They help equip young people with the skills and experience needed to succeed, while supporting the local workforce to thrive.
Guest blog by Lucy Wicksteed,Assistant Director of Research and External Engagement for Business
It’s hard to remember a recent week when the value and purpose of universities wasn’t being debated somewhere in the national media.
As my own son finishes his first year at university, my conversations around this are no longer confined to colleagues. They come up with friends, family and, most importantly, young people themselves. And who can blame them for questioning their choices?
The Milburn Review into Young People and Work found that a university degree is no longer a guaranteed shield against unemployment. Around 15% of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) now hold degrees, while entry-level jobs have become both less plentiful and more demanding.
For those of us of a certain age, it can be tempting to dismiss this as history repeating itself. In 1993, as an A-Level Politics student during a recession, I nervously stood up at a student conference in Shrewsbury and asked: “What’s the point in going to university if there are no jobs at the end of it?” And I joined fellow students in booing Edwina Currie MP when she suggested too many young people were entering higher education.
Lucy’s question from the student conference
My views on opportunity and access haven’t changed much, but the world certainly has. Back then, there were no tuition fees, no internet, no smartphones, no Covid and no AI.
What hasn’t changed is the risk of failing to invest in young people. If we do, we face future talent shortages, reduced innovation and weaker economic competitiveness (not to mention the impact on the health and wellbeing of a generation). Skills England forecasts that demand in priority jobs will grow significantly by 2030, with most additional demand requiring higher-level qualifications, demonstrating the continued need for graduates and advanced skills within the workforce.
Indeed – despite what some of the headlines might suggest – Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data shows graduate unemployment has increased only slightly and remains at around 5%. However, averages can hide important differences. Outcomes do vary considerably between subjects, and for some graduates, the transition from university to work feels much harder than it did a few years ago.
The Milburn Review calls for a participation system that better supports young people from education into employment, recognising how much the world of work has changed. And that responsibility belongs to all of us: schools, colleges, universities, policymakers and employers.
Which is why strong partnerships between universities and industry matter more than ever.
At UWE Bristol, we are committed to ensuring our students graduate with more than qualifications. They need the confidence, capability and networks that come from real-world experience. That means meaningful placements and internships, opportunities to work on live business projects, and access to mentors and entrepreneurs who can help them test ideas, launch ventures and develop commercial awareness.
But our role extends beyond students.
Universities also have a responsibility to support the wider workforce and the communities they serve. By using our expertise in skills development, training and careers support, we can engage people who may not previously have seen higher education as relevant or accessible. This is about widening participation, building confidence and creating practical pathways into meaningful employment.
We can also help businesses stay competitive by translating our world class research into high-quality Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities, exchanging knowledge (it works both ways!) and enabling organisations to adopt new technologies more quickly.
From digital skills to emerging technologies, universities have a crucial role to play in helping people reskill and upskill through Skills Bootcamps, CPD, Degree Apprenticeships and other flexible learning opportunities. At UWE Bristol, we are working closely with employers and policymakers to help build a local workforce that is adaptable, inclusive and ready for the jobs of the future.
As a future-focused, practice-led and partnership-first university, our relationships with business and industry have never been more important. Building on our long-standing experience as a proud post-1992 institution rooted in our region, we will continue to strengthen our work in outreach, skills development and training.
We’ve been contributing to skills, training and economic growth for a long time — and, dare I say, we’re quite good at it. But the urgency of the challenge, and the opportunity to make a difference, has never been greater.
At a time when universities are coming under scrutiny to be more than just places of academic teaching and research, UWE Bristol is continuing to actively embed its civic ambition across the institution. Our role in Bristol One City reflects this commitment. Given our role within the region, the latest One City Gathering, which focused on building an inclusive, equitable and sustainable economy, was especially relevant. Some of the team that attended have reflected on the discussions they had and what it means for UWE Bristol and our work within the city.
Across the day, a consistent theme emerged: ask communities what they want and need to thrive, then take action that both includes and enables them. The desire for collective, collaborative action was powerful, running through every session and conversation. The One City Gathering’s keynote speaker, Andy Haldane CBE, summarised it as a need to move beyond co-creation to something more equitable, ensuring all affected parties have a place at the table and everyone leaves equipped with the skills and knowledge to continue growing.
Credit: Bristol City Office
The four workshops covered Bristol’s response to helping those Not in Employment Education or Training (NEETs), how we can tackle the gender, race and disability pay gaps, delivering a circular economy that provides economic opportunity and discussion about meaningful community development in light of the upcoming Pride in Place and Pride of Place programmes in Hartcliffe.
One contributor to the NEET workshop noted how quickly young people calibrate their aspirations to what they perceive as attainable, what opportunities are visible, and what fits-in with their peers; this was identified as a leading factor in why some Bristol wards sadly continue to experience persistently low social mobility. Addressing this is a key aim for Bristol One City’s partners, highlighted by the goal that no-one’s future prospects should be defined by where they have come from. Colleagues reflected on the recent Milburn report and discussed the challenge locally. What is clear is that Bristol has a substantial number of impactful initiatives, but these need better coordination to make them attainable to employers, trainers, and those at risk of becoming NEET. The result will be not only improved individual outcomes but also stronger societal outcomes, increased capacity for local organisations, and a stronger regional economy as more people are able to contribute, regardless of their background.
Credit: Bristol City Office
The Civic and Inclusivity team are actively trying to tackle many of the issues raised in the pay gap discussion. UWE Bristol is working towards becoming an anti-racist university , acknowledging this will require continued effort and listening. Further, our team has been building understanding around how our disabled and global majority students can be better supported in placements, mentorship programmes and bespoke extra-curricular opportunities to ensure that those who have been left behind in the past have more equitable opportunities to succeed in the future and reward gaps are reduced.
The key takeaway from the One City Gathering was clear: trust is built through listening, and impact is sustained through collaboration. Our connections and our communities are our biggest strengths. Our huge thanks goes to Bristol One City for arranging such a packed morning that enabled connections between such a diverse audience. At UWE Bristol, we are keen to build on this momentum, collaborating with partners to connect talent, share knowledge and create opportunities. If you are interested in collaborating with us, please contact us at uwebusiness@uwe.ac.uk or volunteering@uwe.ac.uk.
Lynne Fernandes Optometrists is a highly skilled, national award-winning Optometrists founded by Lynne and Gerard Fernandes. It is one of the most respected and trusted UK independent opticians, with highly qualified optometrists and industry-leading technology. Their innovative eye care and exemplary customer service is continuously improved by investment in equipment and products to provide personalised eye care and vision correction of the highest standard.
The Knowledge Base team was made up of Mario Vafeas, Michelle Jackson, and Mary-Ann Sherratt. Professor of Marketing, Mario Vafeas teaches undergraduate and masters; he is involved in Knowledge Exchange Projects with SMEs, and research in the field of buyer-seller relationships and value co-creation. Michelle Jackson is a Senior Lecturer in the Business School, teaching at undergraduate and master’s level and is an experienced marketer and marketing manager. Mary-Ann Sherratt was the Workforce Development Portfolio lead, and Clinical Lead for Optometry and is now Head of Optometry and Consultant Optometrist at Bristol Eye Hospital.
About the KTP Associate:
David Todd worked as a Marketing and Business Change Manager with Lynne Fernandes Optometrists and UWE Bristol. He holds a Master’s degree in Strategy, Change and Leadership, as well as Business Administration. During his time on the KTP programme, David benefitted from extensive training, including a course at Ashorne Hill on Strategy and Innovation, and studied for a Diploma in Digital Marketing.
When asked if he would recommend the KTP Associate role, David shared:
“I would thoroughly recommend the programme to other graduates. You quickly gain knowledge and experience that can make a positive difference to the organisation you work with. You will always have problems, and I have found on several occasions talking to the right people makes a tremendous difference – people want to help. I feel that it is a springboard to a successful and interesting career. The programme gives you the tools and knowledge to progress and enables you to be an asset to your organisation. It is just a pity that more people do not know about it!“
Photo: David Todd, KTP Associate
About Innovate UK:
Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. Their mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.
The Challenge the KTP Addressed:
The KTP project set out to address the follow aims:
Repositioning and relaunching the EyeSense subscription
A key challenge for LFO was to fundamentally reposition and successfully relaunch its EyeSense subscription, clearly articulating its value proposition and differentiating it from traditional eye care offerings in a market dominated by large competitors.
Introducing performance standards and monitoring
LFO faced the challenge of introducing consistent performance standards and robust performance monitoring across the business, in order to enhance patient experience while simultaneously improving eyecare outcomes.
Scaling the business and workforce
Another significant challenge was increasing the number of LFO practices on the high street and expanding the workforce within a year of project completion, requiring scalable systems, leadership capacity, and sustainable growth processes.
For Lynne Fernandes Optometrists (LFO), continued growth, competitiveness, and resilience in the face of the ‘big three’ presented a clear challenge. Competing on price was neither viable nor desirable; to prosper, LFO had to differentiate itself by delivering demonstrable added value to customers.
This made the expansion of its EyeSense subscription service not just an opportunity, but an imperative. However, scaling this service posed a significant challenge: it demanded management capability, alongside robust clinical and business systems and processes that the company did not yet have in place.
Photo: Newly refurbished practice on Wells Road (Bristol)
The Solution:
To address Lynne Fernandes Optometrists strategic growth ambitions, they undertook a programme of organisational development, focusing on embedding new management practices, cultural change and leadership capability.
These changes were essential to enable the scalable relaunch and growth of its innovative EyeSense subscription service, which offers predictive and preventative eye care and differentiates the business from more reactive competitors. LFO had previously engaged marketing expertise where the understanding of the importance of care quality had been misunderstood. Similarly, it was difficult to find people with clinical expertise who understood business and marketing.
Facing challenges in aligning clinical expertise with business and marketing capability, LFO partnered with experts from Bristol Business School and Optometry to manage this growth period rigorously. This led to the embedment of these changes within LFO, ensuring long-term impact beyond the project’s lifetime.
Photo: Inside the Nailsea Practice
The Impacts/Benefits of the KTP
The KTP delivered clear benefits for all partners. For Lynne Fernandes Optometrists, it resulted in a defined positioning statement for EyeSense, and a marketing plan for EyeSense, providing a strategic framework for future communications. The project also introduced standardised operating procedures, a new patient record coding system, and an electronic questionnaire, supporting improved efficiency and consistency. In 2025, the LFO group achieved 10% growth – EyeSense revenue had increased due to a fee uplift. Retail performance had been particularly strong, which was an impressive result given the broader UK retail landscape and the challenges which faced optical retail.
For UWE Bristol, the KTP project generated both academic and practitioner-focused outputs, including data collection for two research papers, one of which examines how tensions affect resource integration and outcomes in a private healthcare setting, and, jointly with the Associate, the development of a teaching case study based on brand positioning and branding hierarchy in an SME. These outputs contribute to academic dissemination and strengthen the potential for a future REF impact case study.
The KTP Associate gained a professional marketing qualification and completed the Strategy Innovation course, supported the advancement of their research and strategic skills through interviews, customer research via customer survey and operational development. This fed into the development of a positioning statement for EyeSense, which will guide all future marketing communications, and also led staff training and the implementation of new procedures, contributing to capability building within the business. They also developed standardised operating procedures – supporting staff development, new ways of working and ran staff training sessions.
What the partners have to say…
“The KTP has been a challenging but supported way of increasing and learning from cross discipline collaboration to the benefit of Lynne Fernandes Optometrists. In turn this will benefit patients in our geographical area and potentially influence national eyecare.“
Gerard Fernandes, Company Chair, Lynne Fernandes Optometrists
Photo: Gerard Fernandes, Optometrist and Director, Lynne Fernandes Optometrists
What the Knowledge Base partners have to say…
Academic Lead
“From an academic perspective the KTP was an opportunity to apply research-based knowledge to real-world commercial problems. The two-year project generated teaching material and provided the academic team with data for a new research paper. Working on a multi-disciplinary project, which had full commitment from the firm’s leadership team, was a very positive and rewarding experience.“
Mario Vafeas, Professor of Marketing, UWE Bristol.
Photo: Mario Vafeas, Professor of Marketing, Bristol Business School, UWE Bristol
Academic Supervisor
““Being involved with a KTP reminds me of the importance for business tutors, like myself, of the benefit of practical, live, real-time exposure to actual businesses. Gaining knowledge and experience is incredibly valuable for students, as it enriches their understanding and provides a practical context to theoretical learning. When students can relate their studies to real-world experiences, it not only enhances their learning but also prepares them for future professional challenges.”
Michelle Jackson, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, UWE Bristol
Photo: Michelle Jackson, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Bristol Business School, UWE Bristol
This blog is guest written by Johnathan Hall, Business Partnerships Manager for Health and Social Care. Reflecting on key themes from UWE Bristol’s Festival of Research to explore how stronger collaboration between universities and health organisations can help tackle pressing challenges such as health inequalities and digital integration.
This week was UWE Bristol’s Festival of Research. Bringing together colleagues from across the university to collaborate, learn and explore some key themes that run thought research. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a few ideas that came out of the opening address, specifically how UWE Bristol can work with organisations to collaborate more effectively and align around common goals.
Personally, I’ve worked within the NHS and supported health delivery for around 15 years, so my ears very much pricked up during Professor Sanjoy Shah’s keynote. Sanjoy is Joint Clinical Director for Green and Sustainable Healthcare at Bristol NHS Group, an intensive care consultant and a visiting professor at UWE.
He shared some really important insights into health inequalities across Bristol and the stark differences within the region. For example, residents in the most deprived areas of Weston-Super-Mare can expect to live around 10 fewer years in good health compared to those in Clifton. That really brings home the scale of the challenge.
Sanjoy also spoke about the frustrations he and his colleagues face with technical systems that don’t talk to each other, highlighting that as many as four different systems may be needed to build a full picture of a patient.
Solutions to challenges like these need to be developed rapidly and aligned with the NHS 10 Year Plan . This is where university collaboration and research are critical and can make a real difference. Universities have a major role to play in supporting health organisations to develop practical, real-world solutions to issues that directly impact care delivery.
This also closely aligns with some of the key themes coming through NHS Confed Expo last week. As with all sectors, AI is firmly on the agenda and is seen as a key enabler in delivering the 10 Year Plan, as well as helping to automate process-driven tasks.
While many people across the health sector are already using AI in some form, its formal integration into business-as-usual is still in the early stages. However, as momentum builds, it’s clear that adoption is about to accelerate.
There’s also a real need to ensure that AI and wider innovation are introduced into the health environment in a clear, coordinated way. As Sanjoy highlighted during the Festival of Research, there are already multiple digital platforms in use to manage patient care. Without careful planning, there’s a risk that new AI solutions will simply add to this complexity rather than help resolve it.
Again, this is where universities can play a crucial role—as facilitators and conveners, bringing partners together and helping to navigate these challenges.
UWE Bristol is well positioned to continue stepping up and supporting collaboration with the health sector in a range of ways, through undergraduate programmes and apprenticeships that develop the future workforce, CPD that supports current staff, research across a wide range of health topics and innovation activity within the University Enterprise Zone. Bringing partners together through the Integrated Care Academy is another great example of how this collaboration can come to life.
At the heart of all of this is research, it helps to drive informed, forward-thinking decisions. The Festival of Research felt like a brilliant forum to bring these strands together, highlighting not only the importance of research, but also showcasing the breadth of impactful work already underway.
If you’d like to explore how your organisation could benefit from partnering with UWE Bristol, the Business and Alumni Partnerships team would be happy to start a conversation. Whether it’s workforce development, research collaboration or innovation support across any sector, you can get in touch at uwebusiness@uwe.ac.uk.
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is celebrated annually on 23 June, and is a global celebration of the achievements, influence, and impact of women in the engineering profession. What began as a UK initiative by the Women’s Engineering Society has grown into an international movement with UNESCO patronage, bringing together communities, organisations, and individuals who are committed to shaping a more inclusive future for engineering.
The day shines a light on three core ambitions:
Inspiring future engineers – encouraging girls and young women to explore engineering pathways and helping address global skills shortages.
Showcasing women’s contributions – celebrating the innovation, leadership, and problem-solving women bring to the sector.
Championing equality – supporting women to thrive and promoting diverse, inclusive engineering workplaces.
A conversation about belonging, opportunity and change
At UWE Bristol, we’re marking International Women in Engineering Day with a special podcast featuring women at different stages of their engineering journeys. The discussion explores what representation means, how opportunities are created, and why engineering is a place where more women should feel like they belong.
Huge thanks go to our five brilliant panel members for talking so candidly and thoughtfully, and for sharing their experiences and insights:
Amelia Davies, Business Partnerships Manager for Advanced Engineering and Defence at UWE Bristol.
Emily Boys, Faculty Leader for Science at Cotham School.
Madeleine Starling, fourth-year Degree Apprentice at GKN Aerospace.
Alexia Williams, Chartered Engineer and Technical Lead at Rolls Royce. Alexia was recently named in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026. She was awarded an MBE in recognition of her outstanding services to skills and education, her leadership in encouraging more women into STEM, and her commitment to closing the UK skills gap.
The conversation delves into the lived experiences and diverse pathways that brought each guest into engineering, highlighting the moments – both big turning points and quiet realisations – when they thought “yes, this is for me.”
The panel unpacks the persistent misconceptions that discourage girls from choosing subjects such as maths, DT and physics at school, reflects on early widening participation efforts in schools that can shift those patterns, and considers which mentoring approaches genuinely support women to thrive in engineering.
Throughout the conversation, several themes resonated strongly:
Representation matters – seeing women in engineering roles helps others to imagine themselves in those spaces and believe they belong.
Curiosity counts – problem solving, resilience, and a willingness to explore are often just as important (if not more important) than grades.
Engineering shapes the future – from healthcare to sustainability, engineers are tackling the world’s biggest challenges.
The overarching message was clear: engineering has space for everyone.
Building skills that empower women to thrive
At UWE Bristol, we are committed to creating pathways that support women entering and progressing through engineering careers. Our degree apprenticeships combine academic learning with hands-on industry experience, helping apprentices build confidence, capability, and a strong professional identity from day one.
We also work to create environments where women feel supported and connected. Mentoring opportunities link learners with role models across the sector, while award-winning initiatives such as Women Like Me amplify real stories and lived experiences that challenge stereotypes and open doors for the next generation.
By investing in inclusive routes into engineering and supporting talent at every stage, we’re helping to build a more diverse, skilled, and innovative engineering workforce for the future. And as our podcast guests reminded us, representation, curiosity, and community all play a vital role in shaping that future. When women see themselves reflected in engineering – and are given the space to thrive – the whole sector becomes stronger.
This week is World Continence Week (15th to 21st June 2026) and researchers from UWE Bristol’s School of Health and Social Wellbeing are working to promote better bladder and bowel health at UWE Bristol and across the region. Bladder and Bowel leakage affects about 1 in 5 adults, which is about as common as hay fever, but is an issue that people are often reluctant to discuss.
Led by Prof. Nikki Cotterill, we are working with the Bristol Active City Network to raise awareness of how bladder and bowel leakage can affect people’s ability to get out and about and engage in exercise and other activities. For World Continence Week Nikki will be leading a webinar for the network, building upon previous engagement work with them on a pathway redesign project, aiming to help people to talk about bladder and bowel leakage and to access available self-help. In particular, bladder and bowel leakage can be the difference between taking part in exercise or being too embarrassed or worried about an accident. Addressing this, provides an opportunity to keep people in the activities they enjoy and socialising with friends and family.
A key resource to raise awareness and promote self-help is the CONfidence app, a self-help app developed by UWE Bristol researchers in conjunction with the Bladder and Bowel Confidence Health Integration Team (BABCON HIT) and Expert Self Care. The app has been downloaded by almost 20,000 people and has reached 20 countries. This App has been Co-created with people who have experienced leakage symptoms and national experts specialising in bladder and bowel care. Anyone experiencing bladder and bowel leakage can download the app for free. This gives access to practical advice and information on how to improve their bladder and bowel health.
Further tackling taboos, UWE Bristol has spearheaded the Boys Need Bins campaign, aiming to raise awareness about incontinence in men and the need for bins in men’s toilets. UWE Bristol is taking part in a pilot placing sanitary waste bins in men’s toilets across the Frenchay campus. This allows for the disposal of incontinence products including incontinence pads, stoma care items or other medical and sanitary products. Researchers are working with system partners to roll this out in other organisations across Bristol aiming for a ‘Boys need Bins Bristol’.
We need to talk more about bladder and bowel health to break down the stigma preventing symptom improvement. We are always keen to hear from anybody with an interest in this area, so please do contact Prof Nikki Cotterill with any thoughts or suggestions this World Continence Week: nikki.cotterill@uwe.ac.uk.
UWE Bristol’s Master of Architecture (MArch) students and local primary school St Michael’s CofE in Stoke Gifford have recently collaborated on an ‘Exploratory Design Studio’ community project to develop concept designs for a school building’s expansion.
Supported by Ann de Graft-Johnson, students Elliot Burningham, Craig Harding, Shahd Jabr, Huw Lansdowne, Charlotte Ongley and Daniel Pinto Rodrigues produced a series of designs for a new building to replace the school’s ageing ‘H-block’ and further expansion plans to include an onsite nursery and dedicated SEND facility.
What makes this project stand out is the depth of collaboration. Through consultation with staff and parents, and an engaging workshop with the school’s student council, they gathered insights from the people who know the site best. Pupils shared what excites them about learning spaces, while staff highlighted the practical needs of a growing school community. These voices became the backbone of the design process.
The resulting concepts place inclusion, sustainability and community at the forefront. Students explored ways to strengthen the school’s SEND provision, from acoustically considerate learning areas to dedicated spaces for extra provision sessions. Outdoor learning also played a central role, with ideas inspired by the forest school approach and a focus on creating more opportunities for children to learn and play outside. Several proposals also considered how the school could host community events more effectively, ensuring that new spaces feel welcoming and adaptable.
Pete Barnard, Headteacher of St Michael’s CofE School, described the students’ work with real enthusiasm:
“We were blown away by their professionalism and dedication to getting the designs right for all members of our school community. Their attention to detail and engagement of all stakeholders was exceptional, and our children have loved looking through the designs and choosing their favourites!”
Kay Confait, Pre-Award Coordinator at UWE Bristol, said:
“As a parent with children at St Michael’s Primary School, I have spent the last few years facilitating community outreach opportunities between the school and UWE. For this project our goal was to incorporate UWE architecture design expertise to develop concepts for new learning spaces, with a special emphasis on making the environments inclusive and adaptable for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
It was an incredible opportunity to bring MArch students on board. Over the last six months, it has been a true privilege to guide the collaboration from the initial briefing sessions and pupil engagement workshops to the final presentation of their outstanding concept designs.”
With the concept designs now complete, the school plans to present them to a local MP as part of its wider expansion ambitions.
The work will also be showcased during UWE Bristol’s annual Degree Show, ‘Showcase’. The Master of Architecture (M-Arch) cohort’s exhibition will be available for the public to view between Friday 7 June to Wednesday 10 June on Frenchay Campus (with the exception of Monday 8 June).
This partnership demonstrates the power of connecting academic learning with real‑world challenges. For the MArch students, it offered hands‑on experience in community‑engaged design. For St Michael’s, it provided a fresh, imaginative vision of what its growing school could become.
Duku Product Design is a UK-based engineering design consultancy with over a decade of experience in transforming client ideas into market-ready products. The company specialises in end-to-end product development, from concept through to design for manufacture and production delivery. In recent years, Duku has expanded beyond consultancy into the development of its own proprietary technologies, with a strategic focus on innovative and accessible EV charging systems, transitioning from a service-led consultancy model to a product-led scalable business.
About the Knowledge Base:
The academic team based within the Bristol Business School at UWE Bristol brings a strong research foundation, combining both academic and industry perspectives. The KTP was supported by Dr Mel Hudson Smith and Eamonn Condon. As Associate Professor in Operations Management, Mel has over 20yrs of experience working with small businesses to enable them to achieve their strategic objectives by ensuring their operational capabilities and processes are high quality, efficient and strategically aligned. Eamonn is the Programme Lead for the Marketing Degree and a Senior Lecturer in marketing. With international experience, Eamonn has valuable expertise in launching services, leading product teams and embedding processes and launch strategies to new markets.
Photo from the Final LMC – Eamonn Condon (Academic Supervisor), Ria Eyers (KTP Officer), Ellen Parkes (KTP Development and Growth Manager), Taabish Khan (KTP Associate), Andrew Aylesbury (Duku – Company Chair), and Paul Spenley (IUK Adviser). Excluding Alex Lee (Duku – Company Supervisor), Mel Smith (Academic Lead) and Helen Lewis (KTP Project Manager).
About the KTP Associate:
The KTP Associate, Taabish Khan, holds an MBA in Strategy and BSc in Business Management, brings over six years of experience across sales, project management, and corporate communications. His professional background spans both industry and agency roles, delivering commercially focused projects and working across cross-functional teams.
About Innovate UK:
Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation, is the UK’s innovation agency. Their mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.
The Challenge the KTP Addressed:
The partnership aimed to embed a full commercialisation capability within Duku EV, enabling the transition from a design‑led consultancy to a scalable EV technology business. This capability supports the direct marketing of Duku’s own in-house designed products and enables a full idea‑to‑market service for new and existing design consultancy clients across home, fleet, and public charging markets.
Business Challenge:
At the outset of the KTP, Duku operated primarily as a product design consultancy but had begun developing proprietary EV charging technologies and patents. However, it lacked the commercial capability required to take these products to market. While the business had strong expertise in engineering design and product development, it did not have the internal frameworks needed to support market entry, revenue generation, or scale.
More broadly, the business faced structural challenges such as:
No formal market sizing or prioritisation framework
Lack of defined routes to market or commercial models
Absence of investor-ready financial planning and valuation logic
No established supply chain to support hardware delivery
Reliance on ad hoc project-based revenue rather than scalable growth
In addition, entering the EV charging market required navigating a complex and capital-intensive landscape, including manufacturing readiness, certification requirements, and long procurement cycles.
As a result, the core challenge was not only to commercialise a product, but to determine what should be commercialised, how it should be brought to market, and how the business could do so in a scalable and financially sustainable way.
The Solution:
To address the lack of commercial capability, the KTP focused on embedding structured, evidence-led decision-making within the business, while simultaneously validating real market opportunities for Duku’s EV charging technologies.
The project did not follow a linear path. Early in the partnership, initial commercial assumptions around launching a single public EV charger were tested through detailed market research and industry engagement. This revealed that the chosen segment was highly competitive, low margin, and capital intensive, prompting a fundamental shift in strategy.
In response, the focus moved from commercialising a single product to developing a scalable product portfolio built around Duku’s core cable management technology and family of 11+ patents. This shift enabled the business to target multiple higher-value markets, including fleet, domestic, and commercial charging applications, significantly improving long-term growth potential.
Alongside this strategic pivot, structured commercialisation frameworks were introduced across the organisation. Market sizing methodologies (TAM–SAM–SOM), competitor analysis tools, and value proposition frameworks replaced ad-hoc decision-making, allowing the business to prioritise opportunities based on evidence rather than assumption.
As industry engagement increased, further insights shaped the commercial approach. Engagement with OEMs, charge point operators, and international manufacturers highlighted differing preferences between licensing and hardware supply models. This led to the development of flexible routes to market, including both hardware delivery and IP-led licensing strategies.
(Charlie Meadows. Product Designer at Duku assembling the Duku EV ARC system)
In parallel, significant progress was made in building the foundations required for commercial execution. This included the development of investor ready financial models, structured outreach pipelines, early-stage supply chain relationships, and active participation in industry events to validate demand and position the business within the EV ecosystem.
These activities collectively transformed the business from a consultancy-led organisation with a single product concept into a commercially structured EV charging solutions provider, with a defined product portfolio, validated market opportunities, and a clear pathway to scale.
Key activities delivered through the KTP included:
Development of market sizing and total opportunity assessment frameworks
Expansion from a single product to a multi-sector EV charging portfolio
Creation of repeatable commercialisation tools and processes
Strategic input into Innovate UK grant funding applications
Preparation of investor ready financial and strategic documentation
Industry engagement through exhibitions, panels, and stakeholder outreach
The Results of the KTP:
By the end of the KTP, the business had undergone a fundamental shift – from a consultancy with an early-stage EV concept to a commercially structured EV charging solutions provider with validated demand, secured funding, and a clear pathway to scale.
This transformation was reflected not only in strategy, but in tangible commercial outcomes. During the project, the business secured over £276,000 in pre-production sales across multiple product lines, alongside contributing to £461,967 in Innovate UK funding. Combined, this represents a total financial impact exceeding £730,000, which is more than four times the grant value for the KTP.
Crucially, this activity was not isolated. EV-related grants and commercial traction accounted for approximately 30% of company revenue during the period, demonstrating a meaningful shift away from reliance on consultancy-led income and towards a scalable product-led model. In parallel, the business expanded from a single unfinished product to a portfolio of five production-ready EV charging solutions, significantly reducing market concentration risk and opening multiple routes to market.
The organisational impact extended beyond revenue. Headcount increased by 10% during the KTP, with the commercial groundwork laid through the project expected to support further job creation, including an estimated 7-12 roles within manufacturing through contract partners, and 4–6 roles within the emerging UK marine EV charging sector.
Beyond commercial performance, the project delivered meaningful societal and industry impact. Duku’s focus on accessibility contributed to a measurable improvement in usability, with the proportion of disabled users able to confidently use EV charging increasing from 25% to 61%. This represents a significant step toward inclusive infrastructure, addressing one of the key barriers to wider EV adoption.
(Emily Yates (www.emilyroseyates.co.uk) – Journalist + BBC presenter at a study conducted by Duku EV and RiDC around accessibility on EVC charging)
Depot and charging network safety was another critical area of impact. With 31% of workplace injuries attributed to trips and falls (HSE), the development of automated cable management systems directly addresses a major risk factor within EV charging environments, particularly in fleet and public settings.
The project also contributed to sustainability objectives. Through collaboration with sustainability specialists, the products developed are targeting up to99% recyclability, supporting longer-term environmental goals alongside electrification.
Just as importantly, the KTP elevated Duku EV’s external reputation and industry visibility. During the partnership, the business won the Industry Advocacy Award at the London EV Show 2024 and received Innovation of the Year from the IET for accessible vehicle technology.
(Alex accepting the Industry Advocacy Award at the London EV Show)
Duku EV also strengthened its position as a thought leader in the sector through a talk on accessible EV charging at Cenex Expo 2025, alongside panel participation at Cenex Expo in Millbrook and the EV Charging UK Conference in London in 2026. These milestones signalled growing recognition not only of the technology itself, but of the company’s role in shaping conversations around accessible and user-centred EV infrastructure.
(The Associate delivering a talk at the CENEX Expo ’25)
At an industry level, the KTP enabled Duku to contribute to early-stage policy and infrastructure development. Through involvement in the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC6) under UK SHORE, the business worked alongside organisations such as Cenex and the IET to help shape design guidance and best practices for marine EV charging, an emerging and strategically important sector.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) delivered significant benefits to the knowledge base partner, UWE Bristol, by providing a live commercial environment in which academic frameworks could be applied and tested. For the core project team of Mel Smith and Eamonn Condon, participating in Duku’s strategic transformation created a rich source of real-world material for both teaching and research.
Crucially, the collaboration provided valuable teaching examples of how a new intellectual property (IP) innovation is successfully brought to market (GTM). These practical insights are now being utilised in postgraduate courses, such as the MBA and the MSc in Marketing programmes. These outputs feed into student project work and support the development of future research and impact case studies.
Furthermore, the project’s complex requirements facilitated broader university collaboration, as thought leaders from across UWE outside of the core project team were brought in to assist wherever their specific expertise was needed.
Perhaps most significantly, the KTP has created capability that extends far beyond the lifecycle of the project. The commercialisation frameworks developed, covering market sizing, financial modelling, and go-to-market strategy, are now embedded within the business and are being actively deployed not only within Duku EV, but also as a formal service offering to external clients.
As a result, the KTP has not only delivered immediate financial return, but has established a repeatable and revenue-generating commercial capability that will continue to drive growth long after the project’s completion, while positioning the business for international expansion and external investment.
Key Facts and Impact:
Commercial Impact
Three Innovate UK bids won, valued at £71k, £184k, and £81k
Two confirmed sales orders across different product lines, valued at £88k + VAT and £186k + VAT
Total direct monetary impact of £610k during the project period
3.2x return on the original KTP grant value within the lifetime of the project
Estimated cost savings of £2.73 million over five years through improved strategic decision-making and reduced reliance on external consultancy
Strategic and Organisational Impact
Expansion from 1 to 5 product lines, covering domestic, fleet, and public EV charging markets
Establishment of a scalable supply chain to support hardware and licensing models
Transition from a design consultancy to an EV technology business with defined commercial pathways
Full redesign and launch of the Duku EV website, strengthening market presence and credibility
Reputation and Thought Leadership
Winner of the Industry Advocacy Award at the London EV Show 2024
Winner of Innovation of the Year for Accessible Vehicle Technology, awarded by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
Delivery of a talk on accessible EV charging at the Cenex Expo ‘25
Participation in panel discussions at:
Cenex Expo, Millbrook (2025)
EV Charging UK Conference, Crowne Plaza London (2026)
(Andrew, Alex, and Taabish with the award at the London EV Show ‘24)
Future and Legacy:
The KTP has established a foundation that extends well beyond the lifecycle of the project, embedding both capability and opportunity that will continue to drive growth across the business.
A key legacy is the formalisation of commercialisation as a structured function within Duku. The frameworks developed during the partnership, including market sizing, financial modelling, and route-to-market strategy, are now embedded at management level and actively used across both EV and non-EV projects. This capability has also been translated into a client-facing service, already generating revenue and strengthening the company’s wider offering.
The project is positioning Duku EV as a clean, investable, and scalable business, separate from the legacy product design consultancy. Commercial and financial readiness has been achieved, with Duku EV now progressing toward a £1.35 million seed raise, supported by early investor interest and ongoing governance development.
New market opportunities have also been unlocked. Active partnerships are now developed with UK and European charge point manufacturers, particularly in the fleet sector, where Duku’s ARC technology is gaining recognition as a differentiated solution. In parallel, the business is exploring marine EV charging, building on its involvement in the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC6), where it contributed to the development of design guidance and best practices alongside organisations such as the IET and Cenex.
While the focus is now on scaling the existing product portfolio, additional opportunities, particularly within marine AC and DC charging, are being explored as part of the longer-term roadmap.
The academic outputs extend beyond UWE. This included an industry project with the MBA cohort of Aston University, which explored IP valuation, organisational transition to hardware supply, and strategic recommendations for scaling, delivering both academic and commercial value.
Looking ahead, the impact of the KTP is expected to extend beyond the business itself. As Duku EV scales, there is clear potential for job creation across manufacturing and emerging sectors such as marine electrification. More broadly, by improving accessibility and usability in EV charging, the business is helping to reduce barriers to adoption and support the wider transition to electric mobility.
With commercial capability embedded, market pathways defined, and early traction established, the KTP has reshaped the trajectory of the business, positioning Duku EV for sustained growth, international expansion, and long-term impact within the EV infrastructure sector.
(Taabish visiting S.Charge’s facility in India – which is Duku’s manufacturer and partner on an international Innovate UK – India Department of Science and Technology (DST) grant)
What the partners have to say…
“This KTP has been genuinely transformative for our business. The project started at a pivotal point for us where we could see an opportunity and had a strong technical concept, but understanding where to focus our resources and building the strategy to exploit it was very difficult. We had a strong technical capability from our background in design and engineering, but this project gave us the structure and support to spend time on the commercial aspects which were not well defined at that point. Working with Taabish and the team at UWE has allowed us to challenge our thinking, refine our approach and ultimately build a plan with real long-term potential. We have ended the KTP with real clarity about our next steps, the next 12 months are going to be very exciting and we’re very grateful for the advice and support we’ve received from UWE and to have Taabish on board to expand and develop this opportunity.” Andrew Aylesbury – Director.
What the Knowledge Base partners have to say…
“From my role as a support academic on this project, I am very satisfied with how the transfer of knowledge from UWE has contributed to the pool of expertise to both Taabish and DUKU in their quest to lift their EV capability to the next stage. The partnership has worked very well and to me is a model of how they should be run” Eamonn Condon – Academic Supervisor.
“It has been a joy to be involved in this innovative and exciting KTP. The partnership between the company, academics and the Associate was exceptional and was key to unlocking the transformation from engineering consultancy to EV charging solution provider. As an academic, the impact of being part of both the planning and execution of a such a significant strategic change project, has created a rich source of material for both teaching and research” Mel Smith – Academic Lead.
KTP Associate…
“This KTP has been an ideal first long-term project following my MBA. While the course prepares you to act as a change agent bridging strategy with operational reality, this experience allowed me to apply that in a live business environment.
Building and translating a strategy into execution is rarely straightforward, particularly in a business balancing technical development with commercial ambition. The project exposed me to real constraints around resources, alignment, and timing – all of which shape outcomes.
It has been a steep and an extremely rewarding learning curve, requiring me to work across product strategy, market analysis, business development, and brand building within a highly competitive EV charging sector. I am grateful to have had this opportunity and the experience gained – and we aren’t finished yet!” Taabish Khan – KTP Associate.
From the Knowledge Transfer Adviser…
“The KTP is a great example of product development and commercialisation led with determination and skill by Taabish. It was a pleasure to work with the whole team and to be a part of the journey towards the implementation of a new sustainable revenue stream which adds to the business model. The KTP makes the company more competitive and with new strategic capabilities most notably the marketing and sales methodology which will serve as an embedded process suitable for any new product or service” Paul Spenkley – IUK Adviser.
UWE Bristol is delighted to once again take part in the Festival of Nature, the UK’s largest celebration of the natural world. UWE staff, families, and friends are warmly invited to join us at Millennium Square, Bristol City Centre, on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June, where our researchers will be showcasing an inspiring range of activities in the UWE tent.
What UWE Researchers Are Bringing to the Festival
This year’s programme features a rich mix of hands‑on workshops and interactive demonstrations.
Clair Schwarz(CATE) will introduce visitors to the ecological and cultural significance of the wren, offering the chance to create clay wrens and paper masks while exploring themes of storytelling, identity, and tradition.
Dr Laura Morgan(CATE) and Laura Clarke(CATE) will run a bio screen‑printing workshop using colour derived from native UK trees, helping visitors understand where textile colour comes from, why it matters, and how material choices can support more sustainable futures.
Nature‑inspired innovation will also be on display as Lidia Badarnah(CATE) and Dr Sigita Zigure(CATE) demonstrate how biomimicry, bio‑design, and nature‑based solutions can help create greener, cooler, and more resilient places. Their activity invites visitors to take part in creative challenges that show how nature can guide imaginative problem‑solving.
Verity Jones (CHSS) will share Taking a Close Look at Microfibres, an activity linking UWE research on air quality with the Schools Under the Microscope project, offering a creative way to explore microfibres, clothing, and indoor air quality.
Kishwar Ali (CHSS) will showcase research on how plants respond to climate change, how biodiversity supports resilient ecosystems, and how we can design greener, climate‑smart cities and landscapes.
Families can also meet the Oak Tree Doctors, presented by Carrie Brady(CHSS) and her research group. This hands‑on activity introduces the importance of healthy trees and the challenges posed by Acute Oak Decline (AOD), a disease affecting native UK oak species involving bacteria, the Agrilus biguttatus beetle, and environmental stressors.
Freya Radford(CHSS) will help visitors understand what makes a healthy river system, the organisms that live there, the stressors they face, and how biodiversity and ecosystem structure influence a river’s ability to withstand pollution.
Exploring greener streets, Yarden Woolf(CHSS) will present GP4Streets, an interdisciplinary project showing how everyday streets can become healthier and more climate‑resilient through simple, community‑led action. The project brings together expertise from urban planning, landscape architecture, public health, environmental science, and air quality research.
Oluwadamilola Okeyoyin(CHSS) will offer Plants and You, an interactive activity inviting visitors to touch, smell, and investigate herbs and plant materials while discovering how plants, microbes, and everyday health are interconnected.
Emma Thomas (CHSS) will present The Rights of Rivers an activity grounded in interdisciplinary research that treats rivers as teachers, collaborators, and agents within environmental futures. This work challenges narratives that position rivers as passive victims of pollution, instead highlighting river agency and diverse forms of knowledge—scientific, sensory, cultural, ancestral, and experiential.
Credit: Ania Shrimpton
Beyond the UWE tent,Kat Corbett(CATE) will contribute to the ‘How‑To’ Talks Tent with an activity focused on the circular economy. Using materials from the Scrapstore, participants will experiment with creating multiple objects from the same set of resources—such as playdough, buttons, and milk bottle lids—highlighting the value of reuse, imagination, and resourcefulness.
About the Festival
The Festival of Nature is directed by the Natural History Consortium, a partnership of 14 regional and national organisations, including UWE Bristol, the BBC, and the National Trust, working together to engage people with the natural world through collaborative action.
The Wild Weekend at Bristol’s Millennium Square is the largest event in the Festival of Nature programme, attracting 10,000–15,000 visitors over the weekend.
Find the full programme of events at Festival of Nature Website and follow updates on social media at @festofnature.
Event Details
Saturday 13 June 2026: 10:00–18:00
Sunday 14 June 2026: 10:00–17:00
Location: Millennium Square, Bristol City Centre, BS1 5SZ
Black voices remain underrepresented across many areas of health economics, research leadership and policy decision-making. The newly launched Black Health Economists’ Network (BHEN), founded by Dr Chizoba Esio-Bassey at UWE Bristol, aims to help change that.
BHEN is a new platform that brings together Black researchers, students, practitioners, policy professionals and allies working across health economics and related fields.
BHEN was created from a simple but important need: to build a supportive and visible community where Black health economists and those interested in the field can connect, collaborate, share opportunities and contribute to shaping more equitable health systems and research.
Health economics plays a major role in informing decisions about healthcare funding, access, prevention, medicines, public health interventions and policy. Yet Black voices remain underrepresented across many areas of academia, research leadership and decision-making spaces. BHEN aims to help address this gap by creating opportunities for networking, mentorship, collaboration, knowledge exchange, stakeholder and community engagement.
Inaugural Research and Networking Event
BHEN is excited to host its Inaugural Research and Networking Event on:
Whether you are an established academic, early-career researcher, student, policymaker or simply interested in health economics and equity, you are welcome to join this event.
Registered participants will receive the joining link closer to the event date.
Acknowledgements
The BHEN team would like to express their sincere gratitude and thanks to Professor Marc Griffiths and the ICA for their support and encouragement in helping make this inaugural event possible through funding. Their contribution has helped BHEN take an important first step in building this network and creating space for meaningful engagement and collaboration.
The BHEN team would also like to thank the Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing (CPHWB) for their guidance and backing.
