Drawing on our high quality research facilities and expertise, we work with a wide variety of commercial and public sector organisations. Whether you need to commission new research, trial a product idea, or draw on the knowledge base accumulated here at the university, we will do our best to help you.
- Research and product development
- Technical and business consultancy
- Securing funding for research and development
- Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Research and product development
Working with us gives you access to new and emerging knowledge and technologies. We can work with you on a contract or a collaborative basis to design, develop and test products and ideas. Because our focus is on applied research, the majority of it has practical applications and direct relevance to companies and society at large.
Our areas of particular expertise include:
- Environmental technologies and services
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Creative and digital industries
Recent examples of research that has lead to the development of innovative new products include:
- Allergy Therapeutics - developing pharmaceutical vaccine products
- Biocompatibles - developing polymer-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of cancer
- Bowers & Wilkins - pushing the boundaries of speaker design
- Easidream - pilot operational trials for prototype baby product
- Welland Medical, Enteric and the National Physical Laboratory - development of a new colostomy bag.
Technical and business consultancy
Our technical and business consultancy services include anything from materials analysis and product design to innovation and change management, logistics and businesses process improvements. Our experts offer consultancy across many sectors.
To find out how we could work with you, contact the business development manager for your sector.
Securing funding for research and development
Collaborative research projects are often funded by research councils and involve researchers working on real-life problems in collaboration with commercial or third sector organisations.
Depending on your project or industry, funding for research and development may be available from a variety of local, regional, national and international sources. We can help you investigate the possibilities of securing funding for your project. To discuss your project or the possibilities of securing funding, contact our business development team.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) give your organisation government-funded access to expertise for strategic projects that support innovation. KTPs bring together a company, university experts and a high-calibre graduate on a project of strategic significance to the business with up to two-thirds of the cost of the programme funded by a grant. Typically, KTPs last up to two years.
Past and current projects have included optimizing manufacturing processes, defining and implementing a new retail business strategy, and identifying scientific and business competencies which can be leveraged for new niche products and markets. Examples include:
- Grays International – design and manufacture of elite sports equipment
- Plastipack – new environmental properties for water coverings materials
- Rick Stein – Padstow-based retail businesses
For more information please contact our Centre for Collaboration and Partnership.
