Knowledge Transfer – A driving force behind the economic revival?

In the early 1970s, the United Kingdom experienced a stark economic challenge. The global oil crisis and the miners’ strike forced the government to declare a three-day working Week. The GDP took a nose-dive, and inflation rose to double digits. In 1976, the government secured a loan of $3.9 billion ($18.6 billion in 2022) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to offset the deteriorating economic conditions and to avoid the collapse of the value of the pound. This period of harsh reality also forced the government to explore innovative ways to achieve sustainable and long-term recovery. Among the many innovative ideas that emerged was the Teaching Company Scheme, now known as the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). This was the brainchild of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Research Councils in the UK. Having realised that there was a serious disconnection between industry and academia, the DTI launched this new scheme, partly funded by the government, to bring these two parties together to achieve higher levels of growth through the transfer of knowledge. This scheme has proved extremely successful and is one of the few government-funded schemes to still operate since its inception over 45 years ago!

So, what is the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme? It is a three-way collaboration between a business, a skilled graduate (known as a KTP Associate) and a university. The aim is to deliver a strategic, transformational, innovative project in a business. Once the business has identified an area of challenge, the programme engages one or more skilled graduates to lead the project. A university academic is allocated to ensure that the latest concepts and technologies are actively explored to create innovative solutions. The programme not only aims to help businesses to grow, but it also helps to nurture the next generation of industry professionals. As a result, the KTP Associate is given a central role in leading the project and is supported by a carefully crafted development programme which enables them to acquire new skills. The academic community also vastly benefits from the programme. Real-world case studies for teaching, academic publications, and ideas for new research often emerge from KTP projects.

Having realised the scheme’s benefits, the number of KTP projects has steadily increased. All UK universities and research institutes are now actively involved in developing and delivering KTP projects. At present, there are about 800 active projects covering a range of subject disciplines. Back in the 70s, the focus was on reviving the manufacturing sector; now, the KTP scheme welcomes proposals from any business sector that may benefit from transformational projects through knowledge transfer. It is now not only the private sector businesses, not-forprofit organisations are too eligible to participate in the KTP scheme. Currently, there are two types of KTPs, Classic KTPs and Management KTPs. Classic KTPs focus on developing new or better products and services. Management KTPs on the other hand, focus on developing better businesses by enhancing processes and building management capability. A KTP project can last between 12 and 36 months, depending on the challenge and the needs of the business.

The long-term association between the University of Kelaniya and Sheffield Hallam University, UK, has created an opportunity to introduce the KTP model in Sri Lanka. The University of Kelaniya has secured funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to pilot the KTP model. Dr Chamli Pushpakumara, who is Dean of the Faculty of Computing Technology, at the University of Kelaniya and who led the development of the proposal for the ADB, says “this brings a unique opportunity to implement a highly successful scheme from the UK. Our longterm ambition is to make it a national programme, supported by the government and the industry. Like in the UK, we hope that every single university in Sri Lanka will have an opportunity to be a partner in future”. Professor (Emeritus) Terrence Perera, Sheffield Hallam University (UK) who supported the development of the proposal, says “Sheffield Hallam University has a track record of delivering highly successful KTP projects in many industrial sectors including the service sector. We are excited to share our experiences to make this pilot successful”.

Sheffield Hallam University has successfully delivered more than 150 KTP projects in a wide range of disciplines. For example, Guildhawk , a Queen’s Award-winning software development and tech-led language services company, worked with the academic experts of the university to embed innovative ArtificialIntelligence based solutions which radically transformed their products. At Joseph Rhodes, renowned for supplying high-quality, state-of-the-art metal forming machinery, used the university experts to introduce an innovative approach to Super Plastic Forming and Diffusion Bonding processes. The company claimed that the KTP project with the university played a fundamental role in securing orders worth £14 million from British Aerospace.

To emerge successfully from the current economic challenges, Sri Lanka needs innovative and creative initiatives on many fronts. Bolstering industries to become competitive and agile should be a key strand. It is recognised that there is a need for closer collaborations between universities and businesses. The KTP model, which has transformed thousands of businesses in the UK, is the perfect platform not only for building long-term and sustainable collaborations between academic institutes and businesses but also for nurturing the next generation of industry professionals.