Internet database Spinouts UK, reports BBC  News Scotland, shows that Scottish institutions created 172 companies, followed by London (115) and the south east (85). Edinburgh tops the list from 2008 to 2010, with 16 spin-outs. But even more impressive, of those 172 firms created by Scottish institutions, 125 are still active.

Jonathan Harris, (right)  the study's author is publisher and editor of Young Company Finance (YCF), a monthly review of early stage high growth companies in Scotland which focuses particularly on the issues of how to fund growth.

His database details commercialisation of intellectual property at institutions across the UK. From 2000-2010, London's Imperial College produced more spinout business than any other UK university with 59, Oxford managed 55, Edinburgh initiated 49, Cambridge lagged at 44, while Warwick and Strathclyde initiated 36 and  35 respectively.

Among successful Scottish spinouts: Stem Cell Sciences, sold to the US; medical Ambicare Health (Dundee's Ninewells Hospital with St Andrews University); Memex (Heriot-Watt University), bought by US software giant SAS, Edinburgh based Design LED and Strathclyde & Stanford's mLED and Strathclyde's Smarter Grid Solutions; Aberdeen's Novabiotics and Sight Science.

Harris notes that for the first time the survey provides hard facts and figures on an area of great importance to the UK economy.

"By providing this information we hope to help universities produce more successful spin-outs and commercialise more innovations and inventions, fuelling economic growth which is vital in the current economic climate," he said.

A dozen Queen’s Awards winners
Eight winners are independent companies, the others, Scottish in origin, now have European parent companies based in Spain, France, Italy and Norway.

The Queens Award for International Trade 2011 went to seven companies:

• ClinTec International Limited, Glasgow. Provision of expert clinical research services.
• Craneware,  Edinburgh. Revenue integrity software.
• J W Galloway Ltd, Bridge of Allan, Beef and lamb products. Website: Scotbeef Online .
• Korala Associates Ltd (KAL ) Edinburgh. Multi-vendor ATM software.
• Peak  Scientific Instruments Ltd. Inchinnan, Renfrew. Nitrogen, hydrogen and zero air gas generators.
• Thales Optronics Ltd, Glasgow. Optronic day and night-vision equipment and systems.
• Zenith  Oilfield Technology Ltd, Inverurie, Aberdeen, Technology equipment & services to the oil industry.

Queens Award for Innovation went to three companies:

• READ Well Services Ltd Aberdeen. Hydraulically Expandable Tubular Systems offering flexible design solutions for drilling, completion and well integrity.
• Selex Galileo, Radar & Advanced, Edinburgh. Innovation in the design and production of targeting (Edinburgh) military lasers providing imaging, range finding and designation capabilities
• Survival Craft Inspectorate Ltd, Findon, Aberdeen. Safelaunch - quick-release lifeboat launch system

The Queens Award for Sustainable Development had one Scottish winner: 

• ScottishPower Renewables (UK) Ltd, Glasgow for sustainable development of Whitelee Windfarm for green energy

Small and ominous application numbers footnote