Why work with us?

The School of Mathematics works with a wide number of external companies, organisations, charities and government departments on collaborative research projects, consultancy work and student activity.

The School of Mathematics at the University of Edinburgh is one of the world's leading mathematical sciences departments, home to internationally excellent researchers, and to an innovative educational environment for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. Our research interests are broad ranging and of high quality; 96% of our research is recognised as world leading and internationally excellent, and over 56% of research activity achieved the highest possible 4* rating in the latest REF submission (submitted as the Maxwell Institute alongside Heriot-Watt University).

The School already produces high impact research, as underlined in our impact case studies submitted during REF2021, alongside the impressive level of industry engagement that we have through joint collaborative projects, PhD funding and internships, MSc projects, and consultancy work. We are experienced at working with a wide number of external companies, organisations, charities and government departments, and have a strong track record in working with sectors such as energy, financial mathematics, statistics and data science, and healthcare.

The University of Edinburgh actively encourages interaction between academia and industry, with initiatives such as Data-Driven Innovation Hubs (e.g. the Bayes Centre), and resources such as Edinburgh Innovations to support collaboration and commercialisation. The resulting environment is supportive for both researchers and industry practitioners.

Going forward, we are working on engaging even more of our academic staff in Impact, and increasing the quality and quantity of activity, all of which is supported by dedicated resource within the School and the wider University.

Benefits

Partnering with us offers you the opportunity to benefits from new research and mathematical methods, providing effective ways for your organisation to deal with novel challenges. Our consultancy service allows you to access specialist guidance to support existing projects, whilst collaborating with us on research enables you to innovate future activity. We also offer the chance to engage with our students, increasing your brand awareness and providing a pathway for you to recruit graduates with strong mathematical skill sets.

Partnerships also offer us significant benefits. Our students learn about the day-to-day life in industry, and how their degree can be applied outsided of an academic setting. Collaborations can also develop into long-term industrial partnerships, with the potential for public funding for future projects, or R&D papers. We often see that relationships with companies strengthen over time, with new opportunities to interact and develop new projects.  

Our academic researchers welcome the opportunity to partner with organisations, tackling highly challenging and interesting investigations that deliver real impact.