Queen’s University Belfast has swept the boards at the UK’s ‘Golden KTP Awards’, winning two out of an available three national titles recognising the best of innovation and collaboration between universities and the business world.
Innovate UK’s Golden KTP Awards took place in Manchester to recognise and celebrate 50 years of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP), the government-backed scheme to drive innovation by linking academic expertise with industry ambition.
KTPs work by embedding a university graduate – known as a KTP Associate – within a business to lead a project, supported by academics and guided by clear, measurable goals.
At the glitzy ceremony to mark 50 years of KTP, Queen’s University picked up the prestigious ‘Art of Successful Collaboration’ award – an institutional prize recognising Queen’s leading role in developing the KTP model for UK universities.
Queen’s also won the ‘Knowledge with Impact’ award for its longstanding work across a number of marine-engineering projects with the multinational Navico Group.
Additional to the Golden Awards and as part of the KTP Annual Awards on the same week, Queen’s walked away with a third accolade when KTP Associate, Shay McEvoy scooped the ‘Future Leader’ award for his work with Moira-based sister companies, AB Pneumatics and Plastics 2000, in collaboration with Queen’s Business School.
Head of Business Support Programmes at Queen’s, Lorraine Marks said the latest wins consolidated Queen’s record as a UK leader for knowledge transfer:
“To have been awarded two out of three of these awards is a phenomenal achievement for the University, especially given the scale of competition, which spanned five decades and every participating UK institution.
“This recognition sets Queen’s apart nationally and reaffirms our leadership in knowledge exchange. It speaks to our enduring legacy in this space and our commitment to building meaningful partnerships that deliver real-world impact.
“This recognition belongs to every Associate, academic and partnering business whose vision, dedication and expertise have demonstrated what’s possible through collaboration.”
Queen’s has been demonstrating leadership in KTPs for nearly 40 years, delivering over 400 projects, supporting 500+ Associates, and engaging 300+ academic staff. These collaborations have contributed around £300M to the UK economy.
The University has won 25 UK-wide awards – not including the latest hat-trick – and is consistently ranked among the top UK universities for KTP performance. It was the only UK university to have been shortlisted in all three categories of the Golden Awards.
Spanning advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, life sciences and creative industries, Queen’s-led collaborations have delivered solutions that not only strengthen businesses but also enrich communities, shape industries, and inspire change, from working with the iconic brand of the red London bus to the world-famous, Northern Ireland-based Lowden guitars.