Northumbria University KTP
Associate and data scientist Rohit Venugopal has won the Future Leader
category in this year’s prestigious Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership
(KTP) Awards for his work leading a project with ART Heath Solutions.
As a Northumbria KTP Associate, Rohit
worked with employee wellbeing business ART for two years as an Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and Software Development engineer. He helped the Newcastle-based
start-up create its own in-house technical systems and processes, accelerate
development, improve efficiency and reduce costs. Rohit’s contribution was so
successful that he now works for ART full time.
The academic
input for the KTP was led by Professor Longzhi Yang, Computer and Information
Sciences, supported by James Nicholson (Information Systems and Psychology) and
Vicki Elsey (Occupational Psychology). Longzhi, who joined Rohit at the award
ceremony, noted: “From the start, Rohit demonstrated real technical
skills and an appetite to apply these skills in new ways and learn more. He
quickly developed a real understanding of ART's business and the team, then
made a significant contribution to the operational and strategic development of
the business during the KTP. It's great that he is now part of their ambitious
plans.”
The
Innovate UK KTP Awards celebrate the most positive impact of KTPs, which enable
collaboration between academia and industry, facilitating the transfer of
knowledge and technology. Finalists for the Future Leaders category must have shown exceptional skills above and beyond
normal expectations in the delivery of their innovation project, demonstrated
excellence in project management and leadership, and contributed to commercial
strategy.
Founded in 2018 by Northumbria PhD
graduate Dr Phill Bell and his business partner Dr Paul Smith, ART works with a
growing client base – including multinational companies – to improve the
working environment, health and performance of employees through the use of scientific
data collected via wearable technology and a sophisticated cognitive
performance mobile app.
Rohit said: “As a data scientist,
having the opportunity to become a KTP Associate with ART and to be part of
such an innovative and exciting start-up was incredibly rewarding. On a
personal level it is a huge honour to feature in these awards, but it also
reflects the wider collaboration between ART and Northumbria.”
Dr Bell added: “To help build our
business and look after a growing customer base we needed someone inhouse with
strong data and tech skills, and the KTP with Northumbria was the ideal
solution. Rohit undertook highly valuable work on our AI and other technical
developments that really have made a significant difference, and it is fitting
to see that recognised in these awards.
“ART has worked closely with
Northumbria over a number of years, accessing support through the University’s
Graduate Futures and Business Enterprise teams. The KTP with Rohit is just
another example of this effective partnership and we are looking forward to
embarking on our second KTP with the University after successfully being
awarded further KTP funding in a recent Innovate UK competition.”
John Clayton, Knowledge Transfer
Adviser, Innovate UK KTN, said: “Rohit demonstrates many future leader
qualities: he’s inspiring, confident, empowering, strategic, perceptive,
creative, and collaborative. Witnessing his growth as a leader was a pleasure
throughout the KTP. He has inspired ART with confidence to create a Data
Science function, which he now leads. His good humour, warmth, and technical
prowess mark him out as a Future Leader. Winning the award gives Rohit a
much-deserved accolade, and an early boost for his long career in innovation
leadership.”
The
KTP programme is led by the Government’s innovation agency Innovate UK. KTPs are designed to enable
collaboration between academia and industry, facilitating the transfer of
knowledge and technology to increase competitivity and to promote an innovation
culture. Northumbria has a long track
record of successfully collaborating with small and large businesses on KTPs.
