KTP Best of the Best Awards 2019 Finalists announced

Judges reward exceptional impacts of KTP: business growth, innovation, transformative change and extraordinary team and individual contributions.

Following a five-year gap, the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) is delighted to bring back the KTP Best of the Best Awards, shining a spotlight on the KTP projects that have delivered above and beyond expectation.

Applications to participate in the KTP programme require a very high standard of entry so all KTP partnerships have already met exacting criteria. For this year’s Awards only those partnerships that achieved an official grading of A or B within the specified timeframe were eligible to enter, so the quality of entries was extremely high. All categories were heavily contested. However, judges with the unenviable task of deciding between projects that excelled on many levels are now ready to reveal the outcomes of their deliberations.

“For a programme that has been running for over 40 years, it is amazing how the standard just keeps getting higher. KTP continues to raise the bar in terms of the outcomes it delivers to all three partners – Company, Knowledge Base and Associate”, commented one of the judges.

For the first Award of Future Innovator – for outstanding contribution of a KTP Associate – there are no finalists, only winners, as follows:

Best Future Innovator

WINNERS:

• Simon Kingston (Associate), Company: EventMap Ltd; KB: University of Nottingham
• Sean Howson (Associate), Company: ¬†Mainstream Measurements Ltd, KB: University of Huddersfield
• Ryan Jessop (Associate), Company: Clicksco UK Ltd, KB: Durham University
• Radovan Gallo (Associate), Company: Sarissa Biomedical Ltd, KB: Aston University
• Xiaojing Zhu (Associate), Company: RGH Rubber & Plastics Ltd, KB: University of Hertfordshire

 

For all other awards, the judges have drawn up a shortlist of three finalists as follows:

Engineering Excellence Award

FINALISTS:

• Company: Spirent Communications Plc; KB: University of Bath; Associate: Dr Talini Pinto Jayawardena
• Company: LMK Thermosafe Ltd, KB: Queen Mary, University of London; Associate: Harshit Porwal
• Company: Geckotech Solutions Ltd; KB: Glasgow Caledonian University; Associate: Dr Mark Jenkins

 

Business Impact Award

FINALISTS:

• Company: Principle Healthcare, KB: University of Bradford, Associate: Dr Suyog Aher
• Company: BemroseBooth Paragon Ltd, KB: University of Hull, Associate: Mr Haydn J. Ward
• Company: Recycling Lives Ltd, KB – University of Central Lancashire, Associate – Dr Ala Khodier

 

Outstanding Contribution from a Knowledge Base KTP Support Team

Sponsored by Ashorne Hill

FINALISTS:

• University of Nottingham
• University of Essex
• Queen‚Äôs University Belfast

 

Best KTP Partnership

FINALISTS:

• Company: Toffeln Ltd; KB: University of Salford; Associate: Jenny Anderson
• Company: Geckoteck Solutions Ltd; KB: Glasgow Caledonian University; Associate: Dr Mark Jenkins
• Company: Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust; KB: ¬†University of West of England; Associate: Dr Gemma Jerome

 

All of the winners and finalists above, with their partnership guests, will be invited to the Awards Ceremony on 2nd May at London’s Royal Society of Chemistry, where the winners will receive their trophies.

KTN Director, Colin Tattam, will host the Awards ceremony with keynote speeches from Innovate UK’s Interim Executive Chair, Dr Ian Campbell, and independent Design Advocate, Clive Grinyer.

 

KTP aims to help businesses improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK knowledge base.  They are funded by UK Research and Innovation through Innovate UK as part of the government’s Industrial Strategy. The Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) delivers the KTP programme on behalf of Innovate UK. The KTP Best of the Best Awards is a KTN Event.

Companies of all sizes and in all sectors are eligible to apply to participate in a KTP and applications are invited throughout the year. More information here.