KIGG and University of South Wales KTP innovation Established in Sully near Cardiff in 2005, KIGG Ltd designs and manufactures electricity Smart Meters which send electronic meter readings to the energy supplier automatically, and provides subsequent factory start-up services to government and private investors worldwide. Work with increasingly sophisticated clients highlighted the need for further development of ‘Smart’ products, however, specification of the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC 61850) had to be acquired by KIGG to meet the correct standards in order to make these ‘Smart’ products. About the sponsor Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) is a UKwide programme helping businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK Knowledge Base. The KTP programme is managed by Innovate UK. This project was fully funded by the Welsh Government over its duration of 11 months; enabling a Knowledge Transfer Partner with the Centre for Electronic Product Engineering (CEPE) at the University of South Wales, which helped accelerate KIGG’s engineering knowledge uptake and develop the demonstrator equipment needed to attract new clients. About the project The funding enabled KIGG to understand the IEC standards with help from a PHD student contracted to the project and based at CEPE, who implemented the standards and fed back to KIGG, which then applied them to its own work. KIGG and University of South Wales KTP KIGG went on to permanently employ the PHD student and is working on new designs with the benefit of his expertise, and by sharing his knowledge with existing members of staff. KIGG is also now looking at future collaboration with CEPE in order to deepen its knowledge base and widen its product portfolio further. their government would replicate the KTP programme in their country. The scheme is vital to expanding our technology and expertise, and has also supported us in winning Smart factory start-up projects worth millions of pounds.” The Associate Coming from a mainly The company academic background, the KTP gave the associate exposure to KIGG Ltd.’s main focus is to support investors and clients in real world engineering problems. By using knowledge establishing their own gained through their studies it businesses by providing them with the expertise required to allowed them to gain valuable industrial experience which start-up their own factory. then lead on to full time Marked achievements include employment. overseeing a factory start-up project in the Middle East, and By applying his engineering a factory upgrade project in knowledge in the real world, South East Asia. KIGG have the associate was able to also been able to provide develop problem solving skills highly sophisticated and develop a knowledge in technology to clients in India the smart metering industry in and China. an industrial setting, allowing theory to be put into practice. KIGG Ltd. Managing Director, Jonathan Harfoot, said: Daniel Carr, KTP Associate, “When we explain how the said: “The KTP was a great Knowledge Transfer way of making the transition Programmes (KTP) work to from university to industry. others, and relay the support This has given me invaluable we have had from Welsh experience and made me a Government and University of better engineer that I would South Wales to our investors have been coming fresh from and clients abroad, they are university.” amazed. A lot of foreign clients express the wishes that The Academic Partner Starting from the point of creating the software and hardware platform necessary to develop an Intelligent Electronic Device, the partnership successfully demonstrated that collaboratively the parties involved could deploy an IEC 61850 network enabled measurement and control device. This development has allowed KIGG to enhance its offering to potential clients and it has demonstrated the ability of CEPE to help companies turn ideas into practice. Alun Cox, Knowledge Transfer Officer at the University of South Wales said: “Working with KIGG on this programme has allowed the Centre for Electronic Product Engineering (CEPE) here at the University to provide KIGG with specific industrial network knowledge and implementation techniques.The partnership has also allowed CEPE to gain a practical industry insight into the automated sub-station business which wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.” www.ktponline.org.uk innovation Innovation Timeline •2005 – KIGG Ltd establishes UK office, with foreign clients predominantly in India & Malaysia. Awarded design and 10,000 meter order from Malaysian client. •2007 – Factory technology support programme grows in Malaysia – KIGG wins 125,000 electricity meter order with re-design. •2009 – Malaysia Factory project expands with re- designs and two new orders for the total of 750,000 single phase meters, worth $12 million over next five years. •2011 – KIGG Ltd named runner up at Inspire Wales Awards for best training. •2012 – KIGG Ltd receives 60% A4B funding from Welsh Government. •2013 – KIGG wins UKTI + TATA Mentoring & Partnering Programme, and esteemed mentoring programme to support and do business in India. •2013 – Nigeria Factory start up project starts to provide 50 million meters over 20 years. •2013 – PHD student Daniel Carr employed permanently by KIGG Ltd. •2014 – Jordan Factory joint venture awarded small order with UNESCO. To find out more about funding and support from the Welsh Government: Email: [email protected] Web: business.wales.gov.uk Tel: 03000 6 03000 WG22758 / © Crown copyright 2015
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