Knowledge Transfer Partnership

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Bath Spa University to host national innovation conference

Bath Spa University will host the annual Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associates Conference on 7 and 8 September 2023 as it prepares to welcome around 150 individuals working in innovation in the UK to its picturesque Newton Park campus. 

Launched in 1975, a KTP is a funded scheme run by Innovate UK to help universities and businesses to innovate and grow. Each KTP is a three-way partnership between a business, an academic institution and an undergraduate or postgraduate associate. 

This year’s conference is a culmination of the advancements made during almost 50 years of KTPs, and the two-day event will invite attendees to contemplate the topic of ‘Telling Your Story’. It will provide a platform for delegates to focus on the importance of narrative in building and sustaining a successful personal brand and business. 

Those in attendance will have a chance to work with colleagues in the University’s state of the art TV studios to film short pitches or with colleagues in the publishing department to tell their story via social media.  

The event will also further strengthen Bath Spa University’s position as a creative and entrepreneurial institution in the arena. A proposed schedule can be found below. 

Day one 

Day one will introduce delegates to the idea of storytelling in professional settings and support them to tell their own stories: either to reflect on their personal brand or their KTP project. Delegates will also have the opportunity to be coached in professional storytelling techniques by AHRC Story Fellows producing their own short films or social media content to practise these skills, and to be inspired by a section of speakers including Bath Spa University’s Professor Bambo Soyinka the UK’s first Professor of Story and AHRC Programme Director for Story. There will be the usual opportunities for networking taking advantage of the beautiful campus grounds, and a gala dinner with keynote speaker and live music. 

Day two 

The second day of the programme expands the storytelling skills learned on day one to wider professional contexts. A roundtable discussion with industry speakers will give delegates an opportunity to hear the stories behind the headlines in peoples’ careers and how being able to articulate those stories has shaped their career trajectories. The afternoon workshops will work on the practical skills needed for a successful KTP with sessions facilitated by KTN using narrative to explain innovation. 

Unpacking professional creativity  

Sarah Priston, Head of Research Support at Bath Spa University said: “Workshops will unpack the stories we tell about ourselves, who we are and what we’re capable of; the stories of failure and success that have shaped businesses of all sizes and how we can learn from them; and how thinking creatively isn’t only for ‘creative types’.”

Dr Louise Maythorne, Knowledge Exchange Manager at Bath Spa University, added: “With a full programme of interesting keynote speakers, training from Innovate UK and plenty of opportunities for relaxation and networking we are excited that Bath Spa’s expertise in creativity and connectivity will support the delegates to take a fresh look at their understanding of what business means to them.” 

Delegates will leave the conference with a clear understanding of how storytelling can be a useful skill in professional settings, having practised it themselves and been inspired by the way others have used narrative in their own careers. They will have plenty of opportunities to network and build relationships with other Associates as well as taking away resources to support their ongoing learning. 

Currently in the UK, there are approximately 800 businesses, 100 knowledge bases and over 800 graduates involved in KTPs.

To find out more about their benefits, you can visit the KTP section of the Bath Spa University website.