FDBusiness.com

The collaborative partnership between Harper Adams University and Dairy Crest has been shortlisted for the ‘Most Innovative Contribution to Business-University Collaboration’ category in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2016. The shortlisting recognises the knowledge sharing partnership between Dairy Crest and Harper Adams University – a unique development between a major food business and a University.

The purpose built, state-of-the-art Dairy Crest Innovation Centre, built on the Harper Adams University campus, was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal this April. The partnership also provides for a number of Harper Adams student placements within Dairy Crest. The students spend time working within Dairy Crest on both 12 month placements and one-off projects.

Peter Mills, Deputy Vice Chancellor at Harper Adams University, says: “This partnership has seen a step change in benefits to both sides. Staff at Dairy Crest are able to draw on the expertise of our academics, and our students have opportunities to work at the forefront of product development and product design. We have also jointly sponsored a new academic post to bridge the gap between academia and industry which is the ultimate in knowledge exchange.”

Mark Allen, Chief Executive, Dairy Crest, comments: “Developing an effective innovation pipeline is extremely important for Dairy Crest. We have invested £4 million in a new purpose-built, state-of-the-art Innovation Centre for our research and development and technical departments. By locating the Innovation Centre on the Harper Adams University campus, we are building a partnership with a centre of excellence in food, farming and science education. The relationship is working very well for both parties already. Dairy Crest is benefitting from the link into leading research through regular interaction between company and University colleagues. At the same time, we have been supporting the University curriculum over the year by providing five student placements, employee secondments and guest speakers. I am sure this relationship will continue to strengthen in the future.”

Times Higher Education Editor John Gill says: “University-business collaboration is more important than ever, with higher education striving to deliver research that has ‘real-world’ impact, and to translate ideas and knowledge from the lab and lecture hall into industry. But success depends on universities finding commercial partners with an appetite for genuine collaboration.”

John Gill adds: “The Times Higher Education Awards, now in their 12th year, will for the first time in 2016 recognise some of the best examples of this engagement, and by doing so will share them with the wider higher education sector – and, indeed, with the business world.”

The award winners will be announced on November 24 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.