Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) Showcase and Information Event

Discover the Power of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
Join us for a showcase and information event dedicated to Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs). This event brings together academics, businesses, KTP funding specialists, and professional services to explore how collaboration can drive innovation and growth. It will also highlight the power of Innovation Vouchers. Whether you’re an academic seeking real-world impact, a business looking to access cutting-edge expertise, or a graduate interested in exciting career opportunities, this is your chance to learn how KTP and innovation funding can transform ideas into success.

Why Attend?
You will hear firsthand from those involved in successful KTP projects, gain insights into the latest funding opportunities, and discover practical steps to get started. Network with industry leaders, university experts, and KTP professionals in an interactive environment designed to spark new partnerships and possibilities. If you’re curious about how KTPs work and the benefits they bring, this event is the perfect starting point.

Lunch will be provided.

Who is speaking?

Shelley Breckenridge is a Senior Innovation Engagement Lead at INterface and a knowledge exchange professional brokering award winning collaborative R&D projects between Scottish businesses and academia for over a decade. A senior member of the team her focus is on raising awareness of the value of our world class academic base, building relationships and identifying opportunities to support university, college and research institutes priorities and their role in delivering prosperity for Scotland.

Serena Broadway is Senior Knowledge Transfer Adviser for the East of Scotland at Innovate UK Business Connect. She leads teams across Scotland and the North West of England, supporting strategic partnerships between academia and industry. With over a decade of experience in innovation and a background in agrifood, Serena previously coordinated the BBSRC Diet and Health Research Industry Club, fostering collaborative research between research and industry.

Joe Gorman has over 33 years’ experience at varying leadership levels in sheet metal and electronics manufacturing, oil & gas and food engineering sectors as well as serving in the Royal Air Force. He is the Managing Director of Macintyre Chocolate Systems where he successfully oversees the health, safety and environmental compliance, business systems, manufacturing processes, engineering & design, sales activities, research & development and implements the company’s policies. Joe provides leadership and mentoring and is instrumental in developing strategic business plans, controls finance, continually builds and maintains a highly effective management team and assumes full responsibility and accountability for the company’s operations whilst driving continuous change.

Andrew Pratt is passionate about building bridges between academia and industry. As a KTP Development Executive at the North of Scotland KTP Centre, he helps businesses unlock innovation by connecting them with world-class research expertise. Andrew thrives on turning ideas into impactful projects that drive growth and create real-world solutions. With a background in partnership development in the tourism and higher education sectors he has a keen eye for strategic opportunities and he enjoys working with diverse teams to make knowledge transfer a success story for everyone involved.

Emilee Simmons is Head of Dundee Business School & Law, Abertay University and has substantial academic and business experience delivered across Higher Education, as well as in the Retail sector, Creative Arts & Heritage sectors and Social Enterprises. Emilee is currently the Head of Dundee Business School & Law at Abertay University and previously was Deputy Head of The Business School and Reader in Entrepreneurship at Leeds Trinity University and Director of the Management Development programme at Strathclyde Business School providing academic leadership and oversight to their undergraduate programme. Emilee recenty submitted a KTP with the Apprentice Store in Inverness.

Jon Wilkin is a Reader in Food Innovation & Knowledge Exchange at Abertay University whose work sits at the intersection of food new product development, practical innovation, and partnership delivery. He specialises in process-driven approaches to turning concepts into real products and scalable methods, with interests in integrating seaweed into mainstream food items and improving the utilisation of food waste and by-product streams. Jon’s knowledge exchange activity focuses on building collaborations that deliver usable outcomes—prototype development, process optimisation, and implementation-focused guidance—so innovation can be adopted by industry and stakeholders. He is known for prioritising what works in practice, helping partners move from “interesting analysis” to decisions, trials, and repeatable processes that create measurable value.