KTP Awards 2011: Business Leader of Tomorrow
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Best of the Best KTP Awards 2011 Technology Strategy Board Driving Innovation How we chose the ‘Best of the Best’ This publication showcases the best Our Business Leader of Tomorrow awards Knowledge Transfer Partnerships recognise outstanding contributions from completed between 1 April 2009 and 31 KTP Associates. Business and knowledge March 2010. The overall winner receives a base partners nominated individuals trophy and members of the partnership who had identified and championed share a £10k cash prize. commercial opportunities, had managed successful delivery and had also To be eligible for an award, a partnership inspired and supported others to work to needed to have achieved an ‘outstanding’ a common objective. or ‘very good’ grade in the final report from the panel of external assessors. The judges also took into account personal attributes – including judgement, goal Nominations were submitted jointly by the orientation, integrity, ability to motivate, knowledge base, business partners and drive and initiative, objectivity, astuteness, by Associates, describing the work persuasive ability and resource management. undertaken, how issues were overcome and the benefits to each of the participants. A commentary by the KTP Adviser originally assigned to the nominated partnership provided the awards selection panel with objective feedback. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships is a Each partnership employs one or more UK-wide programme, funded by the Associates, high-calibre graduates who Technology Strategy Board along with gain invaluable experience from working 12 other public sector partners. in a commercial environment on a project lasting from six months to three years. It helps businesses to improve innovation, Business partners contribute the balance competitiveness and productivity through of costs while reaping the benefits from better use of the knowledge, technology the transfer of skills and expertise from and skills available within universities and academia and the research community. other parts of the UK knowledge base. Universities gain improved understanding Social enterprises and some public sector of the challenges facing business and wider organisations also have the opportunity to recognition for the quality of their research. innovate and improve their performance through KTPs. Introduction Innovation points the way forward The Knowledge Transfer Partnerships For the universities it fosters and programme is as relevant now as at reinforces relationships with business, any point in the last 35 years – opening up other collaborative perhaps even more so. ventures as well as informing their future research and teaching. It is ideas and innovation that will provide the inspiration and energy Our Business Leader of Tomorrow for UK businesses to emerge from awards show how KTP also performs these uncertain economic times the essential requirement of fast- Iain Gray speaking at the KTP and to thrive in increasingly tracking the best graduate talent, awards ceremony during the Technology Strategy Board’s competitive global markets. giving them the opportunity to be Innovate ‘11 event. the next generation of entrepreneurs KTP represents British talent and and industrialists. ingenuity working at its best – the commercial world in partnership Immediately, it generates expansion with leading academics and drawing and profits from innovative ideas on exceptionally gifted Associates. and in the longer term provides UK business with leadership and Our award winners come from the energy to match or even outperform public and private sector and are its competitors. engaged in fields ranging from bio-sciences and public health care That is why the Knowledge Transfer to high-value manufacturing and Partnerships are now an integral environmental technologies. part of the Technology Strategy Board’s work. Those featured in this publication represent just a handful of the many outstanding projects undertaken and completed every year in a diverse Iain Gray range of sectors and industries. Chief Executive, KTP matches business leaders to Technology Strategy Board their academic counterparts to deliver collaborative projects that achieve tangible outcomes, often beyond all expectation and with a consequent impact on productivity and profitability. Knowledge Transfer Partnership • Best of the Best 2011 | 3 Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership Cherry Pipes Ltd Queen’s University Belfast and Associates Paul Beaney and Justyna Grabowska Funded by the Technology Strategy Board and Invest Northern Ireland Partnership aim: to develop and embed a more scientific and systematic approach to the company’s pipe extrusion facilities, implementing quality improvements, rapid factory expansion and an in-house design function. The KTP ‘‘ programme gave me the knowledge and expertise The story of Cherry Pipes is a remarkable This also created the confidence for that I required one – how a small firm in Dungannon strategic investment and expansion, with producing pre-cast concrete drainage some £10m being spent on new plant, to move from pipes was transformed through KTP into machinery and buildings. This led to an being a technically one of the top plastics recycling companies increase in turnover from £2.5m before the in the UK. KTP to £5.7m by its completion, due mainly to a reduction in production costs, an competent When Cherry Pipes embarked on production increase in the client base and the formation of plastic pipes back in 2004 they had to graduate to a of a recycling division called Cherry Polymers. look only 40 miles east for advice and Staff numbers grew from 20 to 60. member of the expertise, to the internationally renowned senior management Polymer Processing Research Centre The company also set up its first polymer (PPRC) at Queen’s University Belfast. testing and analysis laboratory, which team in an drove improvements in raw material and As leaders in the field of polymer materials product quality and saw the PPRC and extrusion processing, they were natural exciting, technically academics playing a vital role in interpreting partners for a KTP, which was launched in data and advising on purchase of analysis challenging October 2006 with the appointment of a equipment. A new quality system young graduate, Paul Beaney. He was company. opened the way to a large increase in joined 15 months later by a second sales and led to the appointment of the first Dr Paul Beaney, Technical’ Manager’ Associate, Justyna Grabowska, as the and former Associate, Cherry Plastics Group quality manager. partnership set about embedding a more scientific and systematic approach to the But it was in establishing an accredited company’s pipe extrusion facilities. environmental management system that the 4 | Knowledge Transfer Partnership • Best of the Best 2011 Gerry McNally, director, Polymer Processing Research Centre (PPRC) at Queen’s University Belfast (left), Paul Beaney, formerly KTP Associate and now technical manager of Cherry Plastics Group, Alan Clarke, extrusion manager PPRC, and Stefan Cherry, development director Cherry Plastics Group. company began to re-invent itself, K From zero spend on research in 2006 at K Queen’s University Belfast was awarded even beyond the original partnership aims. the start of this KTP, Cherry Pipes Higher Education Innovation Funding of This led to the formation of Cherry invested more than £200k in R&D during £250k to expand its collaborative Polymers Ltd and the acquisition of a 2010 activities with the local polymer plastics sorting recycling facility in June processing industry. The partners K The company has recently led a published four joint papers on polymers, 2008. Both Associates and the PPRC were European Framework 7 partnership with presented at the international annual instrumental in providing advice and three universities and four smaller technical conference of The Society of technical knowledge as £6m was invested businesses to develop a more intelligent Plastics Engineers. Two to three applied in the plant over the next 18 months. method of manufacturing products with research projects were carried out each recycled materials. PPRC is the lead year by undergraduate and postgraduate By the end of the KTP, with a design research and technology developer students at the University engineer in post, Cherry Plastics Group was recognised as the most technically K The Associates delivered workshops, K Both Associates, Paul Beaney and proficient polymer recycler in Ireland. master classes, seminars and technical Justyna Grabowska, were appointed to conference presentations on a range of senior managerial positions within the subjects including R&D, environmental company. The scheme is management, innovation, workplace ‘‘ health and business strategy excellent value for K Implementing quality management practice immediately led to a halving of money and is a great waste to 5% and material waste way to boost your efficiencies of around 10%, representing an increase in turnover of around £125k. ability to innovate. Stefan Cherry, Business Development Director ’’ Knowledge Transfer Partnership • Best of the Best 2011 | 5 Finalist Logical Glue The University of Essex and Associate Faiyaz Doctor Funded by the Technology Strategy Board and the Economic & Social Research Council Partnership aim: to develop an artificial intelligence based system to create a virtual care home where technology will monitor and assist in the care of the inhabitants Back row (from left): Mark Glover, Director of Business Planning,