From Insights to Impact: Blueberry Helps a Prestigious University Attract Top-Class Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Our client is a public research university with a global reach that draws more than 23,000 students. Firmly rooted in South-East England, it is a prime example of how successful research-driven education can affect societal change. Its researchers help address pressing global issues such as climate change, health, food security, and human culture. Renowned for fostering partnerships between academia and business, Blueberry was brought on board to help the university strengthen its involvement in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).

What They Needed

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are valuable coalitions which connect academia with the business community, enable practical research applications, develop teaching resources, and foster business innovation.

Our client saw a need to elevate business engagement with KTPs, focusing on industries that align with the university’s strategic goals.

They partnered with Blueberry to carry out stakeholder mapping, engage businesses, and foster academic involvement from three key departments:

• Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting (BISA
• Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences (PCLS)
• Food and Nutritional Sciences (FNS)

The project’s goals were two-fold:

1. Internal Engagement – Gather insights from academic leaders to understand their capacity to take on KTP projects. As well as where their skills lie to understand where they should be focusing commercially to develop a targeted KTP engagement plan. All this insight ultimately will also help reduce touchpoints in the sales cycle making the engagement process more relevant and efficient.
2. Lead Generation – Reach new targeted businesses and examine their KTP potential.

What We Did

Our experienced team took a comprehensive two-pronged approach to the project, focusing on strategic outreach and insight gathering:

1. Departmental Insight Gathering: We designed and executed questionnaires and interviews with staff across BISA, PCLS, and FNS. This allowed us to understand each department’s strengths, weaknesses, and areas ripe for KTP growth. We used this information to provide the university with actionable insights and helped shape the telemarketing campaign.
2. Outbound Telemarketing Campaign: We contacted a curated list of organisations to find prospects suited to KTP collaboration. Our team strategically positioned KTPs as valuable partnerships, addressing each organisations’ potential for practical knowledge application and growth.

“Our research focused on helping the university get a clear picture of their reach and capacity for KTPs,” said Blueberry Senior Account Manager Andrew Welsh. “We worked closely with university staff to uncover opportunities for deeper engagement in the three specific departments. We looked at how these departments could drive more KTPs and whether they had the resources to support these projects.

“This kind of insight was invaluable for setting realistic KTP targets and homing in on partnerships that were the right fit. Ultimately, it was about giving the university the tools to strengthen their KTP efforts and make sure these collaborations were truly impactful.”

What We Achieved

Blueberry’s efforts strengthened the university’s industry ties and produced data-driven recommendations.

• Expanded Engagement: We secured interest from organisations across pertinent sectors relevant to Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting (BISA), Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences (PCLS), and Food and Nutritional Sciences (FNS). We also built a robust pipeline of potential KTP collaborators.
• Enhanced Academic Buy-In: Academic staff felt involved in the process and confident that the right types of organisations were being targeted.
• Data-Driven Strategy: Our insights now serve as a strategic document for ongoing KTP outreach, ensuring a targeted and efficient approach to industry partnerships.

Through an effective lead-generation and engagement strategy, Blueberry renewed the university’s approach to KTP participation. Understanding its academic needs and business goals helped the university broaden its reach and engage with new partners and collaborators.

We shared a detailed report of our findings with the university, designed to be a lasting resource. With regular updates, it can continue providing them with fresh insights and useful information. This process has helped departments see the value of the data collected and appreciate the benefits of being part of KTP evaluations.

Partner with Us to Expand Your Reach

Is your educational institution looking to strengthen its industry ties and bring academic expertise to the forefront? Blueberry Marketing Solutions specialises in closing the divide between academia and industry, creating tailored telemarketing and research solutions.

Blueberry has extensive experience working with professionals in the education and business sectors.

Discover how we can help you drive your engagement initiatives and achieve lasting impact in your sector. Visit blueberryms.co.uk, email info@blueberryms.co.uk, or call 0113 4877013.

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