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| Sainsbury’s Review of Science and Innovation
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Lord Sainsbury of Turville's Review of UK science and innovation was published in October and examines the role of science and innovation in the UK to ensure that we remain competitive in an increasingly globalised economy.
The Review higlighted the increase of knowledge transfer from British universities and that we are beginning to see the growth of exciting high-technology clusters around many of our world-class research universities, due to this exhange in knowledge between academia and industry.
It was identified that there is still more opportunities to build on the successful policies that have been introduced over recent years and key recommendations in the review include:
- A new leadership role for the Technology Strategy Board working with the RDAs, the Research Councils and government departments to co-ordinate public sector support for technological innovation, leverage public sector resources and simplify access to funds for business.
- Building on our success in knowledge transfer by giving more support through the Higher Education Innovation Fund to business-facing universities, setting targets for knowledge transfer from Research Councils, doubling the number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and extending these further to FE Colleges.
- A major campaign to enhance the teaching of science and technology including raising the number of qualified STEM teachers, increasing the number of young people studying triple science, improving careers advice, establishing a National Science Competition, and rationalising the many schemes to inspire our young people to take up careers in science and engineering.
- A key role for government departments based on an improved procurement capability, a reformed Small Business Research Initiative managed in partnership with the Technology Strategy Board, and consideration for the incorporation of innovation into the duties of
the economic regulators.
- Increasing the focus of RDAs on science and innovation by encouraging them to put additional resources into Technology Strategy Board programmes, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, high-technology clusters around world-class research universities, and proof-of-concept schemes consistent with a nationally agreed specification.
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Lord Sainsbury said:
"The challenge is not to hide behind trade barriers or engage in a 'race to the bottom' but to invest in the future in areas such as knowledge generation, innovation, education, re-training, and
technological infrastructure.
Twenty-five years ago it would not have been possible to imagine the UK as a global leader in science and innovation in the world economy, but today it looks like an attainable goal. We can be one of the winners in 'the race to the top' but only if we run fast.”
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| Sponsor’s Perspective - OneNorthEast
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Innovation and knowledge transfer, and the development of innovative and technology based businesses, are of key importance to the economic development of the North East economy.
In order to achieve enhanced rates of successful innovation, it is recognised that regional companies need to have access to high-level assistance in the form of the transfer of outcomes from scientific and technological research and development, expert advice on how these outcomes could be applied to new, competitive products, processes and services, and access to relatively high cost resources, such as translational research facilities.
Businesses need to be able to identify and understand opportunities available in new and developing markets related to new innovations and technologies. To facilitate these opportunities, businesses also need appropriate, high quality skills to be able to introduce and develop such new products, processes and services, and the capacity to develop and access these skills. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships were identified as an ideal mechanism for supporting this agenda and in November 2004, OneNorthEast became the first RDA to sponsor the initiative.
The decision to sponsor KTP was on the basis that the service was well established within the public domain and valued by regional companies, there was an existing delivery mechanism supported by all of the region’s universities and it provided the opportunity to build capacity around strategically important sectors of the Regional Economic Strategy.
In February 2007, we agreed to extend our sponsorship commitment by an additional £1.35 million with a revised criteria to reflect the Agency’s evolving Innovation Strategy, aligned to priority areas for structural change, The Three Pillars, (Healthcare, Energy & Environment, Process), Design and Newcastle Science City.
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| Regional Spotlight - Focus on Scotland
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North of Scotland KTP Centre celebrates its 100th KTP Project.
In Aberdeen, a dinner took place on the 12th of November to celebrate the excellent milestone of the first 100 KTP Grant Awards for the North of Scotland Centre. The dinner, which was hosted by the Vice Principles of The Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen, recognised the past achievements and vibrant future of KTP in the north of Scotland. |
The dinner took place in the magnificent Elphinstone Hall at the University of Aberdeen's King's College and was attended by KTP Programme Director, Debbie Buckley-Golder, as well as many others from the Scottish KTP community. Alex Reid of the Scottish Government congratulated the KTP North of Scotland Centre and said, “obtaining 100 KTP Grant Awards is a great achievement with the outcomes of these projects making a significant difference to the Scottish economy.”
Scottish KTP Awards
Work is well underway in the planning of the second Scottish KTP Awards. Following on from the success of last year's highly successful event, this year's awards will return to the Dunblane Hydro Hotel and will take place on the 19th of February. Judging for the Awards will take place on the 12th of December, with the adjudication panel comprising Debbie Buckley-Golder, Peter Hughes, Chief Executive of Scottish Engineering, and Alex Reid of the Scottish Government.
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| Partnership Profile – Showcasing The Best Case Study Material
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KTP spices up herb production
“Our involvement with the University of Bristol and KTP let us achieve
our goals. Various problems were solved during the project... It would
have been impossible to get all the benefits by employing external
experts.”
Mr R.A. Herbert, Managing Director, Red Deer Herbs Limited
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Red Deer Herbs’ desoil washbelt |
Red Deer Herbs Limited, based in Worcester is a crops and herbs growing and processing firm. The aim of this KTP was to optimise the production of herbs with very low residual levels and to develop new decontamination technologies for third part licensing and manufacture.
The KTP helped Red Deer Herbs expand its production to offset the financial effect of reduced margins demanded in a competitive market. The scheme helped substantially increase throughput and increase the quality of the finished product and also resulted in creating a more reliable system which can now be used to produce an increased range of heat-treated and nonchlorine treated herbs.
By April 2006, the team had developed a new combination cleaning method, using chlorine and organic acid. This increased the cleanliness of the herbs by a factor of approximately 100. Ultimately, a spirit vinegar wash system was developed which completely eliminated chlorine.
The KTP's identification of problem production areas and potential solutions may be its biggest input into the future profitability of Red Deer Herbs.
Results
- Achieved a 40% rise in sales turnover
- Quality improvement ensures high customer expectations continue to be met
- Cleaner alternative preparation processes
- Reduced electricity and heat consumption.
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| Associate Profile – KTP Associate, Sarah Barnard
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Name: Sarah Barnard
Qualifications: BA (Hons) Business Studies; NVQ level four in management
Qualifications in progress: MPhil Performance Management
Current position: Business Performance Manager, Bournemouth Churches Housing Association (BCHA)
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BCHA is a charity that provides a diverse range of housing, support and learning services for socially excluded people. Recognising the need to improve its ongoing performance, my KTP project sought to establish a performance monitoring and management framework to address BCHA’s structure, services and funding. In practice, this meant establishing a framework using a combination of long-term (Business Excellence Model and Strategic Management Systems), medium-term (Project Management Systems) and short-term (Balanced Scorecard) tools.
From a business perspective, I really feel that the KTP has transformed BCHA. Quarterly performance management meetings now take place which link performance to strategic objectives and involve everyone from the CEO to front line staff. This is a real step change for the company and is crucial to its ongoing success. I took a significant role in making this happen. From a personal point of view, the KTP has given me great opportunities to develop my own skills. The experience has given me the gravitas and confidence to work in business at a strategic level, which, coming straight from University, is an important outcome.
My KTP has also allowed me to make a significant contribution to the strategic direction of the business – and I’m not sure many other graduates at this stage in their career could say that.
On completion of the KTP, I was offered a permanent post with BCHA as its Business Performance Manager, which is a promotion from the KTP role. This bought with it a substantial pay rise, which is great, and I have also been given greater responsibility. This is strong recognition of the work I delivered during the KTP. Its helped me progress quickly.
KTP provides you with an intense period of personal development. If you’re ambitious and hard working, then KTP will work for you. It has been a fantastic opportunity for me.
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| Good News Stories
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Double success for Bangor and RPL Partnership
The KTP project with RPL has won Tourism Website of the Year Award for the North West region at England's North West Tourism Awards 2007. The KTP has provided RPL with the project management ability and knowledge to deliver major IT projects. Before the KTP project, RPL had no IT capability and relied entirely on external support. This new found expertise has led it to win Tourism Website of the Year for the North West.
In addition the company has also won the Innovation Award for 'Second Life' at the Gramophone Awards. Second Life is a virtual world where people can assume identities and 'live' a separate 'virtual life'. |
KTP Associate, Victoria Grimbly |
The concert by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra was broadcast in a virtual concert hall with a virtual representation (or Avatar) of the conductor Vasily Petrenko and the composer Kenneth Hesketh as avatars answering questions in the Foyer Bar following the performance. The idea was initiated by KTP Associate Victoria Grimbly. The Orchestra embraced the new idea with enthusiasm and was part of the Orchestra’s project to bring classical music to new audiences.
‘Second Lifers’ had been clamouring for one of the limited tickets for the concert and real life media around the globe covered the story – including the New York Times.
“The KTP Programme has enabled us to develop this media project and has made resources and expertise available to us, which we otherwise would not have been able to access or resource.”
Millicent Jones, Communications and Marketing Director of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
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KTP Associate boosts company profits
Grenville Engineering, founded in 1973, supplies precision sheet metal fabrications to clients including JCB and Network Rail. Its KTP was in conjunction with Staffordshire University.
Dr Dali Dong, the KTP Associate who joined the firm in July 2005, has been welcomed on to the board after putting the company on course for a £1 million boost over the next five years. Bosses at Grenville Engineering were so impressed with the work of Dr Dali Dong that they offered him a position as operations director.
Dr Dali Dong quickly set about replacing paper systems with computers and refining and monitoring production. The project included a massive investment in computer software and hardware, with the installation of barcodes to monitor the exact time and cost of each job.
His work has resulted in an extra two orders per week, with an increase
in speed and accuracy in response to quotes. Further savings of around £500,000 have been made by refining the quoting process and streamlining IT systems. Company director Tony Fryer believes the project cost Grenville Engineering around £130,000 to implement, but will increase the firm's
orders by around £1 million in the next five years.
“We have to keep up to date with our competitors in the rest of the world and Dali's work has been vital.”
Tony Fryer, Director of Grenville Engineering
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| Diary Dates
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KTP National Managers Conference 2007
- 29-30th November 2007
- Time: TBC
- Venue: The Albert Hall, Nottingham
This is a national event held annually for KTP professionals from KTP offices at Universities throughout the UK. The objective of the two day conference is to encourage the sharing of best practice and to influence policy and strategy in relation to Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
To find out more, please contact Victoria Bell on 0115 8467155 or email victoria.bell@nottingham.ac.uk
KTP Seminar with the University of Hertfordshire
- 12th December 2007
- Time: 9.30am - Noon
- Venue: Hertfordshire BioPark, Welwyn Garden City, Herts
To register for further information please contact Brenda Reed at the University of Hertfordshire on 01707 284157 or email bpo@herts.ac.uk
Science and Innovation 08: designing change
- 17th April 2008
- Time: TBA
- Venue: Barbican, London
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