The Business Partnerships team within the Strategic Partnerships Office manages the University’s relationships with its strategic business partners.
What do we mean by a strategic partnership?
A strategic partner is an organisation with which we have a long-term, multi-stranded, mutually beneficial partnership spanning a wide range of disciplines and activities.
These partnerships are all different but are likely to have some or all of the following elements:
- Strategic engagement at senior levels within both organisations: Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Business & Enterprise for the University and a board-level sponsor for the industry partner.
- A framework agreement to define the scope of the partnership and confidentiality and intellectual property arrangements so that both parties are able to explore new opportunities as they arise.
- An executive committee to oversee the strategic development of the partnership
- A steering committee to monitor progress and take operational decisions
- A dedicated partnership manager at the University and a counterpart at the corporate partner to provide day-to-day oversight of all partnership activities.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
The Business Partnerships Team also facilitates the University’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).
The KTP programme is run by Innovate UK. Its aim is to help UK businesses innovate and grow by linking them with both with an academic or research organisation and a graduate who manages the project.
Part funded by Innovate UK, other government co-funders and the participating company, KTP projects apply the expertise of academics to business-critical projects.
The scheme can last between 12 and 36 months.
For more information, contact: Simon Daly