1 / 14

Knowledge Transfer at The University of Manchester

Knowledge Transfer at The University of Manchester. Knowledge transfer. The importance of the research base in a national innovation ecosystem UK’s performance in international measures of research excellence ‘v’ UK’s performance in measures of innovation

nixie
Download Presentation

Knowledge Transfer at The University of Manchester

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Knowledge Transfer at The University of Manchester

  2. Knowledge transfer • The importance of the research base in a national innovation ecosystem • UK’s performance in international measures of research excellence ‘v’ UK’s performance in measures of innovation • Focus on the exploitation/application of publicly-funded research – Knowledge Transfer

  3. Funding body responses • Creation of more mechanisms/funding streams focused on knowledge transfer (and consideration of use for research funding) • EPSRC – perhaps the most significant response (KT Challenge 2006, CTA KT element, 2009 KT Accounts) • KT Accounts – universities should identify barriers to the exploitation/application of the research that EPSRC funds, and devise means to overcome them, creating a culture change within their institutions

  4. The University’s KTA bid - principles • Routes to the application/exploitation of research and resulting knowledge are many • Company needs and company innovation processes are varied • Barriers arise in all routes to application • £8.3m awarded (the largest award in the UK)

  5. Manchester KTA support mechanisms • Joint horizon- scanning and scenario-modelling • Secondment Scheme • Awards for Development of Licensable Technology • Awards for Concept Development and Feasibility Studies • Continuing Professional Development (CPD) • Knowledge Transfer Fellows scheme • Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP)

  6. Joint horizon scanning and scenario modelling • facilitated events centred on specific technology /problem domains which bring together (potential) users and academics to identify and define problems and opportunities and to develop potential strategies to solve or exploit them • c£15k per event available

  7. Secondment Scheme • Two variants: • Exploitation secondments (in or out) focused directly on the development of specific research outputs (c £60k grant available per secondment) • Exploration secondments which enable companies to explore the opportunities offered by particular research areas, or academics to explore the possibilities offered by their research (c£10k grant available per secondment)

  8. Awards for Development of Licensable Technology • to support the development of licensable technologies to the stage at which a company is able to commit to their development into products/services. • The KTA will be used to fund development projects, which might include activities such as the commissioning of market research, and the funding of staff to continue technology development (though not patent costs). • c£70k per project available.

  9. Awards for Concept Development and Feasibility Studies • Exploitation can be facilitated by the development of an early evaluation prototype or ‘demonstrator’, by initial trials in a particular field, or by ‘scoping exercises’. • c£20k per project available

  10. Continuing Professional Development • The dissemination of research-generated knowledge through the CPD process can catalyse and support application/ exploitation projects • c£50k per CPD development available to support market scoping, scoping and development of course material, and establishment of commercial viability both for the University and its customers

  11. Knowledge Transfer Fellows • Knowledge generated through EPSRC research can often find application in immediate, short term, ‘problem-focused’ industrial projects. However, universities typically find it difficult to respond to such demand, owing to the lack of time/flexibility inherent in the academic timetable • C£160k per KT Fellow available to underwrite the employment of full time ‘KT Fellows’ to respond to demand for multiple short term application projects from a range of companies

  12. KTPs • To develop new or enhanced product, process, way of working • Graduates/postgraduates (called KTP Associates) employed by the University, based at the company full-time • Academic consultants/supervisors supporting the KTP Associates • Total project costs c£60k per annum • Companies contribute a proportion of total project costs (typically 33% or £22k pa for SMEs and 50% or £30k pa for large companies)

  13. Example projects • Rawwater Engineering and the University of Durham To develop and implement tools and methods to identify and monitor water injection chemistries to increase oil recovery through down-borehole bacterial activity (KTP) • John Crane (UK) Ltd and the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering – Investigation of the feasibility of acoustic emission techniques for the condition monitoring of mechanical seals (Feasibility Study) • Nexia Solutions and the School of Chemistry - Use of plasticizer for encapsulation of radioactive waste (Concept Study)

  14. Miranda McCormick Miranda.mccormick@manchester.ac.uk 0161 306 3991

More Related