Horizons

The team

The Digital Growth Innovation Team (DIGIT) is the industrial innovation unit within the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET), established as a dedicated team of specialists supporting LJMU's commitment, strategy and mission to support civic activity in Liverpool City Region.

The team comprises recognised world class experts, with some of the region’s best Innovation and Collaboration specialists, supported by an award winning Strategic Management Team. Our team of specialists have unsurpassed industrial, engineering, scientific, commercial and management experience, to deliver high impact solutions across all sectors of commerce and industry.

We also have direct access to a wealth of expert knowledge and specialist facilities within the University, to deliver solutions that add real value, working with industry to identify key challenges and priorities and to improve the way they work and provide novel solutions to support growth in 21st Century industrial organisations. 

Antony Walker, Strategic Manager

Creative driving force leading the team and developing strategies for innovation and economic growth.

Eve Money, Impact and Operations Manager

Responsible for compliance, impact and operations for Horizons at LJMU.

Supported by Senior Innovation Specialist Michael Ashcroft and Innovation Specialists Dr David Evans, David Kiddell and Stephen Mosley. And Collaboration Specialists Jen Bowles-Smith and Paula Brennan, with Funding and Monitoring Officer Scott Caldwell.

Innovation for everyone, everywhere

Innovation should not be limited to big businesses, which is why we offer easy-to-implement solutions tailored to your business needs, bringing industry-leading innovation to life across our six local boroughs, increasing their productivity and efficiencies.

We understand that innovation is unique for each business, and we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We dive deep into understanding your business, your challenges and aspirations. We get to know your business and the challenges you face. The result is meaningful, easy-to-implement and innovative solutions that are right for your business. SMEs can also apply for capital grant funding to further accelerate innovation and drive long-term success across communities and businesses, supporting the upskilling of their people.

The programme will run throughout 2024, and participation is limited.

Services

Working with DIGIT at FET, beneficiaries will gain access to knowledge, expertise, facilities, and new thinking to drive forward solutions to innovation challenges.

With a key driver of increasing R&D spend in LCR, our objective is to increase innovation activity by providing:

• Innovation solutions: Dedicated, bespoke, timely innovation support from delivery teams.
• Technical support: Engineering, design, testing and prototype development.
• Equipment access: Demonstrations, workshops, and laboratories.
• Knowledge base: Facilities, expertise, knowledge and collaboration.
• Funding and investment: Support for access to finance for unlocking potential.
• Capital Grants: Access to up to £20k for capital equipment to support high growth.

We will support a wide range of innovation activities meeting a number of key regional economic and sustainable metrics such as:

• digital and net zero technologies
• skills and inclusive prosperity
• productivity and growth

Building on Previous Success

Since 2016, the LCR 4.0 programmes (European Regional Development Fund) have been providing hands-on, practical support to local businesses to adopt digital technology for economic growth. The projects have won numerous prestigious awards, including being named by the Financial Times as one of the top 100 global digital influencers.

Since the inception of the first project, services have constantly evolved based on demand-led needs from industry, with the legacy of the projects focusing on:

• LCR 4.0: First of a kind project supporting the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in LCR through innovation interventions and the development of smarter products, processes and services.
• LCR4 Start: Providing business support for recommendations and developing strategies for adopting and implementing digital solutions for accelerating the digital journey.
• LCR Holistic: Providing cross-sectoral digital innovation support to help organisations increase productivity, digitise operations and supply chains.
• CW 4.0: Providing innovative support to help organisations adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, and develop smarter products, processes and supply chains within Cheshire and Warrington.

The independent summative assessments stated the projects have collectively had an impact of:

• Increase of gross GVA of £197.5 million.
• Creation of 3,050 gross jobs.

Now the LCR 4.0 projects have evolved into a brand new, industry demand-led project - Horizons - providing all aspects of innovation support across LCR. The project directly addresses the challenges facing 21st Century SMEs and has developed a suite of services to maximise impact.

Why us

With a truly unique offer of support from innovation specialists backed by over 250 knowledge based researchers coupled with access to world class research facilities and new thinking from the workforce of the future, we can help drive your company forward in a timely fashion to meet your objectives.

Dedicated Innovation Specialist Team

Experienced team providing exposure to innovative technologies, access to academic knowledge base and facilities to increase productivity.

Access to over 250 research active staff

FET specialises in a whole range of advanced technologies relevant to our local business needs, with a focus on applied solutions.

Bespoke, tailored, focused solutions

The collection of world class expertise is focused on improving the competitiveness of SMEs with the ‘right’ support at the ‘right’ time.

World class research facilities

We have ‘Eight’ first-rate research institutes and centres with state-of-the-art facilities, equipment and expertise to implement innovation solutions.

Technology and skills for growth

Educating the workforce of the future alongside technological solutions, we link teaching, research and industrial engagement for maximum impact.

Knowledge base expertise

Imagine being able to turn to a world class researcher or academic, who has spent years looking at a specific technology and how it can be used? That’s exactly what you find within FET, with over 250 active academics and researchers working on groundbreaking technology with industrial applications.

With 8 research institutes, our teams of researchers have achieved excellence in their fields, producing high-quality, high-impact work that not only has commercial applications, but also a positive impact on both economic and social wellbeing.

We have a varied research landscape covering more than 1,000 research topics from sensor technologies to maritime logistics, reverse engineering to rapid prototyping, industrial sensors and data analysis to cyber security, and we have a multi-disciplinary approach to solving problems and providing solutions to challenges, with the ability to link to our innovation delivery team to provide expert holistic support. Below is a snapshot of expertise you will find within FET.

Built Environment

• Sensor technologies
• Energy systems
• Smart cities
• Connected homes
• Construction
• Facilities Management
• Environmental technologies
• Material technology

Computing

• Networking and 5G
• Cloud computing
• Cyber security
• Computer games technology
• Al and Machine Learning
• Software development
• Blockchain technology
• Distributed systems

General Engineering

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Additive Manufacturing
• Modelling and Simulation
• NDT and sensing
• Laser processing and Metrology
• Drones and UAV

Applied Mathematics

• Bioinformatics data
• Database in health
• Mathematical biology
• Data analysis
• Digital marketing

Astrophysics

• Star formation
• Galaxy formation and evolution
• Astronomical instrumentation
• Time domain astrophysics

Electrical and Electronics

• Electronic devices
• Software engineering
• Microelectronics
• Electric drives
• Robotic systems
• Power electronics

Mechanical

• Engineering and system design
• Advanced manufacturing technology
• Materials development and testing
• Dynamics and control systems
• Internet of Things

Civil Engineering

• Water monitoring
• Wastewater treatment
• SHM
• Real-time monitoring
• Security
• Building performance

Our delivery team will link into our knowledge base, ensuring the right partnership is connected at the right time, allowing sustainable relationships to be developed. This is key in ensuring all parties benefit from the collaboration and build a level of trust and respect, as well as defining the right mechanisms to drive forward innovation practices in industry.

Access to facilities – the power of demonstration

We strongly believe the power of demonstration can be the light bulb moment to seeing the benefit of adopting new technology. Alongside our key research laboratories, we have developed a novel digital demonstrator zone showcasing practical applications and capabilities of new technologies.

This allows colleagues to see novel technology working in a real-time environment and promote inspiration of how this could be translated to your own operations. Our demos include integrated sensor technologies, Internet of Things, Cobot’s, Real-time monitoring, Visual inspection systems, software and data visualisation, novel workflow solutions, smart building technologies and many more, all connected to provide complete systems solutions whilst de-risking any investment into new technology. 

Also on site at our Byrom Street campus are the engineering laboratories, which houses our formula student simulator as well as CNC machines, Robotics, 3d Printing facilities (plastic, polymers and metals) and Thermo/Fluid technologies including a full wind tunnel.

There is a maze of laboratories across the campus, with 360 degree maritime simulator, cyber security labs, Industrial Chemistry, Drones and UAVs, Metrology and microscopy and our sensor labs which have numerous prestigious awards.

Covering all aspects of engineering and technology, there are also manufacturing laboratories hosting advanced machine tools, materials testing and science labs and immersive AR/VR facilities. Stepping outside the buildings, you can find 3 BRE exemplar houses and 2 modular houses providing real-time testing environments for new industrial technologies.

With so much available on one site, please contact us to arrange for a tour of our facilities and see how you can be inspired by how technology can improve your business.

We believe de-mystifying the hype over new technology is key to supporting how this can be adopted in an industrial setting, and we have no agenda to push, just a transparent showcase of the art-of-the-possible in applied settings.

Examples of innovation

Ahead of your visit to the LJMU campus, check out our short animations demonstrating how you can start to benefit from connected technology in just a few days.

Support for KTPs and funding

While our dedicated innovation delivery team will establish the right mechanism to drive forward your innovation project, within the UK, LJMU is known for its successful KTP projects, winning numerous awards for our work in this area and the impact it has had on industry.

KTPs (Knowledge Transfer Partnerships) are one of the longest running schemes within the innovation ecosystem, which is testament to its effectiveness and ongoing demand, with the scheme being one of the largest graduate employment programmes. It helps UK-based organisations to innovate and grow through a three-way partnership with universities and graduates.

Businesses link up with an academic or research institution - the 'knowledge base' - to develop a KTP that will deliver a strategically important and challenging project. The partnership then recruits a suitably qualified graduate or postgraduate, known as a KTP associate.

By taking part in a KTP, you can use LJMU’s knowledge, technology, and skills to strengthen your company. This is just one way we can help you become more competitive moving forward.

Furthermore we have expert knowledge on the local, national and international funding landscape, and can help identify potential funding routes that may be timely to accelerate your innovation. We can then help build the ‘right’ partnership/consortium at the ‘right’ and support the funding application from inception through to submission.

Skills for the future

With a rich history of industry-based student projects and placements more often leading to mutually beneficial employability prospects, there are opportunities to work with undergraduate and postgraduate students on evidence-based and research-driven projects.

This is ideal for non-critical mission objectives and projects, where individual or teams of students can provide valuable new insight and new thinking into industrial challenges whilst providing the student(s) with the ability to work on real-world projects and provide skills that can be applied to future learning or the workplace.

With a focus on ensuring our students develop additional skills such as independent thinking, problem-solving and emotional intelligence – all highly desirable skills for employers – industry-based student projects can be multi-disciplinary and allow industry to access new knowledge without diluting in-house resources.

By working on relevant industrial projects, this allows us to keep our curricula up to date on research-inspired learning, understanding the needs of industry and ensuring we equip the workforce of the future with the right skills and mindset before they embark on their careers.

Please contact the team to learn how you can benefit from having an industry-based student project.

Find out how you, as an LJMU student, can benefit from opportunities to take on industry-based projects as part of your studies or extracurricular activities leading to industry experience, paid internships and graduate employment – all through the Horizons team.

Watch this short video to hear from students Ryan and Alice who share how working with Horizons supported their studies and career prospects.

Kevin O’Brien, Director of Intaglio Creative - Personalisation projects for sports stadiums
“As a part of the Horizons project LJMU have helped us to radically improve our process efficiency. After the initial assessments and reviews the team quickly helped identify pinch points in some of the process stages. They have subsequently presented a robust set of options to help improve efficiencies and output.

“The set of tailored solutions to address our needs were presented in a clear manner, allowing us to start implementing them straight away. Some of the options have been seamlessly and quickly integrated, helping to improve processes immediately. Overall, this has been a very positive experience for us.”

Rachael Baker, Managing Director at JJ Smith – Woodworking machinery supplier and expertise
“At JJ Smith we have been working with the Horizons team at LJMU for a number of months and have been really impressed with the ideas and collaboration so far. They have really understood the challenges we have been trying to solve and have brought fresh ideas, perspectives and connections. We'd recommend them to anyone considering it.”

Steve Crick, Director of SolidTek – Innovative and environmentally-friendly water treatment solutions
“Our partnership with Horizons has been a real eye-opener and has given us the means to consistently, reliably increase our manufacturing production rate, efficiencies and de-risk digital innovation investment costs. I would recommend anyone managing a manufacturing process to take advantage of what it has to offer.”

Anthony Walker, Strategic Manager for Horizons at LJMU
“Our projects look at challenges through the lens of an engineer and our hands on, practical support provides solutions that are relevant and crucial to help industrial SMEs realise their growth potential. We endeavour to de-mystify the complex world of digital technology and de-risk innovation, working with our partners to build sustainable relationships, never losing sight that implementing new technologies needs to have a return on investment or open up new opportunities for economic growth.”