, support and create market opportunities on a global level.”

Filament STAC is also supported by Scottish Enterprise, Censis (Scotland’s Innovation Centre for sensing, imaging and IoT technologies), Glasgow-headquartered product design firm Filament and Plexus Corp, described as a global leader in complex design, manufacturing, supply chain and aftermarket services.

A business developing “counter-drones” and a new venture that produces wearable devices to help babies sleep are among the first cohort of companies selected for a tech accelerator programme.

The initial cohort also features a start-up whose technology can predict when boilers are going to break down and a solar energy specialist helping farmers heat their water supplies for free.

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Wilson added: “We always knew there was great early stage technology talent in Scotland’s IoT space, and that’s been borne out in the companies we’ve been able to select for this first cohort.

“Our aim is quite clear, we want these companies to become globally competitive within two years, capable of exporting across the world and stacking up against the best players in their respective markets.”

Filament STAC plans to open international offices in Singapore and Canada over the next two years as launchpads into the Asian and North American markets.

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