Professor Alan Wilson has completed
supervision of a two year knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) with IHE
Stainless of Cumbernauld. The company was principally involved in jobbing- type
work such as stainless steel ducting and commercial kitchen fit-outs. The overall
aim of the project was to embed strategic marketing and product design
expertise in support of a new range of high-value products. This would enable
planned growth rather than being reactive to client demands.
There was a need to understand the potential markets suitable for IHE taking account of the production and marketing capabilities of the company and the related opportunities available in the market. This resulted in the company focusing on designer radiators. These needed to be researched and designed, then tested and produced before launching them on the market.
A recent graduate, Juan Feunte Gonzalez was appointed as KTP Associate within the company and he was supervised by Professor Wilson supported by Professor Xiu T. Yan and Dr Jose Hernandez of the University’s engineering faculty.
The project has resulted in the associate and the company developing skills and expertise in marketing research, product planning, product design, various manufacturing processes, supply chain management, packaging design, market based pricing, web design, digital and non-digital marketing communications. At the end of the project on August 3, a range of designer radiators had been launched in the market and the associate has been taken on as an employee of IHE to ensure their long-term success.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) scheme helps businesses to innovate and grow by embedding new skills, knowledge and expertise and applying these to a strategically important project. It does this by linking them with a University and a KTP Associate. Each KTP is therefore a three-way partnership between a Business, an Academic Institution and a KTP Associate. The academic institution employs the KTP Associate, who typically works full time at the company. A KTP can last between 12 and 36 months depending on the project and the needs of the business and is part-funded by a grant. SMEs contribute 33% towards project costs and larger companies contribute 50%.