It takes three to Tango

1
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in the
Construction Industry
It takes three to Tango !
Walker, C., Mulcrone,J, Hutchinson,V. and Ellis,
R.C.T
2
It Takes Three To Tango !
3
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships The model
The Associate
The Knowledge Base
The Company
It takes three to Tango !
4
The Knowledge Base
The Associate
The Company
5
To enhance business performance through better
use of knowledge and skills that reside in the UK
knowledge base DTI 2005 KTP is arguably the
leading initiative for promoting the transfer of
knowledge and skills from researchers to
business DTI 2005
6
The Construction Industry
Knowledge Transfer Activity in the construction
sector (adapted from DTI, 2005)
7
Online Questionnaire
8
Results
Box plots showing the perceived benefits of KTPs
in the Construction Industry
9
Results

• It is less clear whether KTPs facilitate the
  transfer of technical knowledge and business
  skills from the Company to the Knowledge Base and
  the development of business related teaching
  materials (median 3).
• Surprisingly KTPs seemed least likely to enhance
  business-relevant training undertaken by the
  Knowledge Base (median 2)

10
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in the
Construction Industry
The Knowledge Base The Associate The Company
It takes three to Tango !
11
This is the first time I have supervised a KTP
and it seemed quite a challenge at the beginning.
The Company had so many ideas and they had such
a belief in our universitys abilities. But its
been as much of a learning process for me as it
has been for them I know far more about the
research in my own department now.
12
I left a full-time job for a short term
contract, but it has been the best move. The
Company have been really supportive. Theyve
given me the title of Business Development
manager and I feel Im listened to. I hope to
make a real difference and that counts so much
13
The ancient and the modern By Mark Casci
This is our first KTP project and we are
delighted its had an immediate impact on our
business and the audit of past tendering
successes and failures was much needed. We never
had the time to look back, we just get on with
the next job
14
Conclusion

• Uptake of KTPs in the Construction industry is
  waning
• Greater publicity and targeted marketing to SMEs
  is required
• CKE has a key role to play as they are well
  placed to act as a broker between industry and
  academia

15
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in the
Construction Industry
It takes three to Tango !
Walker, C., Mulcrone,J, Hutchinson,V. and Ellis,
R.C.T