Pioneering projects win business awards for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
An innovative partnership to develop novel hip replacement implants, using University of Southampton research, has won a prestigious business award.
The resulting design consists of a large bearing ceramic hip replacement implant designed specifically for a young patient, to help prevent dislocation and be more compatible with living tissue.
The project, which partners the Bioengineering research group at the University of Southampton with Finsbury Orthopaedics Ltd, was selected as the Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership for the South East region by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) at the Innovate 2011 Conference this week.
Associate for the KTP with Finsbury Orthopaedics Ltd, Dr Alex Dickinson, has recently received an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral prize from the University to fund the next stage of his research.
Dr Dickinson says: “A Knowledge Transfer Partnership was the ideal way of funding our research, combining Finsbury's innovative ideas for novel hip replacement implants with the University's expertise in biomechanical modelling and testing. The research contributed to the CE quality marking of two new implants, one of which has now been used in over 4,500 surgeries globally.”
The project also supported the formation of a spin-out company from Finsbury Orthopaedics; Aurora Medical Ltd., which is continuing this work.
A second partnership between University of Southampton student Matthew Druce and geological core analysis company Geotek was also recognised. Matthew picked up of the ‘Business Leader of Tomorrow’ award. He said: “The project will fulfil an unprecedented step in scientific research, facilitating the transfer and advanced geotechnical testing of pristine core samples under in situ conditions. The knowledge acquired will be of great benefit to the offshore energy and geohazard industries, and provide new opportunities for geoengineering and climate change research.”
The two award-winning projects, whilst both providing different services and solutions, both demonstrate the sharing of knowledge between the University of Southampton and businesses, for commercial, academic or social benefits.