Through its Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), which draws on ground-breaking technological insights, the collaboration will make Icon Polymer even more flexible and responsive to ever-changing market demands.
The partnership sees Icon Polymer work in tandem with the University of Derby and a KTP associate, supported by an academic expert who bridges the gap between the two organisations, to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and access to technical resources that will help drive further business improvements.
Working together within the parameters of the KTP, Icon and its partners carry out an in-depth analysis of Icon’s current manufacturing and technological capabilities and processes, enabling them to highlight potential areas for improvement. Once such opportunities have been identified, the partnership then implements cutting edge technologies to support the business.
One area where the KTP is already beginning to demonstrate real value is in Icon Polymer’s tool making capability, an area in which KTP Associate, PhD student Farhan Khan, has been instrumental. This method allows the Retford-based business to produce components within considerably shorter timeframes and offers greater design flexibility than conventional methods. The overall impact is a greater responsiveness to changing customer requirements. This has been decisive in securing new business and promises to be a source of real sustainable competitive advantage in the future.
Tim Pryce, CEO of Icon Polymer, said: “Icon Polymer is a technologically-driven business and our Knowledge Transfer Partnership enables us to remain ahead of the curve by harnessing state of the art technologies and research in order to continuously improve our processes. Constant innovation is crucial to our success as a business and we feel our Knowledge Transfer Partnership will cement our position as a leader in our field, underpinning future growth in the years to come.”
A University of Derby spokesperson added: “KTP’s are grant-aided by Innovate UK, (SMEs receive a 67% intervention rate and a large enterprise 50%). Running from six months up to three years, they aim to accelerate innovation and boost productivity by allowing businesses easier access to academic expertise and the talent and skills in the graduate pool. KTP’s are a win-win for everyone, and directly feed funding for talent and innovation into the local economy.”
