Knowledge Transfer Network

Through its management of the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) for Industrial Mathematics, the Smith Institute brings together industry, government and academia to tackle high-value innovation challenges and raise the importance of mathematics as a business tool.

The KTN is boosting dramatically the innovation performance of UK businesses through the exploitation of mathematics. It is a national business-facing network that is supporting the work of the Technology Strategy Board in delivering and developing the UK's overarching Technology Strategy. Launched in February 2006, and building on the foundation of the earlier Faraday Partnership for Industrial Mathematics, the KTN now represents the needs of over 200 companies and 30 university departments. In its first year, the network incorporated over £3 million of combined project investment from the public and private sectors. The Smith Institute maintains a dedicated KTN web portal at www.industrialmaths.net. The key features of the KTN are:

• broadening business involvement by increasing the number of companies that innovate through the use of mathematics;
• deepening business involvement by working with senior business managers to incorporate mathematics into strategic planning;
• supporting the development of the knowledge base in areas that underpin future business requirements;
• working with companies, government departments, agencies and Research Councils to create and sustain new innovation activity;
• increasing knowledge transfer through developing new opportunities and mechanisms for the exchange of information and people.