Kingston University’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Ashtead Engineering recognised at Innovate UK KTP Awards

The transformative impact of Kingston University’s knowledge exchange expertise has been celebrated at this year’s Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Awards. 

KTPs are a government-funded scheme that connect businesses with universities to drive innovation and strategic growth. A graduate – known as a KTP associate – is embedded within a firm to lead a project, supported by an academic team. 

The annual awards recognise the very best of KTP collaboration, which this year saw graduate associate Usama Jamil scoop a Future Leader Award for his work with specialist precision engineering firm Ashtead Engineering Company. 

Usama was employed by the University as part of a £180,000 two-year project to support the family-run business to scale up and further professionalise their operations, drawing on the expertise of an academic team from Kingston Business School. 

Together with Usama, they introduced new corporate and brand strategies alongside enhanced HR, operations and sales systems. These improvements significantly boosted both revenue and profitability, applying proven business principles often underutilised in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The academic team was led by Professor of Management Christina Butler – a member of the University’s Behaviour, Business and Policy Knowledge Exchange and Research Institute – and senior lecturer Peter Martins da Silva. The KTP was managed and supported by KTP manager Cassie Talfourd-Rich, alongside Shona Campbell from Innovate UK.

Reflecting on the KTP’s success, Usama said the award was a testament to the breadth and ambition of work to drive strategic transformation and continuous improvement for the company. “I had room to experiment, support from the University’s experts, and the backing of a company willing to try new ideas. It gave me a chance to tackle real business problems while staying connected to academic thinking at Kingston University.”

A range of support was provided by the University as part of the KTP, including coaching and training, opportunities through its Help to Grow scheme and access to its library and research tools, Professor Butler said. “This was a really broad project covering everything from marketing and website development to HR and operations, which benefited from both our research and consulting expertise,” she said.  

“As a management KTP, it was really all about enabling the company to develop and grow through a strategic approach to enhancing processes and management capabilities.” 

Supporting Usama’s career development was a particularly enjoyable part of the project, Mr Martins da Silva, a strategic consultancy expert and course director, said. “What’s great about a KTP like this is that you can support a company to grow and thrive success as well as working closely with a graduate associate to help develop and refine their skills – and it’s great to see Usama has continued to work with the company following the project’s completion.” 

The project resulted in tangible improvements in research and development capabilities, with the company now better placed to compete in new markets, according to Ashtead Engineering Company Director Nick Harvey. 

“Collaborating with Kingston University has brought fresh ideas and expertise into the business, helping us develop new products and processes. The programme has not only supported innovation but also helped us build stronger links with academia, which has been a real benefit.” 

This year’s Innovate UK KTP Awards were held in Manchester and marked the 50th anniversary year of Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme.