Kingston University announces 14 innovative projects to receive Seedcorn funding

Kingston University’s commitment to having impact in research, knowledge exchange and professional practice is central to this year’s Seedcorn Funding competition. A total of 32 submissions were received from across the University, with 14 projects selected for funding to help develop ideas with strong commercial or impact‑at‑scale potential.

The scheme is designed to strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships, help new concepts move closer to commercial reality and provide project teams with momentum to seek further funding or collaboration opportunities. 

Funding to drive real-world impact 

For 2026, Kingston University is investing £173,000 to support 14 Seedcorn Innovation projects, each demonstrating strong potential for commercialisation, broader societal impact or future external funding. 

To encourage participation from across the University, the competition divided into two areas: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities & the Arts, for People & the Economy). These distinct themes ensured a wide range of submissions and has resulted in funded projects spanning all four University faculties.

Backed by the Higher Education Innovation Fund, the Seedcorn programme strengthens Kingston’s knowledge exchange landscape by increasing the visibility, reach and real-world application of its work. Projects within the scheme contribute to economic growth, social and environmental improvements, and advances in scientific and technological innovation that benefit both industry and local communities.

Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, Professor Simon Wortham said “Seedcorn funding plays a vital role in helping our academics and external partners take innovative ideas with commercial potential to the next level. This year’s projects demonstrate the ingenuity, ambition and collaborative spirit that define Kingston University, and we’re proud to support initiatives with the potential to deliver meaningful impact for industry and society.”

Expert judging panel

The judging panel included Directors from the University’s Knowledge Exchange and Research Institutes, alongside senior academic and professional services colleagues. Their expertise ensured a rigorous assessment of each proposal’s innovation potential, feasibility and long‑term impact.  Each project has been allocated up to £12,500. This year’s funded projects include:

Flash Training Prototype for Healthcare Clinical Middle Managers - Professor Christina Butler (Faculty of Business and Social Sciences) and Kingston & Richmond NHS Foundation Trust are working on this project to develop and test a prototype flash training module designed to enhance the capabilities of clinical middle managers and support the Trust’s People Strategy.

Automated CAD/CAM Fertiliser Prototype of PropairgateTM Technology - Professor Adam Le Gresley (Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education) is collaborating with Innovatius Ltd. This project is developing a sustainable and automated system using Propairgate technology to produce liquid nitrate fertiliser from air, water and renewable electricity for use in agriculture and hydroponics, a cultivation method using nutrient-rich water.

AI-Driven Icing Prediction System for Safer Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Operations – Led by Dr Yujing Lin (Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment) and in partnership with Windracers Ltd, this project’s aim is to demonstrate the feasibility of an AI-enabled icing prediction system for UAVs. It will help predict when and where ice might form on a flight, reducing mission cancellations and operational risk while improving safety, endurance, and efficiency.

The VARIANCE Project - Dr Landé Pratt (Kingston School of Art) is working with partner Resilient Technologies Ltd to develop and test new AI tools for the Art Market. The collaborative project is working to help artists track provenance and use strategies for managing intellectual property rights within AI environments.

A full list of projects is as follows:

SHAPE (Social Sciences, Humanities & the Arts, for People & the Economy) Disciplines

Project title: Developing a flash training prototype to support healthcare clinical middle managers in the Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust

Academic lead: Christina Butler - Faculty of Business and Social Science

External partner: Kingston & Richmond NHS Foundation Trust

Project title:  The VARIANCE Project - Valuing Artist Rights In Artificial Novel Commercial and/or Collaborative Environments

Academic lead: Landé Pratt - Kingston School of Art 

External partner: Resilient Technologies Ltd

Project title:  Phygital Materials Bureau

Academic lead: Matthew Mounsey-Wood - Kingston School of Art

External partner: Dewhirst

Project title:  Q-Player Server: Real-Time Planning for Smarter Virtual Characters

Academic lead: Owen Brierley - Kingston School of Art

External partner: ACT Entertainment

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Disciplines

Project title:  Compression and denoising for space data from neuromorphic sensors 

Academic lead: Maria Martini - Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment 

External partner: SPAICE Technology Ltd

Project title:  Ejector-Based Hydrogen Recirculation for Enhanced PEM Fuel-Cell Efficiency 

Academic lead: Tawfik Badawy; Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment 

External partner: National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

Project title:  Developing and Validating an Innovative Structural System for Energy-Efficient and Affordable Housing through a Strategic University-Industry Partnership 

Academic lead: Ted Donchev - Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment 

External partner: Zed Power Ltd   

Project title:  AI-Infused Cloud Security: Enabling Sustainable and Zero Trust Paradigms through Automation

Academic lead: Xing Liang - Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment 

External partner: BitWarmer Ltd 

Project title:  KU Patent Pending Novel High Temperature Coating Process 

Academic lead: Yasith Jayakody Mudiyanselage - Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment 

External partner: N’GENIUS Materials Technology Limited

Project title:  AI-Driven Icing Prediction System for Safer UAV Operations 

Academic lead: Yujing Lin - Faculty of Engineering, Computing and the Environment 

External partner: Windracers Ltd 

Project title:  Automation and CAD/CAM Prototype of PropairgateTM Technology for the Generation of Fertiliser from the Atmosphere 

Academic lead: Adam Le Gresley; Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education 

External partner: Innovatius Ltd 

Project title:  Next-Generation Raman Detection: From Roadside Testing to Border Security 

Academic lead: Danae Prokopiou and Federico Buonocore - Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education 

External partners: Skalene Ltd and Agilent technologies UK

Project title:  Further characterisation of novel lead monoclonal antibody, developed at Kingston University, for diagnostic and therapeutic application in cancer and commercialisation 

Academic lead: Helmout Modjtahedi - Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education 

External partner: Royal Surrey Hospital