The University of Salford has secured more than £1.2m in Innovate UK funding for five new business partnerships designed to drive innovation and growth across the North West.
The new Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) will see the university collaborate with Cara EPS, Heyside Group, Whichrate, UPOWA and TSK Group on projects spanning artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, digital construction, social housing and sustainable energy.
Funded by Innovate UK, KTPs are the Government’s flagship innovation programme, bringing together businesses and universities to solve strategic challenges through research and knowledge exchange.
The projects, which will run for between two and three years, will be led by academic teams at the University of Salford and make use of facilities including the Northern Engineering and Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC).
Professor Simon Green, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Knowledge Exchange at the University of Salford, said: “Securing five new Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is a powerful reflection of our long-standing commitment to co-creating meaningful solutions with industry.
“Here at the University of Salford, collaboration sits at the heart of everything we do. For more than 50 years, since taking part in the very first pilot of the KTP scheme, we have worked side by side with businesses to address real-world challenges, stimulate innovation and help our region thrive.”
Artificial intelligence features heavily across the latest collaborations, with three of the five projects focused on embedding AI technologies to improve productivity and business performance.
TSK Group will develop AI-powered tools to transform how product data is used in workplace design and build, with the aim of creating more sustainable, compliant and innovative environments.
Meanwhile, the partnership with Cara EPS will develop a digital asset management platform for the housing sector. By combining bespoke AI models with integrated data, the platform aims to improve the accuracy and transparency of asset management, supporting better decision-making across social housing.
READ MORE: Inside the audience of the Northern Agency Guide
Insurance technology business Whichrate will work with academics Dr Ali Alameer and Dr Taha Mansouri to create AI-driven tools that automate motor insurance claims analysis. The project is intended to improve efficiency, reduce turnaround times, identify fraud and support the company’s future growth.
Dr Alejandro Garcia-Miranda Ferrari, Collaborative Research and Development Manager at the University of Salford, said: “It’s a really exciting time for us here at Salford, we’re thrilled to announce our latest projects in collaboration with businesses across the region. By aligning our academic expertise with the needs of our partners, we ensure that knowledge is not only created, but applied – supporting business resilience, job creation and sustainable growth across the North West and beyond.”
Elsewhere, the university’s partnership with UPOWA will focus on improving operational efficiency and workforce capability in solar photovoltaic installation, supporting the transition to cleaner energy.
A separate three-year collaboration with Heyside Group will develop an integrated production line that automates post-moulding processes to improve efficiency, reduce waste and enhance worker safety.
According to the university, the North West is the leading region for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships outside Scotland, with Innovate UK funding projects involving more than 500 regional businesses since 2015.
Since the programme launched in 1975, more than 14,000 KTPs have been funded across the UK. Between 2010 and 2020 alone, Innovate UK invested £200m in 2,000 projects, contributing an estimated £2.3bn to the UK economy.
