Budding entrepreneurs clock on at first StartUp Factory Scotland Weekend
Published: 28 November 2025
Teams blended participants from universities and colleges in Glasgow City Region and the west of Scotland, creating a rich environment for collaboration and idea-sharing.
Aspiring entrepreneurs at universities and colleges across the region came together at the weekend (21-23 November) for three days of intensive creativity, collaboration and innovation.
The first of six Startup Factory Scotland Weekends, supported by the Scottish Government, was hosted by the University of Glasgow and open to students from 12 further and higher education establishments in Glasgow City Region and the west of Scotland.
Teams blended participants from a range of institutions, creating a rich environment for collaboration and idea-sharing.
Nine teams pitched their ideas and worked at pace to develop early-stage startup concepts, addressing challenges in fields such as: energy and climate; food and agriculture; communities and people; and digital and data.
The central theme for the activity was sustainability in the widest sense - encompassing environmental responsibility as well as the ways in which society and the economy adapt and thrive.
The event, hosted at the Advanced Research Centre (ARC) on Gilmorehill’s new Western Campus, featured hands-on workshops, expert-led mentoring sessions and opportunities for participants to stress-test their ideas through customer discovery and rapid prototyping.
The teams were joined by Jeff Kettle, Professor of Electronic Engineering at the James Watt School of Engineering, who spoke to the entrepreneurs about improving the sustainability of electronics and ICT equipment and the development of its circular economy, and Adarsh Bhardwaj, Director of Regeno, a renewable energy company, who outlined his entrepreneurial journey to date and the highs and lows of trying to bring an alternative to traditional wind turbines to market.
Marion Anderson, Student and Graduate Enterprise Manager at the University of Glasgow, said: “It was wonderful to see the students from institutions across the region working together to co-create bold ideas and new approaches to some of the sustainability challenges we all face.
“The weekend was a huge success and all participants who came along were fully engaged. We ended up with diverse teams who came up with inspired ideas and strong pitches, and we’d love to see those collaborations deepen and grow.”
The collaborative approach was developed by the Student and Graduate Enterprise team at the University, with funding and sponsorship coming from the Scottish Government.
Winning teams at the regional events receive £1500, £1000 and £500 in prize money. A Highly Commended prize of £500 was awarded at the weekend to a team in fourth place. Other regional heats will take place in Aberdeen, Inverness/Elgin, Dundee, Edinburgh and the Borders over the next few months, with 18 teams battling it out at a grand final at the ARC on 11 March next year.
The first regional heat was open to 12 institutions: University of Glasgow; University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian University; University of the West of Scotland; Glasgow School of Art; The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Glasgow Clyde College; City of Glasgow College; South Lanarkshire College; North Lanarkshire College; Ayrshire College and Glasgow Kelvin College.
Michael King, Executive Director for Enterprise & Economic Development, University of Glasgow, said: “Startup Factory Weekend is part of the University of Glasgow’s ongoing commitment to fostering entrepreneurship, innovation and community collaboration across Scotland.
“We were delighted to see the energy and talent of the participants and the originality of their ideas, and we now look forward to hosting the grand final next year.
“The solutions developed over the past three days show what’s possible when our institutions come together with a shared passion and determination to innovate.”
Professor Kettle said: “The event was very well organised, and talking with young entrepreneurs from colleges and universities across Glasgow about sustainability was the highlight. Their creativity and commitment brought new perspectives to solving future challenges and creating businesses of the future. All the students I spoke to were delighted to participate in the event.”
Organisers would like to thank a number of staff and helpers for making the event possible, including judges Marion Anderson, Steve Holmes, Alan Feighery and Fraser Maitland, event co-organiser Matt Leaper and volunteers Samira Hasanzade, Darren Stewart, Bohdana Schwendtner, Junaid Malik and Jonny Lindsay.
First published: 28 November 2025