KTP Awards 2022 - And the Winners are…

With additional awards up for grabs at this year’s ceremony, we were treated to even more stories from across the KTP community. From Technical Excellence Award, Changing the World Award and Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership, each finalist and winner highlighted the best of KTP.

For each of the finalists and winners, you should all be delighted with your hard work. Read on below outlining our winners for the Innovate UK KTP Awards 2022.

If you missed the awards show, you can catch up here.

Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership Award

The Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership Award recognises teams who demonstrate exceptional achievements across all three Partners: Business; Academic; and Associate.

The winners of this award were Cirdan Imaging, Queen’s University Belfast and Jonathan Armstrong, who delivered a project to enhance pathology medical device products with clinical expert intelligence derived from an embedded deep learning system.

The key objectives of the project were to develop and integrate an AI model, for the detection of calcification in mammograms, and to develop an AI model for tumour detection in colon polyp whole slide images.

To learn more about this project and the other finalists, check out our blog detailing their nominations.

Technical Excellence Award

The Technical Excellence Award recognises partnerships which demonstrate excellence in the application of science, technology, engineering or maths.

The winning project was a KTP between South West Water (SWW), University of Exeter and Joshua Myrans.

The KTP aimed to develop and apply image processing and machine learning methods to automatically detect structural and serviceability faults in sewer pipes using standard CCTV surveys, and use this to develop a novel fault detection software. This fault detection technology would increase the reliability of the sewer network, helping SWW to proactively and effectively manage blockages, collapses and related issues.

To learn more about the finalists, check out our blog detailing their nominations.

Business Impact and Transformation Award

Finalists for this award have demonstrated a transformative commercial outlook and accessing academic knowledge to deepen expertise, companies are able to expand their commercial capabilities and exploit market opportunities.

The winning project was SC Group-Global Limited, University of Exeter and Matthew Harvey for their work on an All-Terrain Mobility Platform (ATMP) hybrid drive vehicle.

The project developed the expertise required for the propulsion, control and associated ancillary systems for a ‘go anywhere’ high mobility vehicle, for use in hazardous environments, including the defence and emergency services sector.

To learn more about the finalists, check out our blog detailing their nominations.

Changing the World Award

The Changing The World Award recognises teams who have delivered a societal, social, or environmental impact.

The winners for this particular award were Network 2 Supplies (N2S), Coventry University and Mahsa Baniasadi for their project to develop an in-house bioleaching-based capability using bacteria for the recovery of precious metals from e-waste. This allowed the company to recover precious metals in-house, whilst preserving the environment and preventing health-related issues.

To learn more about the finalists, check out our blog detailing their nominations.

Best Knowledge Base KTP Support Team

The Best Knowledge Base KTP Support Team Award recognises a team that has influenced and supported sustained high-quality performance in KTP.

The winners were the University of the West of Scotland with Stuart Mckay as the KTP Officer.

The KTP Centre at UWS currently comprises five staff, providing both pre and post-award support to UWS academics, KTP Associates and business partners across the UK and overseas. As a comparatively small University with around 600 academic staff, UWS punch well above their weight in the UK league table for KTP, and it’s because of this we want to recognise their invaluable contribution to the programme by nominating them for this award.

To learn more about the finalists, check out our blog detailing their nominations.

KTP Academic of the Year

This award recognises the outstanding contribution made to KTP by a member of academic staff and the role that they have had in influencing the uptake of KTP throughout their institution.

The winner of the KTP Academic of the year was Dr Faiyaz Doctor from the University of Essex. The project attributed to Dr Faiyaz was with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to develop a transformative data-driven simulation and deep machine learning capabilities for improving efficiencies in MSC’s shipping and haulage supply chain network in the face of global issues around demand, congestion and space limitations at ports.

To learn more about the finalists, check out our blog detailing their nominations.

Future Leaders

The Future Leaders Award is for selected Associates who have shown exceptional skills, above and beyond the normal expectations of a KTP Associate, in driving and delivering innovation strategy; demonstrating great teamwork and outstanding leadership potential. Four awards were presented:

Catherine Campbell
Acheson & Glover Ltd
Queen’s University Belfast

Catherine joined a KTP between Acheson and Queen’s University Belfast which set out to develop a new range of concrete paving stones using surface treatments and additives to improve their performance. They aimed to reduce the tendency of these sites to become urban heat islands whilst also improving their appearance.

Harsh Shah
East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)
De Montfort University

The aim of the project was to develop a Regional Business Research & Intelligence unit to address economic competitiveness. Harsh demonstrated great skill in designing and creating the business model and the operational tasks needed and went on to showcase his strong leadership skills. The result is a new service of great value to the Region and impact for both the Chamber and its members.

Matthew Holland
Innverva, Shapemaster Global Ltd 
Manchester Metropolitan University

Shapemaster design, manufacture, and sell power-assisted exercise equipment to the leisure and rehabilitation sectors in the UK and Scandinavia. By collaborating with Manchester Metropolitan University, they hoped to embed new-to-company design and modelling capabilities to facilitate the development of new-to-market products, driving significant sales growth in leisure and rehabilitation markets.

Tania Farhat
AV Unibrak
The University of Manchester

The KTP project which saw collaboration with The University of Manchester designed, developed and embedded an Industry 4.0-inspired data-driven business model and management information systems that will support the company’s strategic vision of expansion.

Relive the KTP Awards by streaming it here.