Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)

28 Sep 2022

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) provide a newly-qualified student or post-graduate, with some academic supervision, for one to three years, are two-thirds paid for by government, and are an interesting subject.

Jack Semple, EAMA Secretary was recently interviewed on this subject and shared his notes for the interview:

  • I have had positive feedback, in the main, about KTPs from those that have been involved.
  • They provide excellent VFM as an investment in the future and should be developed further, with increased funding.
  • The KTP system has become too incestuous – it has become overly reliant on generating business from those that already have experience of the system.
  • Post-pandemic, improved visibility on KTPs would be welcomed by EAMA members.  There is also interest is how KTPs relate to other, separate Innovate schemes for SMEs.
  • There is a need to expand awareness and understanding among both SMEs and as a career option among students, for whom they provide excellent experience and opportunity.
  • Among SMEs, trade associations – certainly in EAMA – are well-placed to help to spread awareness of KTPs among SMEs, understanding of the benefits of the scheme, and what they need to do.
  • The issue may be more complicated on the academic side.  I understand that if anything there is a shortage of associate (i.e. students).  Universities have a captive audience and it would be interesting to understand why demand from firms often exceeds supply of associates.
  • Three main benefits are identified for participating firms:
  • Having someone who is competent and able to work on a project separate form the day-to-day operation of the business, with the support of academic supervision, helps to move forward the project, be it product development, process improvement or tech adoption.  A successful project can have a substantial impact on the company.
  • If the associate and the firm get on well, there is a natural segue into employment.  The commercial director of EAMA’s chairman’s firm first started working there as a KTP associate and there are many other examples.
  • It can be an excellent way for a firm to build productive relations with academia.  HVMC centres can do this, KTPs offer a focused and more direct route.
  • KTPs are well-suited to adoption of new technology and processes, as well as product innovation.  In manufacturing, adoption is said to have been given reduced priority in recent years but that may be changing.  Our view is that adoption should be strongly supported, along with innovation.  (The failure to do that adequately through Made Smarter has been a disappointment.)
  • We understand that there is some discussion within Innovate as to how the scheme might be expanded.  The idea of periods a little shorter than 12 months may be worth exploring. The priority must be to maintain quality over quantity.
  • Many academics are disinterested in, or ill-suited for, supervising KTP associates.  I wonder if the role of supervising academic could be out-sourced on occasion, wholly or in part.
  • A way needs to be found of rewarding academics that are currently measured by papers published, which can be a difficult output from KTPs.
  • Rules over academic supervision have been relaxed, I gather, to make weekly mandatory involvement less frequent and to introduce remote supervision.  Working by video link is a natural method to explore post-Covid but we caution against diluting quality engagement which can be harder working remotely.
  • I have heard it suggested that travel to firms may be restricted for reasons of the HE or FE organisation’s environmental footprint.  If this is the case, it is mis-guided and the practice should be abandoned.  The decision should be based on what is best for the success of the project (which will often be an investment towards net zero).
  • The process from application to start usually take at least nine months.  This can be frustrating for SMEs and any streamlining would be welcome.  On the other hand, I understand that current success rates for applicants is high – in contrast, for example, to applications for SMART collaboration R&D schemes.
  • The KTP scheme is already a success.  EAMA would welcome the opportunity to work with Innovate to make it more so.

Knowledge Transfer Partnership guidance – UKRI

 

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