News | Thursday, 19th October 2023
‘Living wall’ biodiversity scientist wins business partnership award
Innovative project takes Future Leader prize at Innovate UK KTP Awards
A scientist at Manchester Met has won a prestigious award for his business partnership project to remove pollutants from the air and increase biodiversity.
Joseph Rouse has been leading the ‘living wall’ project with leading horticultural business I Want Plants as part of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the company and the University.
Rouse, a KTP Associate at Manchester Met, was presented with a Future Leaders Award at the 2023 Innovate UK KTP Awards last night (October 18) for his work in testing living green walls to improve urban environments.
Through the KTP, scientists are quantifying exactly how living walls - specifically the patent pending HYVERT living wall - is able to remove pollutants in the atmosphere, effectively manage water quality and storm runoff, and how they create rich biodiverse habitats.
Rouse was recognised for showing exceptional skills while demonstrating excellence in delivery of his project, project management and leadership, and contributing to the company’s commercial strategy.
The partnership has flourished through Rouse’s work, and the company has been awarded a second KTP. I Want Plants has also installed a large-scale living green wall site at Manchester Met.
He said: “It’s been such a great pleasure to work on such an interesting project which is having an impact on the environment. It really highlights the benefits of multidisciplinary collaborations.”
KTPs are government-funded initiative that allows businesses to partner with universities to address business challenges and improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance.
Manchester Met currently has 37 KTP projects underway and was joint second in the UK for the size of its portfolio in the latest rankings released by Innovate UK.
The annual KTP Awards celebrate the profound influence of KTPs not only on the individuals and organisations involved, but also on people’s daily lives and the global community.
The University was also shortlisted for the ‘Best KTP Award’ for its partnership with power-assisted exercise equipment manufacturer Innerva.
In its collaboration with the University, Innerva is aiming to instil biomechanical engineering expertise into its understanding of the exercise needs of wheelchair users and those with limited mobility.
The full details and shortlist at the 2023 Innovate UK KTP Awards are available online.
