KTP Programmes

The company: Based in Sussex, on the south coast of England, Applied Kilovolts specialises in high voltage power supplies in the range 1kV to 60kV and concentrates on modular power supplies. It has become the leading supplier of high stability, precision modules for the scientific instrument market in the UK, Europe and USA. The standard range of precision modular units features very low ripple (from per million).

The project:
Project 1: To develop techniques and equipment to measure very low noise levels and small changes in voltage over extended periods in HV power supplies.

Project 2: To design high voltage power supplies based on a deep understanding of parameters effecting noise and drift.

The company: The Blond McIndoe Research Foundation has a worldwide reputation for conducting medical research with special expertise in cell biology applied to wound healing.  The Foundation is co-located with the Queen Victoria Hospital, giving it unique access to human tissue and leading surgeons, and enabling it to conduct clinically relevant translational research to support plastic and reconstructive surgery. 

The project: To develop a range of fundraising approaches to support expansion of the charity's wound-healing research programme.

The company: Dando Drilling International Ltd design and assemble reliable and rugged drilling rigs for mineral exploration, waterwell drilling, geotechnical investigation and seismic exploration. Dando export the majority of their products to the developing world – they have twice been awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (2000, 2003). As the only company in the UK who manufacture drilling rigs, they are uniquely placed to diversify into emerging domestic and overseas markets. 

The project: To enable the company to improve the design and manufacture of their mobile drilling rigs which are currently sold for water well and mineral exploration in the developing world but have potential applications in the UK such as for the installation of ground sourced heat pumps.

The company: Efficient Air is a UK market leader in providing a range of energy and carbon saving solutions for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to owner/operators of large buildings. The scope of the business includes air conditioning inspections, HVAC energy surveys, system design and retrofitting technically advanced air movement products into central air handling and close control air conditioning systems.

The project:To model and optimise electrical generation systems for waste heat recovery in commercial steam boiler applications.

The company: GBE Ltd is a dedicated electronics consultancy that provides full support in product and prototype design, embedded systems and firmware designs, project management, and sub-contracted manufacturing services. The company’s strengths include design of new products, design optimisation, full turn-key manufacturing, programming and service support / logistics. All this is carried out in partnership with a number of clients ranging from the healthcare, communication and industrial sectors. Another revenue generating area includes the supply of obsolete components via various B-2-B forums.

The project: To design diabetes monitoring equipment and gain regulatory approvals to enable the product to be brought to market.

The company: The Guinness Partnership and its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as the Guinness Partnership (structure explained in 2.2 below), is a large housing association which owns and manages nearly 60,000 homes throughout England, providing good quality housing for people on low incomes. The Guinness Trust aims to build neighbourhoods where people will choose to live, and to provide support to help residents achieve their aspirations. Revenue for the Trust and the wider Partnership is generated from rents and sales of properties, returns on investments and social housing grants.

The project: To develop an eco-retrofit capability, pilot by retro-fitting company offices to deliver environmental and financial benefits and optimise for future roll-out to the residential portfolio.

The company: Hager + Elsässer UK Ltd designs, supplies, installs, services and maintains water and wastewater treatment plant  across a range of industrial sectors, specialising in designing systems which result in the production of pure and ultrapure water. They have expertise and experience of designing and installing water treatment plants which utilise a wide range of technologies including ion exchange, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, electrodeionisation (EDI) and functional water production. Their parent company supplies products and services for water and process engineering including storm-water treatment, sludge processing, drying and granulation, anaerobic and biogas technologies and waste-to-energy power generation.

The project: To develop a market entry strategy to introduce proven waste-to-energy technologies into the UK market, addressing national waste reduction and energy targets.

The company: Kalimex is a UK-based award-winning family business, established in 1994 selling one product – Quiksteel – which is still one of their best sellers today. The company has grown over the years now supplying their own range of motor repair products through 2000+ motor stockists and have a sister company, Solv-Tec in America.

The project: To develop a validated test-rig to demonstrate that K-Seal and associated products meet standards for cooling system leak repair additives.

The company: Northbrook College, Sussex is a Further Education (FE) College with about 4,000 full time equivalent students. Programmes range from pre-entry to degree and post graduate level, including a significant apprenticeship provision. Students are aged from 14 upwards, with Further Education Learners funded via the LSC and Higher Education learners by HEFCE. There are a small number of self-financing learners.

The majority of students in all categories are local, with the market for employer related provision being defined by the small business dominated local economy. The College has a national reputation for HE in its specialist areas which include aeronautical and motor engineering, and performing arts.

The project: To optimise and document business processes and key performance indicators to optimise operational performance and reduce running costs of the higher education institute.

The company: Parafix is the UK's Leading Convertor and distributor of self-adhesive materials from the world's leading manufacturers. These include tapes, foams, films and foils. They have an extensive range of equipment that can supply products in slit rolls, sheets or die-cut forms to precise specifications.

The project: To innovate in sales and marketing by establishing a focused market growth plan based on the company's core competencies and sectorial customer needs.

The company: Plastipack is a specialist manufacturer of energy and resource-saving swimming pool and reservoir cover materials. Materials are sold in roll form to fabricators who produce finished covers for commercial and domestic use.

The project: To develop a sound understanding of alternative markets and develop appropriate routes-to-market to enable growth of sales of swimming pool covers.

This is the third KTP Plastipack have had with the University of Brighton. Previous KTPs evaluated the company's products and increased material knowledge; and developed new techniques of joining large polyethylene sheets and developed a new product.

The company: Proper Energy Ltd (t/a Proper Oils), collects used cooking oil (UCO) on a local scale, and adds value to the oil by refining it to produce biodiesel or by cleaning it to produce CUVO (cleaned, used, vegetable oil)  which can be used as a fuel in converted engines or further refined to produce biodiesel. Biodiesel/CUVO is supplied exclusively to local organisations to maximise sustainability benefits. Proper Oils calculate the carbon footprint of oil collection, refining and supply to enable customers to quantify the sustainability benefits of utilising local waste as a feedstock for local fuel production.

The project: To optimise the production of biodiesel from waste vegetable oil and develop robust operational processes to enable the company to produce consistently high quality accredited fuel.

The company: PSM Instrumentation Ltd design, manufacture and supply measurement and control instrumentation, specialising in marine markets. Their product range includes sensors, transmitters, systems and controls to measure level, pressure, flow, temperature and density.

The project:

Project 1: Advanced transducer interfacing and data communications to introduce wireless connectivity into marine sensor systems.

Project 2: To develop a family of advanced networkable sensors for marine applications.

The company: Spring Barn Farm Park, is a leisure-based farm diversification. The enterprise, which first opened to the public in 2002 offering a ‘maize maze’, now incorporates a family animal park, cafe, event venue and campsite. The farm park has evolved to encompass indoor and outside play facilities in addition to the wide range of animals available for children and families to engage with. The park seeks to educate visitors about food and farming, providing school trip resources for key stages 1, 2 and 4 and linking with initiatives such as ‘Growing Schools’ and ‘Think Food and Farming’.

The project: To develop a rural retail brand and launch a retail outlet offering farm produce and other locally-produced products to visitors and the community.

The company: Mooncup is a single product company selling reusable menstrual cups direct to the customer through attendance at events, via the web, and through alternative outlets such as Boots.  This product has been very successful and is the European market leading product of this type. Sales continue to grow on a year-by-year basis.

The project: To develop and embed a formal new product development process into the business, from market analysis to product realisation, manufacture and delivery to market.

The company: Posturite is the UK market leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of posture-improving products for the workplace and the only company providing health and safety consultancy, training, software and product on a national basis. The company’s share of the ‘curative’ ergonomic market in the UK is in excess of 60%.

The project: To develop advanced web-based customer interfaces to increase e-commerce sales of ergonomic office furniture.

The company: Ultrasafe have established themselves in the market of domestic and residential sprinklers as designers and installers of mains water based sprinkler systems operating predominately in the South East. Its systems work using low volumes of water, has an integrated alarm system and is fail-safe even if both electricity and mains water supplies fail. The company has achieved year on year growth since its inception in 2002.

The project: To develop scalable business management and product delivery support systems to enable growth of the sprinkler system company.