News Highlights

Heriot-Watt project receives Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership award

A collaboration between Professor James Ritchie, Mechanical Engineer of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the world leading Scottish alloy recycling firm Caledonian Alloys, have been presented with a prestigious award as one of Scotland’s Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) at the Scottish Knowledge Transfer Partnership Awards ceremony held at the Hilton Dunblane Hydro Hotel on 2 February.

The award was in recognition of an especially successful knowledge transfer project which saw Professor Ritchie and his colleagues use their expertise and university facilities to help Andreas Holter, a KTP Associate, make significant changes to the company’s supply-chain planning tools and to implement new supply chain strategies.

Heriot-Watt has participated in over 20 KTPs over the last 10 years and this recent award confirms the University is on track to being one of the most productive universities in Scotland in this field. This latest award is testament to the fact that Heriot-Watt builds quality projects that deliver real benefits for both the University and businesses involved. In 2008 a similar knowledge transfer partnership between the University and Caledonian Alloys won three awards at the UK Awards ceremony, the first such triple award ever made under the KTP programme.

Professor James Ritchie commented, “We are delighted to have received this award which recognises the achievements of an incredibly well motivated and hard working team comprising the University and Caledonian Alloys, together with an outstanding young Associate and Heriot-Watt Logistics MSc graduate, Andreas Holter. Central to the success of this project was the collaboration and cooperation between the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the School of Management and Languages. The benefits to the company, the associate and the University were substantial and reflect the considerable opportunities available to organisations through participation in the KTP Scheme. Thanks must also go to the East of Scotland KTP Centre for their excellent support throughout the project and Heriot-Watt’s Technology & Research Services.”

As Scotland’s winner, Heriot-Watt University and Caledonian Alloys, will now be invited to the UK wide KTP Awards ceremony due to take place at the London Marriott, Grosvenor Square, on Wednesday 10 March 2010.