Bloc Digital
PROFESSOR CHRIS BUSSELL: Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff, Deputy Mayor of Derby, Honoured guests, Graduands of 2025, and all our guests here today, it gives me great pleasure to be presenting Bloc Digital for the University of Derby Honorary Partnership Award.
Bloc Digital is the first recipient of the Honorary Partnership Award, a new award which recognises the University's outstanding collaborative partnerships.
Bloc Digital is one of Derby's leading forces in innovative technology. Since 2000, founders Keith Cox and his partner Chris Hotham, have driven the company to the forefront of digital visualisation, transforming how digital-centric engineering and physical assets are understood, communicated and experienced. We are delighted that Keith Cox is able to join us here today to accept the award.
From a two person start-up in 2000, to an award-winning team of more than 70 staff spanning the UK and the USA, Bloc Digital has earned national recognition as a leader in digital asset creation. Their client group includes global giants such as Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Airbus, Shell, JCB, GlaxoSmithKline, and the Eurofighter Typhoon Group, amongst many more companies. And they continue to grow.
As creative visualisation and immersive technology specialists, Bloc Digital help industrial sectors work smarter, be more connected and have greater impact. From training materials for engineers to Augmented Reality visual experiences for heritage sites, the team has expertise in 3D modelling, animation, Virtual and Augmented realities, and pioneering immersive technologies.
The University has proudly partnered with Bloc Digital since 2016, engaging in a wide range of initiatives. The company is deeply committed to nurturing future talent, regularly hosting undergraduate placement students, delivering live briefs and industry experiences and masterclasses, and sharing their expertise in cutting edge technologies, as well as supporting our master's students and doctoral students.
Bloc Digital plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of innovators, and positioning the East Midlands as a hub for digital transformation. Many of our graduates have gone on to secure employment with the company, and we are delighted to see many of them here today celebrating with Keith.
In November 2022, the relationship between Bloc Digital and the University was formalised through a Strategic Partnership Agreement, underlining the commitment to innovation, education and talent development. As part of their expansion, Bloc Digital relocated to the University's Enterprise Centre. The company has played a key role in the successful consortium bid that established the East Midlands Institute of Technology, and Bloc Digital was one of the seven founding industry partners of this regional collaboration. Keith serves as Chair of its Employer Advisory Board and has helped shape curriculum and course development aligned to the regional Economic Growth priorities in digital and decarbonisation sectors.
Bloc Digital is actively supporting and enhancing the University's mission and its values, and is truly deserving as a recipient of the University's first Honorary Partnership Award.
Chancellor, in recognition of the long-standing collaboration, exceptional innovation, and unwavering support for our students, we are delighted to award Bloc Digital the University Honorary Partnership Award.
KEITH COX: Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff, Deputy Mayor of Derby, Honoured guests, graduates, and all other guests we have here. Just a couple of words.
Really, really appreciate the recognition for all of the team at Bloc Digital. It's truly, truly, truly amazing.
The relationship with Derby Uni has gone back to 2016, when we were pretty much working at, we were working out of our bedrooms and we basically were an infant company. And we got a Year in Industry student that came in and brought some additional knowledge that we didn't have. That Year in Industry student later on became a full time member of staff, and we did that for a few years, and it was like a really good pipeline of getting our staff growing. It was really, really impressive.
But a few years later we realised, you know, Derby University is great for bringing our staff in and you really are truly good at doing it. So thanks. But they do additional stuff so you can do research projects with them where you can basically go for funding and basically push the boundaries of what technology can do. So, we've done many research projects with them, which has massively improved what we are as a company and the sort of services we offer.
So not just that, they're a connector and networker, so the relationship really did and has grown over the years.
I have a few stats, I asked the team to go back and say how have we been working with the University over the last ten years. And this is a sort of low end figures because we didn't track it all. But we've had 22 graduates in the last few years, eight Year in Industries, four Knowledge Transfer Partnerships associates, multiple summer placements, master placements, PhD placements. So the incoming talent has been truly, truly amazing. I really appreciate it.
But the research projects as well, we've done six research projects with them, but the door needs to work both ways on a partnership, so we have put in over 220 hours of support for the University and that could be on advisory boards, partnership, guest lectures, setting live briefs, mentoring students. And we did find the more, the more you put in, the more you get back. So I do advise any business, local business, try and put more into the relationship with the University. You'll get a lot more back out and the relationship turns into a partnership.
So, the blueprint is so good, as Chris just mentioned, we sort of landed in America a few years ago, and I took that blueprint over to the universities over in Ohio. I said, I know what good looks like. This is what we need. So, as we're launching in America, we're trying to replicate the great work we've done here.
So, from all of the team at Bloc and for myself, really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
Bloc Digital's commendation video
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