Business Engagement

The University maintained its strong performance in Research England’s fourth annual Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF5), continuing to have ‘very high engagement’ in the CPD and Graduate Startups, and Local Growth and Regeneration categories, and retaining ‘high engagement’ for Working with Business.

The University has played a central role in shaping the East Midlands Investment Zone, contributing expertise across research, skills and innovation. Research sprints included a hydrogen fuel cell project that applied academic findings to real-world rail applications, assessing hydrogen as a sustainable alternative for shunter locomotives.

Alongside this, the University led skills mapping in key sectors including energy, propulsion and nuclear, and worked in collaboration with partner universities and industry, drawing contributions from across the region’s universities to identify opportunities and align strengths with future investment priorities.

The Derby Innovation Accelerator (DIA) project concluded at the end of March 2025, providing an array of business support and funding opportunities to organisations in the Derby City region. DIA provided six key strands of provision to organisations, including Capital Grants, Innovation Vouchers, Sustainability Workshops, Business Workshops, Sector Led Challenge Workshops and Angel Investment Opportunities.

The support through the project has provided:

• 33 entrepreneurs’ assistance to be enterprise-ready
• 16 grants to organisations to assist in the purchase of machinery or equipment to allow innovation or sustainable developments for the business
• 24 angel investors engaged with the project and entrepreneurs seeking investment
• Creation of nine new enterprises
• 31 organisations adopting new to firm technology or processes
• 23 organisations adopting new to market products
• £332,213.65 investment created into the Derby City businesses
• 21 organisations engaged in Knowledge Transfer Activity
• Creation of 16 new jobs
• 278 individuals attending workshops and events

Research in advanced materials is addressing both extreme environments and sustainable futures. The ASTRIA project, sponsored by the UK Space Agency, explored the feasibility of diffusion bonding materials in space using multi-scale modelling and testing at The Welding Institute.

Building on this expertise, the EU Horizon-funded PANTEREI project is developing bio-waste-based construction panels, with Derby researchers creating multi-scale models to test their suitability. Working in partnership with the University of Milan and industry, the project aims to deliver innovative, sustainable alternatives for the construction sector.

Celebrating 50 years of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), Derby hosted a special KTP@50 event showcasing innovation and collaboration across business and academia. The University now manages its largest ever KTP portfolio, with projects spanning sectors from rail and civil engineering to habitat management.

A partnership with White Construction Co Ltd launched in 2024 led to three British Standard Accreditations for innovative flood resistance products – the only ones in the UK to achieve this in the past three years due to the complexity of testing. These achievements highlight how KTPs continue to drive innovation, commercial growth and real-world impact.

The University of Derby has formed a strategic partnership with the Christopher Nieper Foundation to strengthen community engagement, drive positive social impact, and enhance skills development in Derbyshire’s forgotten towns. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to addressing societal challenges through education, innovation and opportunity creation, with an initial focus on growing the town of Alfreton.

Combining the University’s academic expertise with the Foundation’s grassroots approach to community impact, the collaboration seeks to tackle local challenges and create new opportunities for local development and innovation.

Key priorities include collaborative Research and Development projects, identifying opportunities for external funding and expanding successful community models like the ‘Spirit of Alfreton’ to other towns, while offering students unique opportunities to contribute to transformative change.

As part of a one-year strategic partnership with the University of Derby, sports psychology company My Energy Game (MEG) is developing a virtual reality (VR) game that helps young athletes to understand and improve self-development, wellbeing and performance while preventing mental illness. Founded by Edu Rubio, Tina Hurts and business partners Mubeen and Zee Uppal, MEG delivers VR-based psychological interventions alongside workshops, webinars and coaching aimed at improving the performance of young athletes.

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Derby have signed a three-year strategic partnership to enhance student learning and healthcare delivery through a more integrated, research-led approach. Building on the existing collaboration, which already supports apprenticeships, placements and training for over a third of the Trust’s workforce via the University’s Work Health Hub, the agreement will expand opportunities for research, skills development and workforce wellbeing, demonstrating the commitment of both institutions to strengthening the local workforce and healthcare provision across the country.

Forging strong connections with employers provides valuable opportunities for our students and graduates to gain practical experience and support regional prosperity. This year, the Careers and Employment Service held six flagship events, attracting more than 1,170 students and 144 employers, with 35 employers exhibiting on campus for the first time in 2024/25.

The Derby Talent team developed a wide range of impactful employer relationships, enabling employers to raise their profile on campus, shape and enrich the curriculum and promote roles which positively impact on our Graduate Outcomes.

The SEA continued to provide valuable work opportunities for our students and recent graduates while supporting employers looking for short-term work solutions. In the last 12 months, 59 students completed a year placement with host organisations including National Grid, Cummins, Bates Weston, Caterpillar, Cooper Parry, Friargate Alterations, BAE Systems, Atkins Realis, Enterprise Mobility, Red Bull Technology, JLR, Derbyshire Constabulary and Royal Derby Hospital. The University of Derby was the largest recruiter of Year Placement students.

The SEA also supported 39 60-hour internships on campus for first and second-year students with limited work experience to help them improve their employability.

Apprenticeship starts across Levels 2-5 grew by 33%, significantly outperforming the 2% national average and reflecting the strength of our outreach and reputation. Engagement during National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) reached more than 3,500 participants, including the innovative NAW Yellow Bus Campaign which engaged 1,300 students across 10 schools in an innovative, hands-on format.

Achievement rates continued a three-year upward trend, with a projected 78.1% overall rate – 8.6% higher than last year – including 100% achievement in all Level 5 provision with the University of Derby and consistent overperformance against national benchmarks in key sectors.

With new Level 5 standards in Specialist Teaching Assistant and Early Years Lead Practitioner being introduced, our apprenticeship offer continues to expand, delivering strong outcomes for learners, employers and the regional economy.

Enterprise support at the University of Derby continues to empower students and graduates to turn ideas into successful ventures. The annual Pitch Perfect competition engaged 31 students and graduates, with winners securing cash prizes and mentoring support from industry partners. Standout projects included BioBall and Sugaarloaf, both of which went on to achieve national recognition and press coverage.

Enactus Derby, the University’s student-run enterprise society, ranked in the UK’s top 20 teams for impact, innovation and sustainability of its projects tackling financial literacy, mental health and environmental sustainability.

Alongside this, enterprise skills are being embedded into the curriculum, with over 200 students engaged through modules across Arts and Sciences, including a new cross-disciplinary Central Enterprise Module. These initiatives highlight the University’s commitment to fostering innovation, employability and industry collaboration.

Between August 2024 and July 2025, Banks Mill Studios supported 54 tenants, including 10 University of Derby students and recent graduates, alongside 42 members and nine student residencies – three of whom progressed to full tenancy.

Eighteen new businesses joined, such as Great Pottery Throwdown finalist Natalie Sims-Rees, with tenants achieving national recognition through book illustrations, TV features, Arts Council funding and international film scoring.

Initiatives such as the new Monthly Makers Market further strengthened Derby’s creative community.

Banks Mill hosted its annual Open Studios, attracting over 1,000 visitors and achieving outstanding tenant feedback. Partnerships, including pop-up opportunities with Derby Market Hall, and student engagement through events like Pitch Perfect and Ask the Entrepreneur, underline Banks Mill Studios' role as a thriving hub for creative enterprise.

The Work Health Hub, launched in 2023, helps businesses of all sizes to prioritise positive health and workforce wellbeing. The Hub has generated approximately £260,000 of income in 2024/25 through consultancy, research, student placements and its membership platform.

Working with partners such as Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Portland College and Alpha Construction, the Hub played a key role in securing a three-year strategic partnership between the University and the Trust.

It continues to contribute to the student experience by hosting mental health nursing and occupational therapy placements, supporting mental health first aiders through its peer support network, and sharing its expertise nationally, including at the Institute for Government and Public Policy event.

Professor Mark Gilman has delivered transformative impact across Derbyshire’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), helping them sharpen their purpose, strategy, innovation and leadership. His approach begins with diagnostic assessment and follows with sustained strategic guidance, enabling businesses to improve operations, unlock opportunities and boost resilience. Clients regularly report gains in revenue, culture, systems and competitiveness. His work demonstrates exceptional value when extended beyond initial intervention – pointing to strong potential for scaling support to benefit more SMEs across the region.

The Help to Grow: Management (H2GM) programme provides essential training and support to help managers of SMEs enhance business performance. Funded by the Department for Business and Trade, the 12-week course combines expert-led modules facilitated by University of Derby academics, peer learning and one-to-one mentoring.

Since joining the pilot phase in 2021, the University of Derby has been actively involved and was awarded a multi-year contract to support businesses in the East Midlands, running until March 2025.

Three cohorts were delivered during 2024-25, supporting 36 businesses during this time.

Graduates join a national and regional alumni network, offering continued mentoring and masterclasses. Many have implemented growth strategies that have improved focus, increased revenue and expanded teams, with recent successes including Rue Consultancy and West Special Fasteners Ltd.

The Invest to Grow (ITG) programme, running for over a decade, provides loans and grants to help East Midlands businesses grow, innovate and improve their products and services. To date, it has awarded over £33.5m to support more than 350 businesses, creating or safeguarding over 2,800 jobs and often leading to further collaboration with the University through initiatives like internships and KTPs. Acting as a catalyst for investment, innovation, productivity and growth, ITG has driven significant improvements, with 78% of supported businesses reporting major benefits from new machinery, technology or equipment.