This project uncovers and reinterprets the history of reading in Scotland in the period 1750 to 1830. Using formerly underexplored records of a diverse range of library borrowers, we will undertake cutting-edge research and create a valuable new resource that will reveal hidden histories of book use, knowledge dissemination and participation in literate culture. Despite nearly forty years of intensive research into the history of reading, we still know surprisingly little about reading in the past. Our knowledge tends to have an elite and masculine bias, and to be heavily weighted towards England's metropolitan centres. This is unsurprising, since until relatively recently, the well-preserved records of famous people have been far easier to exploit than more wide-ranging and complex sources. Our project will correct these biases using Scotland's uniquely rich manuscript records, considering their local contexts and their wider implications. Although the borrowing of books does not necessarily equate to the reading of books, evidence of book circulation is nevertheless key to understanding the reading life of a nation. We will collect together at least 150,000 records of book borrowing from historic borrowers' registers from 13 Scottish libraries covering a wide geographical range of provincial localities and metropolitan centres. We will include information from libraries used by the labouring classes, women, professionals, students, scholars and artisans. We will transcribe, organise and make available data through an extensive open-access database, and analyse and interpret records to test received accounts of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century culture. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of such records on this scale has never previously been attempted, and our research will allow us to confirm or reconsider hypotheses about reading and Scottish identity that currently rest on either anecdotal evidence or small case studies. Evidence from pilot projects (on Innerpeffray Library and Glasgow and St Andrews University Libraries) suggests new data may lead us to think differently about two important historical and literary movements: the Scottish Enlightenment and Romanticism. Our working hypothesis is that analysis of the substantial corpus of material in our database will significantly challenge prevailing ideas regarding which texts were most influential in our period, as well as notions of the Scottish Enlightenment as predominantly scientific, secular and metropolitan. Similarly, pilot projects suggest that the works by poets that currently dominate Romantic scholarship were very little borrowed in the period, and that accounts of the democratic nature of Scotland's intellectual culture have been substantially exaggerated. By considering the texts that were actually circulating and the people who actually borrowed them, we aim to provide concrete evidence from which scholars can begin to make new and more accurate claims. The project will be led by Katie Halsey (Stirling; PI), whose expertise in the history of reading and library history is key to the project's success and Matthew Sangster (Glasgow; CI), who will bring additional expertise in Romanticism and working with historic borrowers' registers to the project. The PI and CI will work with three postdoctoral researchers and an international advisory board, in collaboration with Aberdeen University Library, the Advocates' Library, Dumfries and Galloway Archives, Edinburgh University Library, Glasgow University Archives and Special Collections, High Life Highland, Innerpeffray Library, Kirkwall Library, John Gray Centre, Leadhills Heritage Trust, the Leighton Library, the National Library of Scotland and St Andrews University Library. Through intensive data creation, innovative academic publications and an ambitious public events programme, this project will work to radically expand our understanding of the history of reading and the history of ideas.

The HySeas III project will bring to market the world’s first zero emission, sea-going ferry that will be powered by hydrogen from renewable sources. It builds on the pioneering experience of the coordinator (Ferguson Marine), which previously developed the first diesel/electric hybrid ferry in 2013, and involves the leading European supplier of hydrogen fuel cell modules (Ballard Power Systems). The project will not only develop and validate this advanced ferry concept but a prototype version will be constructed and demonstrated in operational service with co-funding from the regional Government in Scotland (which will commission the building of the ferry). It will also demonstrate a novel circular economy model for the local production of hydrogen fuel that could transform the coastal and island economies around Europe. It will be implemented by eight complementary partners, from six countries (BE, DE, DK, FR, NO, UK), through seven interrelated work packages. These include the development and land-side testing of the complete drivetrain, integration within a new concept ferry design and monitoring of its performance in a real island-to-island environment (Orkney Islands). In addition, there will be a dedicated work package aimed at rapid exploitation based on evidence from the marine trials and an innovative business model to overcome the capital investment barriers to replication. The communication & dissemination work package will include engagement with potential follower regions across Europe and be led by the European Office of Interferry, which represents the worldwide ferry industry. Other relevant European associations and networks will participate in a ‘Stakeholder Advisory Group’ to ensure that the results are widely disseminated to all interested parties.

"International cooperation is an integral part of Hordaland County Council’s (HCC) strategy for regional development. Erasmus+ VET Mobility is one of the tools HCC make use of to meet challenges linked to restructuring, availability of qualified workers and provision of targeted professional training, as well as gaining a more knowledge-based workforce and business/industry. Access to, and availability of knowledge and an adequate supply of qualified labour is a prerequisite for economic development and requires strategic competency-based policies. With its basis in the education system, the purpose of HCC's ""Regional Plan for Expertise and Labour"" (2017) is to provide the labour market and economy with required qualified and skilled labour. Attention is given to the correlation between the labour market and education and training, and cooperation between the two to align skills with labour market needs. The Department of Education and Training’s ""Plan for Competence Development 2016-2020"" is a steering document, which aims at ensuring competence building within upper secondary education. Its objective is to systematically renew and expand the professional and pedagogical competence and knowledge among teachers linking it to the pupils’ and apprentices’ education and training. Both plans contribute to continuous quality development. Targeted and systematic focus on exchange and transfer of knowledge, as well as competence development will ensure that Hordaland has the right skills and competences for the future. The mobility projects in this application emphasise systematic work and quality (mobilisation, implementation, follow-up, evaluation, mapping and the dissemination of good results). Attitudes, behaviour and intercultural understanding are key elements in reaching the goal of making the participants global citizens with sound knowledge of Europe and the world. As internationalisation should be an integrated part of education and training and contribute to the overall quality of education, we work continuously to mobilise schools and training offices to participate in mobility projects. Quality mobility stays give pupils and apprentices the opportunity to acquire further professional knowledge, improve language skills, and create positive attitudes. Further, the mobility stays contribute to the development of transversal skills that will be important in a in a long-term competence development perspective. In this application, we have seen a tendency that companies wish to send their apprentices abroad to cover parts of the curricula that is difficult to complete at home. This project give great importance to the development of cross-sectoral group staff mobilities aiming at strengthening innovative international cooperation across different sectors, fields and levels. It is important to have close links between businesses, the educational sector, and regional/local administration to increase competence and innovation across sectors. Educational provision should be in line with regional needs and restructuring to green workplaces. This year, HCC has especially targeted tertiary VET schools for participation in the project. These projects will address themes such as developing quality tertiary VET, competence requirements for Ocean Space Technology, recent approval and start-up of a study programme about local food culture at Hjeltnes, and the development of a new study programme for alternative energy in collaboration with NCE Maritime Cleantech. These staff mobilities also provide opportunities to create a European network for potential future mobilities of tertiary VET students. HCC is applying for 47 mobility projects, which count 177 pupils and 17 apprentices from 13 different secondary VET schools and 7 training offices, and 64 accompanying persons. HCC is also applying for 15 mobility projects, which count 134 staff from various VET institutions, companies, municipalities, industry organisations and other regional development actors. The disciplines represented in this application include health care/social work, restaurant/hotel business, industrial technology, hairdressing, electricity/electronics, landscaping, and office administration. Mobility projects involving cooperation for increased quality of education/training have themes such as aggregate management, welfare technology and dementia care, solid wood, agro-gastronomy, tourism and destination development, recruitment, restructuring, microplastics and strengthening links between VET and the industry. As a school owner, HCC is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the pupils participating in the mobility projects. The majority of the pupils are under the age of 18, and it is important that they be accompanied while traveling to and from the host countries. The accompanying persons will assist the pupils while traveling and make sure the pupils settle in at their place of accommodation and work place."

Hordaland County Council (HCC) is responsible for developing the region of Hordaland, and is responsible for county policies within the fields of upper secondary education, regional and economic development, dental health, cultural affairs and transport. Relevant skills and competences are becoming increasingly important, and the labour market and businesses call for more well-performing educational and training systems. To meet these needs, and ensure the competiveness of the region, Hordaland will continually have to acquire new knowledge and methods. Hordaland should contribute in making its inhabitants becoming global citizens, with awareness and knowledge of Europe and the world. Global competences and intercultural understanding can contribute to further development of civil society.HCC has used Erasmus+ VET mobility as a strategic tool in developing the region, ie through the Regional Plan for Competence and Skilled Labour (2017). The programme has been an important contribution in meeting the challenge of restructuring, better skills balance, as well as creating closer cooperation between education and training and the labour market. The programme has also contributed in improving language and intercultural competences.The objectives of this mobility project were to coordinate, facilitate and mobilise VET schools, training agencies and staff to take part and use the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme. As a regional developer, the HCC has also used staff mobilities to encourage local cross-sectorial cooperation between public administration, enterprises and other relevant organisations to improve their professional skills, and cooperate to strengthen VET education to meet the needs in the local/regional labour market. The mobility project has succeeded in its objectives and we have seen results that we believe will yield both short and long-term effects. The project has provided opportunities to strengthen professional skills and intercultural competences among VET learners, teachers and staff. International competences has offered the participants the opportunity to develop their abilities to participate actively in an increasingly multicultural society and global world. The project has given opportunities to implement and disseminate new and innovative tools and methods to a wide variety of relevant stakeholders. It has strengthen the quality of education and training, giving the region the opportunity to offer activities and programmes that better respond to the needs of both the individual and the region. This will further increase the status and the attractiveness of VET. Results from the project has also demonstrated how important it is to actively involve VET institution in local and regional development.The target groups of this mobility project have been VET learners/apprentices, VET staff and other staff in institutions where training is being offered. In this project, the HCC has had a total of 240 mobilities – 74 VET learners, 14 apprentices, 116 staff and 36 accompanying persons. The learners come from 15 different participating schools and have had work placements lasting between 2-4 weeks in groups of 2-5 learners. Most of them have had work placements in companies, but some of them has also combined both school and work. The apprentices represent eight different training agencies/businesses and have had longer stays, between 1-3 months, in various companies in eight countries. Staff mobilities were either 2-3 teachers who participated in work placement/job shadowing, or larger cross-sectorial groups with participants comprised from several different VET schools, municipalities, companies, university and higher vocational education institutions. The training periods for staff mobilities have lasted between 3-5 days. The VET disciplines represented in this project include health care and social work, restaurant/hotel, industrial technology, office and administration, ICT, tourism, hairdressing, electricity/electronics, animal welfare, and scaffolding. In addition, the mobility project has covered themes such as textile industry, rope making, building preservation, welfare technology, dementia care, dental care, public health, innovation, renewable energy, the dual educational system, adaption of curricula and teaching methods, and closer cooperation between VET and businesses and local authorities. The receiving countries in this project have been Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

This early-career leadership fellowship intends to advance the support and evaluation of the creative economy through exploring and testing more holistic measures of economic growth that are more resonant with the wider interests and values of creative enterprise and the communities they engage. By modelling a more qualitative conception of growth, and supporting that growth trajectory, it is argued that creative enterprise can be more effectively levered towards creating traceable value across social, cultural, economic and practice-based agendas. This will be tested each at an individual, organisational and collective or regional level. As such, this proposal will apply a Creative Growth Model, developed through learning and testing from previous AHRC-funded research in the creative economy, to frame growth for creative practice in four keys areas: network growth, through new and enriched communities of practice; knowledge growth, through new learning and enriched forms of practice; value growth, through new and enriched products, services and experiences; and market growth, through new and enriched audiences and ways to reach them. This fellowship will be based at The Innovation School at The Glasgow School of Art and build on existing relationships with industry and academic partners established across a trajectory of creative economy projects. This includes delivering projects in four case contexts, including working across the H&I to develop a network of creative micro clusters supporting creative enterprise across the region; working in Dundee to develop a leadership group for the creative and entrepreneurial development of digital makers; working in Bristol and creative hub partners across a support network for creative enterprise; as well as working with academic and industry partners and programmes across the Creative Economies Hub, to lead knowledge sharing and critical debate on the role of academic institutes in the creative economy. This aims to produce evidence of more qualitative ways to evaluate creative growth, new approaches for supporting creative growth, a series of case studies on understanding the value of creative enterprise, and legacy projects in each context where leadership groups, collaborations and clusters have developed the capacity and resource to sustain themselves going forward.