Research: Reap the benefits

There are a number of ways for businesses to collaborate with universities and to reap a real financial return. Paul O'Donnell, head of external affairs at the Manufacturig Technologies Association (MTA), explains

When politicians or economists make a list of the national advantages that Britain enjoys - a variety of counting one's blessings - one of the first things that they cite is usually our Higher Education sector. Britain's universities rank second only to those in the United States in international league tables with Oxbridge, London and the big city universities, like Manchester and Birmingham, all enjoying enviable global reputations. The same is true in niche areas too. For example, did you know that Dundee is one of the best places in the world to study video game design (an £87bn industry)? In manufacturing too there are massive strengths, five of the world's top 50 (the same number as the rest of Europe put together) engineering and technology faculties are located in the UK. But there are also strengths in other manufacturing areas like product design and software engineering.

This is all well and good but surely collaboration with a University is a step too far for most small and medium sized businesses? Don't you have to have a string of PhDs already on the books, a Nobel prize contending idea and won't they want a huge amount of investment up front? Well no; increasing numbers of smaller MTA member companies are finding that there are a number of ways to collaborate with universities that provide a real financial return for their businesses.

Firstly there are the now well established Knowledge Transfer Partnerships. These began in 2003 (replacing the old Teaching Companies Scheme). At heart, a recently qualified researcher is seconded from a university to a company for a period of 12-36 months. The business gets access to a first rate person with expertise they do not have in house and a range of contacts not previously open to them. The researcher gets the opportunity to work on real business issues. There is considerable funding available for companies who want to participate, although there are some costs.

Companies large and small are benefitting from KTPs and often report that not only does the seconded student, called an 'Associate', bring expertise but also a new perspective.

Then there are SMART grants; an initiative aimed at helping SMEs develop new products and services. They can be aimed at developing a proof of market or concept or developing a prototype.

Importantly they are not just for start-ups; established firms can and do receive them.

Another really valuable way for SMEs to get engaged with reseach is to sponsor a postgraduate student. A Trade Association like the MTA can be a really useful first step to making a connection with a university in you region. Engineering departments up and down the country are often crying out for opportunities to engage with business. As always there is an investment in terms of time and money but the rewards can be tremendous.

Case Study Mitchell Howard, a 26 year-old graduate engineer recruited by Mollart Engineering has been awarded two grants under the Technology Strategy Board's SMART scheme. The first grant of £250,000 is for a £550,000 project to develop Acubore, (steerable gundrill technology) that will break new ground in ensuring that drilling tools are capable of maintaining their direction over increasing lengths of penetration and in the course of the process be able to change the direction of the tool around other geometry in a component.

This was followed by a £100,000 grant application as part of a £165,000 project to match and monitor advanced fluid dynamics simulation for abrasive flow machining.

The grant-funded projects, which started in June and September 2012, are being run by Mitchell Howard and involve his coordination of different universities, equipment suppliers and overall management, cost control and reporting back on both applications. He is principal researcher on the abrasive flow machining project.

He is currently enrolled and sponsored by Mollart Engineering on the Engineering Doctorate (EngD) programme administered by Brunel University and the University of Surrey. The programme is due to end in November 2013 which will then enable direct application into the CEng process with the IMechE. He is a graduate of Brunel University's MSc Advanced Manufacturing Systems (IMechE and IET accredited) programme.