Driving impact with Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Innovation is the lifeblood of any business. But how do you access the kind of expertise to make it happen? Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) could be the answer - find out how we have made a difference to organisations through our KTP partnerships.
How can a KTP partnership benefit your business?
Contact us to explore how.
Developing advanced robotic vision solutions
A partnership with Kuka Robotics UK Ltd
Constant innovation is key for companies to keep pace in the cutting-edge robotics Industry. The University partnered with KUKA Robotics UK Ltd to develop state-of-the-art solutions in the field of robotic vision, enabling robots to interact with their environment with new levels of sophistication. KUKA were able to tap into our expertise and use our Extreme Robotic Lab (ERL) facilities to create advanced and tailored vision-guided robotic applications for their customers, as well as embedding specialist knowledge and training for their technical staff and sales team.
This was my first experience of a KTP. Working with the University to see real improvement in the company performance due to skills learnt by KUKA staff during the course of the KTP was a great experience.
Extending railway inspection product range
A partnership with Abtus Ltd
Innovation that focuses on safety and comfort is crucial when developing solutions for the global railway sector. Through a KTP, Abtus Ltd, an electro/mechanical engineering company, collaborated with the University's Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) to design and launch the first fully approved solution to uneven tracks.
The impact of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership on Abtus and its staff is almost immeasurable. Collectively we have gained skills, thinking and commercial opportunities that otherwise would have been extremely difficult to find. The entire process has been well structured, motivating and rewarding for all parties involved and we are very lucky to have had the chance to work with the fantastic staff at Birmingham University, a relationship which we plan to develop further over the comings months and years.
Streamlining manufacturing processes
A partnership with Cobra Biologics
Protein therapeutics are a vital solution to prevent and treat complex diseases. But making them is complex and costly. Cobra Biologics has been developing protein therapeutics for over two decades and partnered with the University's School of Chemical Engineering to find new ways of making effective medicines. This partnership resulted in accelerated development times, improved success rates and simplification of their manufacturing processes.
We are pleased to be working with Dr Tim Overton and Prof Jeff Cole on this KTP project and to be developing our long term collaboration with the University of Birmingham in the field of microbial protein production.
Helping to keep the UK’s rivers clean
A partnership with RS Hydro Ltd
Keeping Britain’s rivers clean from agricultural and urban waste has wider benefits for human health. So, developing efficient solutions to assess water pollution is important for cleaning our waterways. Working with RS Hydro, PhD graduate Dr Kieran Khamis (School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences) developed a water sensing system that assess and separates aquatic pollution in real time – significantly reducing the time it takes to clean rivers. Kieren’s work, for which he was awarded Business Leader of the Future at the KTP Best of the Best Awards in London, has formed a platform for future monitoring system developments, with the potential to lead to a range of new products in the future.
I would thoroughly recommend a KTP to embed academic research within a commercial organisation. There are no other opportunities for a company such as ours to undertake this level of research and to be supported by the people needed to convert a meaningful project into a range of deliverable outcomes that have the potential to transform our company.