Partner Article

Three regional businesses secure £700,000 funding to drive innovation with Newcastle University

Three innovative businesses have received funding totalling £708,450 for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) with Newcastle University, following successful applications developed with support from Newcastle Innovations.

Blu Sky, Origin Tech and Succorfish will each work with a team of Newcastle University researchers and a dedicated KTP Associate to co-deliver their project.

The three KTP projects are: 

·        Blu Sky, a high-growth cloud accountancy firm and strategic business partner has been awarded £225,483. The project will develop a high-value advisory offer for high-growth companies by using artificial intelligence to automate routine compliance processes. By reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks, the business aims to create more capacity for strategic financial analysis and insight.

The partnership will draw on Newcastle University skills in digital engineering, financial management and analysis, data science, artificial intelligence and natural language processing.

·        Origin Tech, an innovative technology company dedicated to solving challenges in the water industry has secured £256,597 to work with Newcastle University on the development of advanced predictive tools and engineering guidance for trenchless pipe repair.

The project will help water companies make better-informed decisions about the repair and rehabilitation of underground pipes. Its intended benefits include reducing water leakage, lowering resource use and supporting reductions in carbon emissions.

·        Succorfish, an engineering company specialising in subsea communication and monitoring technology has been awarded £226,370. Their project with Newcastle University will use advanced artificial intelligence and computer vision techniques to analyse vessel and sensor data. Its objective is to improve the automated monitoring of marine fisheries, supporting greater transparency around catches, regulatory compliance and more sustainable fishing practices.

Dr Claire Heron, KTP Manager for Newcastle Innovations, said:

‘Each partnership responds to a real commercial or societal challenge, while creating an effective route for Newcastle University expertise to deliver tangible impact. KTPs are particularly powerful because they do more than provide access to specialist knowledge. They help businesses embed new skills, technologies and ways of working that can continue to generate value well beyond the lifetime of the project.’

Ian Blakemore, Knowledge Transfer Adviser at Innovate UK Business Connect, said:

‘These three very different businesses have all recognised the value of the KTP model, and are now on a journey to take the knowledge and turn it into tangible commercial benefits. Alongside public money, they have also contributed funding making each project a true joint enterprise. I’m looking forward to working with them as the projects unfold’

The three awards demonstrate the breadth of challenges that can be addressed through collaboration between universities and businesses, from supporting high-growth companies and improving vital infrastructure to protecting marine resources.

Newcastle Innovations is Newcastle University’s front door for businesses and other organisations seeking to access research, specialist expertise, facilities and talent.

Newcastle University’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership team supports businesses from the early development of an idea and preparation of a funding application through to the delivery of a successful project. KTPs can help organisations develop innovative solutions, create new products and services, enter new markets and embed valuable capabilities for the future. 

Led by Innovate UK, Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are designed to help businesses innovate, grow, and improve their competitiveness. The programme connects forward-thinking organisations with world-class UK academic institutions to lead strategic, high-value innovation projects.

Each partnership embeds a high-calibre graduate - known as a KTP Associate - directly into the business to lead the project, bridging the gap between commercial strategy and the latest academic research.

For over 50 years, this flagship programme has enabled companies to access new capabilities, drive profitability, and accelerate growth through the transfer of knowledge, technology and skills.

Read more about the three partnerships funded.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Newcastle Innovations .