Turning Research into Collaboration

Research, relationships and results: How Royal Holloway connects with industry

At Royal Holloway, University of London, building meaningful partnerships with industry is a core part of how we translate research into real-world impact. To strengthen this work, we have integrated konfer into our broader approach to industry engagement, helping us reach new partners and create opportunities for collaboration. 

Our Knowledge Exchange Managers work closely with researchers to identify promising ideas, technologies and areas of expertise that could benefit industry. By sharing these opportunities on konfer, we are able to complement and amplify our existing business development activity, showcasing Royal Holloway’s research strengths to a much wider industrial audience. 

Support from the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB) has played an important role in making this work successful. Through dedicated guidance, targeted training and practical advice, particularly on how to craft compelling partnership calls, the NCUB konfer team has helped us make the most of the platform and extend our reach to new organisations. 

The collaboration opportunities we promote through konfer vary widely. Some focus on commercialising specific technologies, while others invite broader research partnerships or academic support for industry challenges. For example, we have used the platform to highlight opportunities linked to our drone testing and training facility, the Omnidrome Research and Innovation Centre, alongside other areas of research expertise across the university. 

One of the most valuable outcomes has been the connections that emerge from these opportunities. Konfer helped us expand our professional network and spark conversations between researchers and industry partners. In many cases, these discussions continue independently once introductions have been made, demonstrating the platform’s ability to bring the right people together and enable collaborations to grow organically. 

By embedding konfer into our knowledge exchange activity, we have strengthened our ability to connect academic expertise with real-world challenges and opened up new pathways for collaboration across sectors. 

Tom Korff, Knowledge Exchange Manager, Royal Holloway, University of London