Driving a More Sustainable Future Through Collaboration

Leeds Beckett University is proud to be exhibiting at Stand 63 in New Dock Hall throughout the ReGeneration Earth Conference. We’re also delighted to contribute to two panel discussions on the Innovation Stage, showcasing how collaboration between academia and business is shaping practical, scalable solutions for a greener, more resilient future.

In this blog, we explore how sustainability underpins our research and knowledge exchange, and how we’re working with businesses to develop innovations that respond to the climate emergency and support the UK’s Net Zero goals.

Sustainability at the Core of Our Mission

At Leeds Beckett, sustainability is a guiding principle, embedded in everything from research priorities to industry partnerships. Through our strategic theme, Greener, Sustainable Communities, we lead a dynamic portfolio of projects designed to create environmental, societal, and economic value.

These initiatives address national priorities, support local economies, and contribute to global goals – including the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Our work helps organisations reduce emissions, increase efficiency, minimise waste, and integrate sustainability across operations and strategy.

By collaborating across sectors and disciplines, we ensure our research translates into tangible outcomes that enable long-term resilience and sustainable growth.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships: A Proven Route to Innovation

A cornerstone of our collaborative work with business is the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme – an established UK government initiative celebrating 50 years of success. KTPs create a powerful link between universities and organisations, enabling businesses to access world-class expertise, drive innovation, and deliver measurable outcomes.

At Leeds Beckett, we’re proud to be ranked 8th in the UK for KTPs and to have received the ‘KTP Team of the Year’ award at the Innovate UK KTP Awards. These projects are diverse in scope but united by a shared goal: addressing complex challenges with creative, research-led solutions that improve productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness.

Solving Real Business Challenges Through Partnership

We work closely with local and national employers, gaining deep insight into the real-world challenges businesses face – from digital transformation to supply chain sustainability, workforce development, and carbon reduction. Our KTPs span sectors and disciplines, with projects addressing themes such as talent management, behaviour change, product innovation, internationalisation, and emissions management.

A significant and recurring challenge for many organisations is managing their emissions – an area where KTPs can provide highly tailored, tech-enabled solutions. One such example is our partnership with Aquatrust Water and Ventilation Limited, where we’re developing a cutting-edge remote monitoring system. Combining expertise in water quality, robotics, and artificial intelligence, the system is designed to deliver a cost-effective, low-maintenance, and sustainable solution – bringing benefits to both business operations and environmental impact.

Christina Thompson-Mountford, Embedded Systems Developer and KTP Associate on the Aquatrust project, will share insights on the Powering Progress panel: Greentech Innovations and Their Role in the UK’s Net-Zero Ambitions, on Wednesday at 11:45.

From Healthcare Waste to Circular Construction

Another project we’re especially proud of is our KTP with QMedical, led by their sister company NuGreen. This initiative addresses both healthcare waste and the construction sector’s carbon footprint by turning NHS clinical waste into low-carbon building materials. This approach diverts significant volumes of waste from incineration, helping the NHS meet its Net Zero by 2040 target while creating innovative, commercially viable products.

We’re excited to see KTP Associate Habiba Elgharably, Sustainable Materials Technologist, presenting this work on the From Waste to Wealth panel at 14:30 on Wednesday on the Innovation Stage.

Sustainable Urban Environments

Leeds Beckett’s Leeds Sustainability Institute (LSI) is home to pioneering research into sustainable urban environments. Under this theme, Dr Jim Parker is developing innovative sensing technologies to map microclimates across urban grey and green spaces, helping us understand how nature-based solutions can mitigate the urban heat island effect.

Using a growing network of air quality sensors across the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, his work demonstrates how accurate, open-access data can inform decision-making and elevate air quality as a policy priority.

These findings will be shared through the upcoming “Sensing Leeds” project, with city- and region-wide outputs available in 2025. By democratising environmental data, this work offers a scalable model for tackling air pollution in cities worldwide.

Our presence at ReGeneration Earth reflects our deep commitment to sustainability and innovation. Visit Stand 63 to meet Dr Jim Parker and our Knowledge Exchange team to explore potential collaborations and learn how our research partnerships can help your organisation become more future-ready.

We look forward to connecting with new and existing partners at the conference and beyond, to co-create a more sustainable future.