This document outlines various mechanisms for business-university collaboration, including those related to skills development, research and development, and innovation. It describes collaborative activities like student projects, knowledge transfer partnerships, contract research, collaborative research projects, and secondments that allow companies to access university resources, expertise, and students. It provides details on the purpose, partners involved, timescales, and typical costs for each mechanism. The goal is to unlock access to innovation and resources through collaborative partnerships between industry and academia.

1. Business-University Collaboration:
Unlocking access to innovation and
resources
Laura Zuluaga-Cardona
Industrial Partnership Manager
Research and Innovation Services (RIS)

2. Business – University Collaboration
Skills Innovation
Research &
Development

3. Skills
Recruitment
Activities
Customised
Executive Education
Student Projects
within Courses
Visit to
companies
Degree
Apprenticeships
MBA
Masters Training
Projects - Dissertations
Graduate Projects –
Internships
UG Student Business
Projects – Internships

4. Research and Development
Consultancy
Knowledge Transfer
Partnerships (KTP)
Industrial /
Innovation Fellows
Contract
Research
Doctoral Training
Partnerships
Secondments
/exchanges
Collaborative
Research Projects
Access to
facilities
Material Transfer
Agreements
Funded Chairs

5. Mechanism Description Partner Stage Lead time Duration Cost
Consultancy
Expert advice, or testing, which draws upon
and applies existing knowledge and expertise.
Any Can be very rapid Variable
Consultancy
rates
Access to facility
Facilities can be hired or accessed on a
consultancy basis.
Any Can be very rapid Varies 100% FEC
Knowledge Transfer
Partnership (KTP)
Collaborative project between a company
seeking strategic change and apply knowledge.
Must have high
growth potential
6 to 9 months
6 months to 3
years
67% SMEs
50% Large
Contract Research
Direct contract design to fit company’s
research objectives.
Any Variable Variable 100% FEC
Collaborative Research
Projects
Innovative research - Funded by UKRI, major
charities or EU Government.
SME or Large Variable
From 1 to 5
years
£10K - £10
million
Secondments /
exchange
University and company researchers spending
time in each other’s organisations.
Varies Varies
6 months to 2
years
Varies
Industrial / Innovation
Fellows
Industrial post-docs employed in academic
units with sustain industry collaboration.
SME or Large 1-6 months
Typically 3
years
Around £90k pa
plus consumables
Doctoral Training
Partnerships (PhD)
The student works on a PhD topic of interest
to the company.
Any Up to one year 3 years £25k - £30k pa
Material Transfer
Agreements
Transfer for research purposes – biological
materials: reagents, cell lines and vectors.
Any Can be very rapid Variable Negotiable
Funded Research
Chairs
Delivers ‘use-inspired’ research that meets the
needs of their industry partners.
Large 6 months to a year Variable
Typically around
£250k pa
Research and Development

6. Innovation
Industry engagement
day/study groups
Spin-outs, start-ups
and joint ventures
Open Innovation –
Research Groups
Licensing –
IP agreements
Knowledge Transfer
Fellows / Policy Fellows
Incubation /
Acceleration Schemes
Innovation vouchers –
ERDF or Innovate UK
Impact Acceleration
Funds - UKRI
Secondments /
Exchange

7. Laura Zuluaga Cardona L.V.Zuluaga.Cardona@bath.ac.uk
Business – University Collaboration
Skills Innovation
Research &
Development