KTP 2025 Conference & Awards: Celebrating 50 Years of Innovation

Connected project partners joined the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) community in Manchester for the 2025 Conference & Awards, marking five decades of collaboration and impact. The event brought together associates, academics, businesses, practitioners, and funders to connect, share ideas, and celebrate success.

Since 1975 the UK Government has fuelled over 14,000 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, uniting top businesses, researchers and graduates to drive innovation, boost productivity and create real world impact.

Northern Ireland Leading the Way

Thanks to Connected, local NI Colleges of Further and Higher Education showcased their achievements in delivering KTPs across the province.

“Out of over 270 Colleges across the UK, it is only Northern Ireland-based Colleges that have secured KTPs with businesses. Connected has been instrumental in helping the NI college network build expertise and capacity in delivering applied innovation right on the doorstep of local businesses.”
— Lynn Connaughton, Connected Business Development Manager

Our partner Dr Fergal Tuffy from North West Regional college led a roundtable discussion on ‘Growing Impact and Reach – Opportunities for HE and FE to work Together’, exploring how FE can engage with KTP funding opportunities and how HE-FE collaboration can work.  Local FE colleges and Universities in Northern Ireland have a strong synergy with the KTP programme.  Connected is instrumental in supporting our HE/FE partners to engage at a grassroots level with local SMEs, to explore the possibility of KTP and other funding streams to allow them to develop and grow their businesses and become more innovative.

Huge congratulations to Queens University Belfast, Lorraine Marks and the team picked up two KTP Gold Awards on the night.  QUB have been involved for the last 40 years, they recognised the impact that KTP could have on businesses in Northern Ireland and they have continued to support knowledge transfer activity from then. 

Connected remains committed to fostering collaboration between HE, FE, and local businesses—creating opportunities for innovation and growth.
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