an academic perspective on uk knowledge transfer partnerships (ktp)

KTP from an Academic Perspective

Maurice Mulvenna School of Computing & Mathematics

University of Ulster 26 February 2014

Sir Andrew Witty’s 2013 Review of Universities & Growth:

“Universities have an extraordinary potential to enhance economic growth. The full diversity of institutions have a role to play from local SME support and supply chain creation to primary technology leadership and breakthrough invention. Incentives should be strengthened to encourage maximum engagement from Universities in the third mission alongside Research and Education.”

Collaboration across the ‘three missions’

Teaching Research

Academic Enterprise

Academic enterprise

“To advance knowledge by achieving international excellence in our chosen areas of research and to transfer knowledge in support of economic, social and cultural development.”

University of Ulster

Academic enterprise activities

Consultancy

Innovation Vouchers (INI/EI)

Fusion (ITI)

KTP (TSB/INI)

Academic enterprise

IdeationOpportunities TechnologiesProducts &

ServicesConcepts

Where to look

Sir Andrew Witty’s 2013 Review of Universities & Growth, on KTPs:

“There are currently over 600 live partnerships and approximately 75 per cent of the partnerships involve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).”

Challenges

SMEs

Startups

(absorptive) Capacity

Opportunities

Classical opportunities:

Pounds

Papers

PhDs

Impact

OpportunitiesEarly stage innovation:

Fail early

Leading edge access to real world data & knowledge

Support and grow innovation culture

Rich mix of company types

SummaryAccess to knowledge and data

Enrich the other ‘missions’:

Translate partnerships into research impact

Transfer real world know-how into the classroom

‘Multi-path’ knowledge and technology transfer

Thanks for listening!

@mauricemulvenna md.mulvenna at ulster.ac.uk