12 education & business
Solent’s research capability – helping the success stories of tomorrow
Southampton Solent University is a well-known contributor to the local economy, but what many people don’t recognise is its role in helping businesses with a wide range of research projects, writes Alison Dewar of The Business Magazine
Barlow said: “Strategic Audiology Services had a good idea but the project needed further testing and calibration and it didn’t have the expertise or facilities to take it forward, which is when they approached us.
“It worked very well because they were a small team and we were able to take the project beyond their expectations, developing it up to international standard which is something they could never have achieved without the University’s help.
“Many smaller companies are in similar situations, as generally it is only the very large corporates who can afford to carry out research and development in-house. Our research expertise is something that many companies don’t have. Partnering with us gives smaller businesses access to specialist knowledge and people who understand the processes behind this type of research.“
The University’s expertise has enabled the development of an innovative new hearing test
Its multi-disciplinary approach, which sees academics and graduates working alongside partners from a variety of industries and the public sector, provides valuable data and studies to help boost business success, often achieving groundbreaking results.
Professor Jane Longmore, Solent’s deputy vice- chancellor with responsibility for research, says the University works hard to address challenges faced at a local level, as well as supporting more far reaching projects.
“The University is located in the heart of the city and the Solent region and it has a stated commitment to meet the needs of employers, both of which are powerful aspects of our Applied Research agenda,“ she said.
As an example, Longmore highlighted a recent special event for Solent’s large retail community, which focused on the advance of omni-channel retailing.
“This event typifies the way we respond to the contemporary challenges faced by the retail sector,“ she continued. “It will stimulate new research with industry experts which will be of real and immediate value to retailers and the wider business community.“
Within the University, a dedicated research cluster focuses on local economic development, and particularly the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, many of whom, says Longmore, find it difficult to access research.
She stresses that projects can be as large or as small as a business wants, from one student
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working within a design studio to a much bigger project, adding: “Working in partnership with the University gives businesses access to our academics’ expertise, the excellent facilities available and the fresh perspective that our students can bring.“
Recent collaborations have ranged from an international research project on seafarer fatigue for the shipping industry; one project involving chronic lower back pain research carried out by the University’s sports scientists; and another examining the perceived audio and visual impacts of wind turbine developments.
Dr Chris Barlow, associate professor and reader in acoustics at the University, leads the Acoustics and Audio Technology Research Group. Together with 2013 graduate Lee Davison, he has been working with local company Strategic Audiology Services to develop an innovative new hearing test for the 21st century.
Already over 70,000 people have tried the new Solent-supported hearing tests and the company hopes to assist over a million patients a year through GPs and home or work-based applications.
The project, part of a 40-week knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) with the Maritime and Technology Faculty, made use of Solent’s specialist state-of-the-art acoustics facilities and the successful partnership generated £38,000 for the University, as well as four academic papers for publication.
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – MARCH 2014
The project was made possible through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, funded by the Government via its Technology Strategy Board, and Barlow says such collaborations form a key part of Solent’s strategy for business engagement.
KTP projects split funding costs between the company and the Technology Strategy Board. At the same time, a KTP associate – usually a recent graduate – is employed by the business, as was the case with Lee Davison.
“It’s a win-win situation,“ continued Barlow. “The company gets a full time employee to work on the project together with access to our expertise, costs are jointly funded by the Government, and they have the opportunity to drive their product development much further forward.“
And, as an alternative to the KTP programme, Barlow says sponsoring a PhD student to undertake research provides another opportunity for businesses to try out new ideas without committing to major in-house investment.
From Longmore comes the final word: “Working in partnership with the business community means everyone benefits – businesses have the chance to work with people who are fuelled by ideas and want the chance to explore them, while the University benefits and achieves its goal of supporting the local economy.“
Details:
www.solent.ac.uk
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