Partner with the University of Kent

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Partner with us

No matter how far you've come, together we can go further.

Busting the university-business interaction myths

Our team address the top misconceptions businesses have about interacting with universities.

A turtle swimming in a clean ocean

Minimising the environmental impact of e-commerce

Our Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Priory Direct is just one of a diverse portfolio.

Leading local SMEs on the path to net zero

We collaborated with the Kent Invicta Chamber to harness funding for business growth.

We believe in bringing innovative and creative approaches to increasing industry productivity and growth through collaboration with businesses, charities, and public sector organisations locally, nationally and internationally. We are home to:


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    Over 1000 experts

    with knowledge spanning health, society, technology, the environment and business.

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    World-leading research

    The majority of our research submissions to the REF 2021 rated world-leading or internationally excellent.  

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    100% success rate

    for Knowledge Transfer Partnership applications to Innovate UK.  

Port of Dover

Research Collaboration

Our experienced team can work with you to harness funding to deliver collaborative projects and unleash your business' innovation potential.

Innovation Vouchers and Grants

We work closely with local networks to harness innovation funding for collaborative projects between academia and industry. Examples include the EIRA project,  Net Zero Pathway for Change and Growing Kent and Medway.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)

For nearly 50 years, KTPs have been helping businesses innovate for growth. With a 100% application success rate for KTP funding from Innovate UK, we have a diverse portfolio of KTPs with local and national businesses.

Consultancy and Contract Research

Whether you're developing a new product, service, system, policy or strategy, we can help you to connect with the relevant expert to deliver results bespoke to your needs and budget. Work can be charged on a daily basis or as a work package and arrangements can be tailored to suit your requirements and provide value for money.

Academic consultancy

Access expert advice, analysis and interpretation which draws upon the existing expertise and knowledge of our academic experts. It can take the form of long-term projects or  short-term one-to-one sessions, and may include:

Contract research

If the knowledge you need to deliver your project doesn't exist yet, you can commission our academics to conduct research on your behalf. Examples include:

Accessing specialist equipment and spaces

We have a diverse range of professional-standard equipment which we can arrange for you to use with the support of a qualified expert.

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Commercialisation and Technology Transfer

New technologies, processes and knowledge regularly emerge from the University of Kent's impressive research portfolio. Through technology transfer, this intellectual property can be applied to achieve real-world impact, commercial success and industry innovation. We can help you:

  • Access our innovative technology via IP licensing
  • Work with our experts to co-develop intellectual property
  • Collaborate with our spin-out companies
  • Discuss opportunities to invest in our emerging spin-out companies 

Success Stories

Strategic Partnerships

Within the region, nationally and internationally, we are building relationships with organisations, employers and structures that strengthen the economy, health and society. By working together across disciplines, we can overcome shared challenges, exchange knowledge and achieve mutual goals