I met with the owner / director of a small high technology business recently. His products were highly innovative and world leading. He had an opportunity to enter a new export market, but Âwe need to make our product even better he told me.
He went on to explain that he knows what he needs to do, and that the technology he needs is out there, but itÂs bleeding edge stuff and he knows he doesnÂt have the knowledge necessary to fully exploit it.
What I need he says is;
- A bright individual with a scientific background, perhaps and MSc and some industrial experience,
- The backing of the latest research in the field,
- A link to an acknowledges expert, and
- Some government support would be nice!.
In essence, he had just described a Knowledge Transfer Partnership and had identified the key benefits of the scheme without knowing it existed. It provided everything that was required by the business and because it has a proven history of over 40 years of success, the owner knew it was right for his business.
The initial meeting between the director and an academic from Aston University proved how much they had shared interests, a real basis for a long-term partnership.
If you would like to learn more about, how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships could transform your business give me a call on 0121 204 4253 or email me: m.r.may@aston.ac.uk
Martin May
