The University of Manchester celebrates 50 years of Knowledge Transfer Partnership at KTP2025 Conference and Awards
The University of Manchester celebrated 50 years of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) at the KTP2025 Conference and Awards, which recognise the exceptional achievements of the associates, universities and businesses driving innovation across the UK.
The KTP2025 Conference and Awards were held in 91直播, the birthplace of KTP, from 28 to 30 October and hosted by The University of Manchester, the University of Salford, 91直播 Metropolitan University and Innovate UK.
In addition to the annual awards, there was a special ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of KTP, the KTP Golden Awards, which honoured the most exceptional people, projects and partnerships of the last five decades. Over 450 representatives from universities, industry, and Innovate UK gathered to celebrate and discuss the future of collaborative innovation.
Winning the 鈥楧riving Innovation for the Future鈥� category within the KTP Golden Awards was the University鈥檚 partnership with Arup, which helped to tackle strategic change in the built environment sector. Led by Professors Francoise Tisseur and Stefan G眉ttel from the Department of Mathematics, the project explored how Arup could radically innovate the simulation of buildings in an earthquake, to enable safer and more sustainable structural building in the future.
We are proud to have co-hosted the KTP2025 Conference and Awards in 91直播 this year alongside our fellow universities in this great city. On behalf of the University, I would also like to congratulate our winners, past and present, whose achievements have been deservedly recognised by these awards. Knowledge transfer from universities into our economy is important not only for this region but across the UK, and we look forward to seeing the impact of the more research-driven partnerships over the next decade.
Since their launch in 1975, the UK Government has funded over 14,000 groundbreaking KTPs, uniting top businesses with researchers and graduates to solve real-world challenges, adding billions to the UK economy.
From 2010 to 2020 alone, Innovate UK invested 拢200m in 2,000 projects, adding 拢2.3bn to the UK economy.
Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation, Lord Vallance, said: 鈥淜nowledge Transfer Partnerships have long supported collaboration between our renowned universities, UK innovators and thriving businesses 鈥� from helping household brands to produce their goods more efficiently through to unleashing new discoveries that improve lives. They also demonstrate the benefit of public investment, with ambitious, Innovate-UK-backed projects across the country having added billions of pounds to our economy in the previous decade alone. I look forward to these partnerships supporting the next generation of cutting-edge innovations.鈥�
Richard Lamb, KTP Programme Manager at Innovate UK, said: 鈥淐elebrating 50 years of the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme offers a valuable opportunity to recognise its enduring impact on UK innovation and economic resilience.
鈥淏y bridging academia and industry, KTP has extended vital opportunities to businesses and academic partners across the UK, reaching beyond London and the Southeast to drive innovation in fields ranging from STEM to the creative industries and pioneering areas like AI and quantum technology. This collaborative model has not only boosted productivity and growth but has empowered organisations of all sizes to innovate and thrive on a local and national scale. This 50th anniversary is the perfect occasion to reflect on the impressive impact achieved through the programme and its lasting legacy.鈥�
KTPs at The University of Manchester are supported by the Knowledge Exchange Partnerships team within Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange. For a researcher or an external organisation looking to collaborate, the team can help explore how KTPs can bring innovation ideas to life 鈥� get in touch via kepartnerships@manchester.ac.uk to find out more.