KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER NETWORK LIMITED

Their core work

KTN is the UK's national innovation network, connecting businesses with research, technology, and funding opportunities across sectors. They specialise in bridging the gap between scientific research and commercial exploitation — helping SMEs discover and adopt new technologies, building cross-sector innovation clusters, and supporting European public-private partnerships (notably Photonics21). Their role in EU projects is consistently that of a knowledge broker: organising innovation audits, mapping value chains, engaging industry users, and ensuring research outputs reach the companies that need them.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2017), KTN focused on building European technology platforms and regional innovation clusters — primarily around photonics, energy skills training, and cross-sectoral SME support. From 2018 onward, their work shifted toward technology exploitation, ecosystem building, and emerging industry value chains (drones, smart systems, biotechnology transfer). The trend shows a clear move from platform coordination toward hands-on commercialisation support, particularly for manufacturing SMEs adopting digital and industrial technologies.

KTN is increasingly focused on helping SMEs in manufacturing and emerging industries (drones, smart systems) adopt and commercialise advanced technologies — a valuable partner for any project needing industry engagement and market uptake in the UK.

How they like to work

KTN operates exclusively as a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which reflects their role as a support and facilitation partner rather than a research leader. With 148 unique partners across 26 countries, they are a network hub with exceptionally broad reach, rarely repeating the same consortium. This makes them easy to integrate into new consortia and signals they bring wide industry connections rather than deep bilateral research ties.

KTN has collaborated with 148 different organisations across 26 countries, making them one of the most broadly connected innovation intermediaries in H2020. Their network spans nearly all EU member states, with particular strength in Western and Northern European partnerships.

What sets them apart

KTN is the UK's designated innovation network — a unique national mandate that gives them unmatched access to British industry across all sectors. Unlike typical consultancies, they operate as a non-profit intermediary with credibility on both the research and business sides. For any EU consortium needing genuine UK industry engagement, dissemination to SMEs, or technology transfer expertise, KTN is a proven and well-recognised choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• RCT4MANU
  KTN's largest H2020 project (EUR 290K) — tested an innovative support scheme to accelerate manufacturing SMEs' adoption of industrial digital technologies.
• SCRREEN2
  Continuation of the SCRREEN expert network on critical raw materials, showing KTN's sustained commitment to this strategically important European resource challenge.
• UFO
  Focused on emerging industries around drones, small satellites, and high-altitude platforms — an unusual and forward-looking topic combining SME innovation with new aerial technology value chains.