Appliance of Science

Research is big business as universities attract high-profile, big-budget commercial partners with their academic prowess. We explore some universities working with the commercial sector.

London Metropolitan University (LMU)
More than £30 million has been invested into London Met’s Science Centre, offering unparalleled facilities for teaching and research. A key feature of this facility is a state-of-the-art Super Lab, where students can work with a greater quantity of data at a unique immediacy, enabling them to develop their understanding of the scientific basis of human activity. The sports facilities open new avenues for integrated research projects: sports and nutrition students can study the physiological effects of exercise, collect data for extended analyses, and investigate and verify the interrelationships between exercise, health and nutrition.
The development of strong links with schools, clinics and other external links with hospitals, research centres and industry networks supports local communities, provides research prospects and maintains the currency of the university’s teaching. The high-profile Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition has special research interest in the role of lipids and essential fatty acids in interacting with cellular signalling systems.

Manchester Syngenta University Innovation Centre
Manchester University works with a number of high-profile commercial partners, including Airbus and IBM. Its project with Syngenta to form a University Innovation Centre (UIC) is one of the newest partnerships to develop the university’s work with sensors for the agriculture supply chain. Integrating this data with knowledge of the produce biology and farming practices, the whole fresh-produce supply chain may be better understood and wastage minimised.
The project is worth £1.5 million to Manchester as the university has been enlisted to work on a number of projects for the global food group. One of the first projects in the Syngenta Sensors UIC portfolio aims to develop devices that will allow retailers to set more scientific and meaningful best-before dates, by accurately predicting shelf-life in fruit and vegetables. Syngenta was initially attracted to Manchester University for its good reputation for technology.
Mike Bushell, Head of Syngenta Research and Development says: “Bringing together the facilities and the multi-disciplinary skill sets available in the university with our global expertise in agriculture is a great starting point for the Innovation Centre.”

Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG)
WMG was established by Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to reinvigorate UK manufacturing through the application of cutting-edge research and effective knowledge transfer. The group has grown beyond its manufacturing core and is now involved with health, banking, the built environment and digital technology.
The group is involved in innovative research projects with a wide range of businesses and individuals through collaboration, knowledge-transfer schemes, PhD supervision, postgraduate study and bespoke executive training.
WMG’s research is both publicly and privately funded and always involves industry closely in conception, development and delivery. The programme is worth £120 million to the university and represents 25 per cent of the university’s research income.
WMG is international, running teaching and research centres in Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, and providing expert advice to overseas governments and companies. WMG has strong links overseas with a valuable understanding of local markets and industries.

Durham University
Durham, as a research-intensive university, is highly active with businesses and external partners. It is involved in licensing agreements, collaborative research, knowledge-transfer partnerships (KTPs), spin-out companies and business-based projects that are carried out by both undergraduate and postgraduate students. A successful KTP exists between Eden Farm, Durham Business School and the School of Engineering. Eden Farm – a frozen-food distribution expert – has benefitted from a valuable two-associate KTP, one in finance and the other in engineering.
The scheme is providing new financial modelling for the company’s business structure and in a single three-month period Eden Farm gained a 25 per cent saving on pricing comparisons.
The engineering KTP identified and introduced lean manufacturing methods to streamline existing business processes. The company projected a £100,000 increase in incremental profit within 12 months due to improvements the KTP is bringing to current business systems – it exceeded this expectation.
The university is also involved in blue-sky research such as it’s project to create thinner solar cells, making solar energy more efficient and affordable. This research has required a £1.7 million suite of electron-powered microscopes, meaning the university has some of the most advanced technology available in this area.