Herts maintains strong performance in latest Knowledge Exchange Framework assessment
Launched by Research England in 2019, KEF evaluates how universities engage with society and the economy across seven key areas.
It enables institutions to benchmark their performance, ensure effective use of public funding, and compare outcomes within clusters of similarly sized universities.
Herts maintained its position as a leading institution in Cluster E - a group of 29 large, moderately research-intensive universities with broad discipline portfolios, which includes the likes of Anglia Ruskin, Nottingham Trent, Oxford Brookes, Kingston, and Portsmouth.
A standout achievement was the University’s performance in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), having secured funding for more than 100 KTPs to date.
Notably, its metric for Innovate UK income (KTP and grant) as proportion of research income improved from High (Quintile 4) to Very High (Quintile 5) - a testament to its growing impact in this area.
In one example, Cambridge-based biotech company Ziath partnered with Herts through a KTP (2020–2023) to develop the first portable AI-enabled 2D barcode tube scanner for biospecimens.
The collaboration aimed to improve speed and accuracy in sample identification across pharma, research, and forensics. Within months, the team created AI-driven software that scanned samples ten times faster with 10% higher accuracy, leading to a 20% revenue uplift. A portable real-time scanner with embedded AI followed, launching in October 2023. The KTP’s success also helped Ziath expand its team from 12 to 22 employees by 2025.
The University excelled in two critical KEF perspectives: Research Partnerships and Local Growth and Regeneration, both receiving the highest possible rating of “Very High Engagement” (Quintile 5).
This reflects Herts’ extensive collaboration with over 5,000 businesses, supporting innovation and regional development through research initiatives, Enterprise Zone activities, and specialist funding via its subsidiary, Exemplas.
Professor Wendy Wills, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise at the University of Hertfordshire, said:
“I am incredibly proud of our continued success in the Knowledge Exchange Framework. These results reflect the dedication of our staff and the strength of our partnerships with local businesses and public sector organisations as well as our support for graduate entrepreneurs. At Herts, we are committed to delivering research and innovation that makes a real difference - not just in our region, but nationally and globally. This recognition reinforces our role as a catalyst for economic growth, social mobility, and meaningful change.”
Herts also scored strongly across other KEF perspectives, including Intellectual Property & Commercialisation, Continuing Professional Development and Graduate Start-Ups, Working with the Public Sector and Third Sector and Working with Business, with all rated as “High Engagement” (Quintile 4).
For example, a successful £1.5 million Connecting Capability Fund funding bid to Research England enabled us to launch the Healthcare Technologies Capability Connector (HTCC) in 2024. A collaboration with Imperial College London and Cranfield University, the partnership highlights Herts’ long-standing expertise with SME engagement, incubation and acceleration support, as well as its research strengths around Pharma, AI, Robotics and Data Science.
Over 18 months, HTCC has supported eight proof-of-concept projects leading to two new spinout companies created and engaged 17 innovative SMEs to provide R&D support, training and mentorship. Of the enterprises supported within HTCC, one spinout has recently attracted £1.5m in private investment, with several other ventures in positions to attract further funding and positioning for commercial scale-up.
Presently Herts has launched a KTP with neuroscience-focused CRO Transpharmation Ltd to develop machine learning software that analyses human facial expressions to track behavioural and motor changes.
This innovation will enhance disease diagnostics and drug efficacy while supporting Transpharmation’s entry into the clinical trials market. Building on expertise in neurology, psychiatry, pain, and psychedelics, the partnership drives forward translational research and real-world impact.
Read more about the services and support available or see more KTP case studies on the website.