UK innovation network extends its problem-solving prowess

The knowledge sharing powerhouse and major partner of Innovate UK, KTN, was founded to bring disparate sectors together to facilitate R&D and fast-track innovation, with the explicit goal to stimulate the UK economy.

KTN is a key player in the UK aviation and aerospace sectors and is a member of the government-led Jet Zero Council, performing a key role in connecting sector experts to make the UK a leader in zero emission aircraft technology with the goal to demonstrate the first net zero trans-Atlantic flight by 2040.

More broadly, KTN has had a hand in solving economy-stunting problems such as:

• The ventilator shortage in the early months of the pandemic by connecting UK manufacturing to healthcare.


• The safe transport of nuclear waste from old facilities to new by connecting medical X-ray suppliers to the nuclear industry.


• Preventing major food shortages by connecting robotics researchers with commercial crop growers to overcome the dwindling picker workforce.

Today’s dramatic shift in focus, which is being driven by newly appointed CEO, Dr Alicia Greated, is the cornerstone of a five-year plan to “change the world”, using KTN’s deep expertise and powerful connections not only for economic good, but environmental and societal good too, starting with the goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

Dr Greated said: “Innovation is complex. The journey from idea to market is not straightforward and requires a diverse range of know-how, investment, market knowledge and research, and we make that happen. KTN exists to connect innovators with new partners and new opportunities beyond their existing thinking - accelerating the time it takes for ambitious ideas to become real-world solutions, and we’ve been incredibly successful over the years.

“KTN is playing an important role in overcoming some of the most high-profile and complicated problems the UK economy is facing. But beyond our shores, the world is up against some even bigger challenges; climate change, COVID-19, access to healthcare, trade and investment, the future of global finance and online security - to name a few. If we broaden our scope, we can tackle more of these problems and change the world for the better.”

www.ktn-uk.org