KTPs celebrated at showcase event in Glasgow.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) undoubtedly useful to contractors and subcontractors in construction.

An innovation showcase event held in Glasgow by Innovate UK has celebrated the 40 years of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).

As Europe’s leading transfer programme, KTPs are crucial in providing a key link between businesses and particular universities as well as their recent graduates.

These partnerships allow for greater use of technology and skills thanks to an improvement in productivity.

Scottish Funding Council – who invest £1.5M into KTPs every year – and Scottish Government representatives attended the showcase, along with the people and various companies who have seen just how valuable the KTPs can be.

Innovate UK typically provide equal funding for the KTPs

While there are currently more than 100 of these running in Scotland, in the last 30 years, there have been eight times that amount involving either organisations or companies from Scotland that have represented almost 1,000 projects.

In terms of universities, during the last 30 years, more than 1,000 projects have been represented through 872 KTPs, with the University of Aberdeen, the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian University and Edinburgh University just an example of the participants.

The success of the KTPs has continued and can be shown when looking at the 2013-14 Government investment in KTPs across the UK.

In that time, businesses have seen a massive increase in profits of £211M, annual exports have gone up by £207M while there has been almost £100M of investment in research, development, plant and machinery.

With the partnerships involved too, it has led to the creation of 450 new jobs.

An example of one of the KTPs is when Glasgow Caledonian University worked with Highland Colour Coaters to try and find a solution to ‘pinholing’, which is what is known as when mini craters are left in the coatings provided for metal services.

The Director of Highland Colour Coaters, Gordon Bulloch, explained how the use of  KTP improves efficiency.

He said: “Pulling in all the improvements we made throughout the KTP has led us to be a lot more efficient both in use of materials and use of manning.

“It has meant us cutting back on our rework, which helps with our bottom line. It has made us more competitive.”

With 11% of KTPs comprising Scottish businesses, the companies north of the border are benefiting greatly, with the likes of Scottish Hydro, IBM and First ScotRail all involved.

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