Technology Strategy Board sees rise in demand for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

The number of UK companies looking for university collaboration partners has almost doubled since last year, according to data collected by the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme, which is funded by the Technology Strategy Board.

KTP supports business innovation by supporting partnerships with further and higher education institutions.  The programme received nearly twice the number of applications from companies in the first part of this financial year compared with 2009/10, with 326 new applications, compared to 177 in the same period last year.

The TSB says the findings demonstrate a significant desire from companies to invest in future growth, despite on-going economic uncertainty in the UK. Debbie Buckley-Golder, Head of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships at the Technology Strategy Board, said, “This news is extremely encouraging and demonstrates a clear desire from businesses to innovate and grow in the post-recession era. The number of active KTP projects running for between 1 and 3 years reached 1,102 during 2009/10, the largest number ever achieved in the 35-year history of the KTP programme.”

KTP partnerships support the recruitment of a graduate to undertake a specific needs-based project in a company, helping to transfer the required skills and expertise from an academic institution which acts as the knowledge base in support of the project’s implementation.

One company that has benefitted is Canyon Europe Ltd in Belfast, which specialises in the design and manufacture of trigger sprays and dispensers. It cut its manufacturing costs by 16 per cent and boosted turnover from £9.5 million to £12 million after collaborating with Queen’s University Belfast on a programme of material substitution and the introduction of new technologies to optimise manufacturing processes and reduce waste.

Hugh Ross, Managing Director of Canyon Europe Ltd, said, “The KTP allowed us to significantly develop our capabilities, which in turn has grown our market share and transformed the business. It has produced beneficial outcomes beyond our initial goals, established innovative R&D capabilities, and a partnership with Queen’s University is still ongoing on other projects.”