KTP Awards mark 50th year and £2.3 billion value creation
16 Nov 2025
Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Awards celebrated the scheme’s half century with accolades for three projects run by food producers and four universities.
Winners from this year’s awards include UK food companies Yeo Valley Farms and Dunsters Farm, plus Nigeria’s Taro-Agric Consulting with their respective partners Reading, Manchester Metropolitian and the University of the West of England/ Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.
KTP Programme Manager at Innovate UK Richard Lamb said that since foundation, the scheme had enabled more than 14,000 partnerships and £2.3 billion in value creation.
“KTP remains at the heart of the UK’s mission to drive productivity, resilience, and sustainable industrial growth through collaboration between business and academia,” he commented.
“Year after year, projects within our KTP programme exceed our expectations, delivering significant impact, advancing knowledge and driving growth.”
Taro-Agric Consulting, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of the West of England were the winners of the African Agriculture KTP Award for their project, applying data-enabled innovations and digital technologies to transform broiler chicken production in Southwest Nigeria.
To address high mortality rates, slow growth, and high production costs, the partnership developed IoT platforms, dashboards and databases to drive efficiency and sustainability. Judges noted “a step change in performance and profitability” and capacity for data-driven innovation across poultry value chains.
Yeo Valley Farms (Production) Ltd and the University of Reading received the Best KTP Award for transforming yoghurt production through advanced process innovations.
Modelling milk protein denaturation and gel formation, the duo doubled expected milk utilisation, improved product structure, and strengthened both financial and environmental sustainability.
Additionally, said the judges, the initiative also enriched university teaching, expanded placement and graduate opportunities, and accelerated career progression for those involved.
Third award recipients, Dunsters Farm Limited and Manchester Metropolitan University won the Changing the World Award for a project that delivered a six-year contract worth more than £40 million that generated “significant social impact” billed as “a blueprint for long-term sustainable and profitable business practice”.
