CodeBase has joined forces with The Open University in Scotland to accelerate co-learning opportunities, including co-creation of educational content, and drive startup and entrepreneurial activity. As part of the tie-up between the organisations, distance learning pioneer The Open University, which is one of the UK’s largest universities and the largest provider of flexible part-time undergraduate higher education in Scotland, will partner with CodeBase’s Techscaler initiative, the Scottish Government’s tech startup support programme run by CodeBase.
Through the use of open learning, the partnership will make content and learning accessible at any time, while there will also be a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Jane Grant, Depute Director, External Engagement and Partnerships at The Open University in Scotland, said: “ We are absolutely delighted to join forces with CodeBase - this partnership demonstrates our strong commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Scotland by adding unique expertise and collaboration to our existing offer of courses and programmes such as Open Business Creator Fund. Having access to the Techscaler initiative will open up exciting opportunities for our learners and the wider community and notably support our nation’s next generation of entrepreneurs.”
Yasmin Sulaiman, SVP Ecosystems at CodeBase, said: “We are excited to team up with The Open University around world-class learning and innovation, and ultimately to drive entrepreneurial and startup activity. Importantly, we also share the OU’s ethos around opportunities for all irrespective of background or geography.”
Minister for Higher and Further Education Graeme Dey said: “Entrepreneurship is at the heart of a healthy, vibrant and growing economy. In order to help deliver this, we want everyone, from every walk of life, to have the right support and skills to be inspired and equipped to be the business founder of tomorrow.”
“Our education system has a pivotal role to play in delivering this vision. Last year we published a blueprint to build on existing entrepreneurship in universities and colleges, and this hugely exciting partnership between Codebase and The Open University opens up further opportunities to develop an even stronger entrepreneurial education offer to engage and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
The Open University is the world’s first education distance learning institution, with a mission to be “open to people, places, methods, and ideas’, and was founded in 1969 to give those who had missed out on attending traditional universities the opportunity to experience high quality degree-level learning.
With almost 200,000 registered students and a network of more than 5,000 tutors who employ the latest communications technology to deliver teaching and assessment, the OU has welcomed over 2.2 million students since its inception.
Tech ecosystem builder CodeBase runs multiple programmes nationwide, including the UK Government-funded LawtechUK, EnergyTech Bridge with Opportunity North East, and Industry Bridge with Barclays Eagle Labs.,
The Scottish Government-funded Techscaler programme run by CodeBase was launched in 2022, and in 2023 it numbered over 2,500 members and companies who raised over £50 million in investment. Techscaler helps members through education, mentorship, community, and workspaces, and was set up to deliver on key priorities outlined in the Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review (STER), and in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), to strengthen the country’s tech sector and encourage entrepreneurship.
About The Open University in Scotland
The Open University (OU) is the largest academic institution in the UK and a world leader in flexible distance learning. Since it began in 1969, the OU has taught more than 2.2 million students worldwide and currently has over 200,000 students, including around 20,000 in Scotland.
The OU in Scotland is the largest provider of part-time undergraduate higher education in Scotland and has ranked first in Scotland for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2024. The OU works with Scotland's employers and businesses to provide high quality learning and skills including a range of funding to enable training. 74% of OU students in Scotland are in full-time or part-time employment, and three out of four FTSE 100 companies have sponsored staff to take OU courses.
In Scotland, the OU has 20,000 students in every part of the country from the Shetland Isles to the Borders, 23% living in rural or remote areas and 85% of graduates remaining in the location where they studied - so their talent and skills benefit local communities.
For further information please visit The Open University.
About CodeBase
CodeBase brings together founders, corporates, governments, investors and academia to build thriving tech ecosystems.
By connecting entrepreneurs to world-class opportunities in a dynamic and empowering environment, we accelerate startup growth and drive economic impact, resulting in a healthier, wealthier and more sustainable society.
For more information: https://www.thisiscodebase.com/
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