______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Digitization
A recent collaboration between academics in the History Department and Aston Business School has identified Insights from history iii highlighting the recurring challenges, opportunities and mistakes to bear in mind when selecting and implementing digital technologies. This expertise can help guide a business’ decisions and strategy to get the most out of its digital transformation efforts.
If the digital revolution has seemed out of reach, drawing on the expertise and enthusiasm of academics, as well as the funding available through the KTP programme, can help you bridge the digital divide and take you further on the digital transformation journey. ■
Ahmad Beltagui www. aston. ac. uk
Ahmad Beltagui is Associate Professor of Service Operations and Innovation Management at Aston Business School in Birmingham, UK. As a member of the Advanced Services Group his research involves businesses, large and small, in support of their transformation from product focus to a sustainable, digital and customer-centric strategy.
■ • KTP is a national programme funded by Innovate UK and businesses, bringing together forward-thinking organizations with academic expertise to address strategic innovation challenges, delivering economic, societal, and environmental outcomes.
■ • The programme celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and has supported over 14,000 organizations.
■ • £ 50 million is invested annually, with a current national portfolio of over 800 live projects.
■ • A recent programme evaluation estimated that KTP has generated £ 1.7 billion –£ 2.3 billion in net GVA for the UK economy. For every £ 1 of public and private investment, KTP has delivered a return of £ 4.20 –£ 5.50 in net economic benefits.
■ • Aston currently has a portfolio of 40 live projects and is ranked the number one provider in the UK in terms of portfolio size. Over 80 percent of projects have achieved a Very Good or Outstanding grading, demonstrating sector-leading quality.
■ • In 2023, Aston received the Best KTP Support Team and Best KTP Project award with Mechatherm International Limited.
■ • Independent analysis showed that businesses engaging with Aston on KTP experienced an 1107 percent ROI, with the portfolio forecasted to generate £ 266 million in pre-tax profits for company partners and support the creation of 541 jobs within three years of project completion.
https:// www. aston. ac. uk / business / collaborate-with-us / knowledge-transfer-partnership i
Beltagui, A. and Hitt, M. A., 2025. Not Just Academic: Strategies to Keep Rigorous Research Relevant. In From Purpose to Impact( pp. 98-114). Routledge. ii
Liu, W., Beltagui, A., Ye, S. and Williamson, P., 2022. Harnessing exaptation and ecosystem strategy for accelerated innovation: lessons from the VentilatorChallengeUK. California Management Review, 64( 3), pp. 78-98. https:// journals. sagepub. com / doi / full / 10.1177 / 00081256211056651 iii https:// www. youtube. com / watch? v = LlkvVYfdu3M
manufacturing-today. com 25