KTP50 2025: Innovate & Elevate: Unlocking Innovation in Public Sector

Innovate & Elevate: University Insights for Business Transformation

A public presentation for academics & businesses - all are welcome

Any questions, please contact: ktp@port.ac.uk

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme, we are hosting an online forum event each month to showcase how our academic experts can support your business.

Innovation drives the growth of organisations, whether they are industrial enterprises, service providers, social enterprises, charities or public sector organisations. In our Innovate & Elevate forum series, we will explore how companies utilise expert knowledge from the university to advance business performance and de-risk investment for research and development.

Join us for this series of short, valuable online forums designed to harness the dynamic ecosystem of academia and industry collaborations. Learn how the latest technological advancements or management practices can meet your business needs and support your company’s growth.

Unlocking Innovation in Public Sector

The penultimate instalment of the Innovate & Elevate forum addresses the opportunities presented by public sector innovation. We will explore how University collaboration can help with increasing the performance and impact of innovation in the public sector, and focus on critical challenges and how they can be overcome. 

The team at the University of Portsmouth have conducted a groundbreaking study on public sector innovation, revealing how national contexts shape innovative practices. By examining 108 innovations from Italy, Japan, and Turkey, the research highlights the diverse ways in which different countries approach public sector challenges. 

This study offers valuable insights for public sector professionals worldwide, emphasising the importance of understanding and leveraging national contexts to drive efficiency. 

Additionally, this presentation will explore the transformative potential of partnerships between academia, local governments, and businesses to foster innovation and drive impactful solutions for public service delivery and community development. 

Through the lens of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), we highlight how collaborative efforts can bridge the gap between research and practice, addressing real-world challenges with evidence-informed approaches. 

Who should attend:

Suppliers to the public sector

How you will benefit:

During the registration process, you will be able to submit questions. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions after the presentation.

Presenters

Professor Chris Simms

Chris is Professor of Innovation Management and New Product Development, with articles published in a broad variety of leading International Journals. He works extensively with companies, entrepreneurs and creatives to help them to develop innovative new products and services, utilising his expertise in product design and innovation. 

Chris completed his PhD examining the management of packaging within new product development in the fast moving consumer goods industry. He is currently supervising a number of PhD projects in areas linked to my research interests, which include, new product development, product innovation, process innovation and packaging.

His research has been published in world leading journals in the fields of Innovation, Product Development, Marketing and Design. He has published over thirty articles and spoken at conferences across Europe. He has extensive experience working on Knowledge Transfer Partnership projects, helping small and large companies to bring the next generation of products and services to the market. 

His current research is primarily in the arena of innovation management, new product development and design, in particular I am exploring innovation within low and medium technology industries and the food industry.

His research interests include:

• Product and process innovation
• Packaging development and innovation
• Sustainable product development and eco-innovation
• Innovation in low technology industries
• Developing products for the elderly

Dr Emre Cinar

Emre is an Associate Professor in Public Sector Innovation who joined the University of Portsmouth Business School as a Lecturer in 2018. He was once a civil servant and was involved in many digital and social innovation projects.

Emre’s research focuses on collaborative public sector innovation, SDG-oriented innovation, and the impact of context on public sector innovation. He is particularly interested in how political, administrative, social, and economic contexts shape innovation processes and outcomes in the public sector.

Currently, he is conducting comparative studies of public sector innovation across different regions, including the Pacific, the Middle East, and Asia. His aim is to understand how diverse institutional and governance settings influence the adoption and success of innovation in government and public service delivery.

Emre’s research draws on historical institutionalism, governance paradigms, and public sector innovation frameworks to explore the drivers, barriers, and mechanisms of innovation adoption in public institutions. His work has been published in leading academic journals and contributes to both theoretical discussions and practical policymaking.

Emre actively collaborates with governments, local authorities, and international organisations to develop evidence-informed policy-making and evaluation frameworks and policy recommendations that enhance the effectiveness of public sector innovation. He has extensive experience in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, consultancy projects, and policy advisory roles, helping institutions build capacity for innovation and strategic policymaking.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact ktp@port.ac.uk.

Learn more about KTPs at the University of Portsmouth here.

Future events in this series can be found here.

The Zoom link with full joining instructions will be sent to you by email after you register. Please check your inbox and keep the joining instructions safe.

Accessibility and special requirements - We will endeavour to provide particular access requirements on request. If you have any access requirements, e.g hearing loops or specific neurodiversity requirements, please get in touch in advance of the event.