Cardiff Met collaboration helps Welsh manufacturer harness insights from Chinese innovation
Researchers from Cardiff Metropolitan University have played a central role in supporting a Welsh manufacturer to take its innovation strategy onto the global stage through a pioneering Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) backed by Welsh Government.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate Dr Rick Yuxuan Zhou from Cardiff Met and Martin McDermid, Sales Director at MM Engineered Solutions (MME), travelled to China as part of an Enhanced Knowledge Transfer Partnership (eKTP) project delivered jointly by Cardiff Met and MME, a flood defence company based in Port Talbot.
The initiative, supported through Welsh Government funding in addition to the Innovate UK KTP programme, enabled the partnership to undertake an international knowledge transfer visit across Shanghai, Wuxi, Nanjing, Hebei and Beijing, bringing game-changing global manufacturing insight back to Wales.
Cardiff Met’s involvement has been central to, helping MME explore how advanced manufacturing systems, digital technologies and new business models from China could be applied within a Welsh industrial context.
The visit focused on the China International Industry Fair (CIIF), one of Asia’s largest industrial trade exhibitions, where the delegation examined cutting-edge automation systems, intelligent production technologies and integrated manufacturing solutions.
The Cardiff Met and MME team also visited ten manufacturing facilities to study production layouts, operational workflows and business models. The findings are now feeding directly into MME’s strategic planning, supply chain development and future market opportunities.
Rick Yuxuan Zhou, KTP Associate at Cardiff Met, said: “This project shows the value universities can bring when they work closely with industry. Through Cardiff Met’s partnership with MME, we were able to access global manufacturing knowledge, build international relationships and translate those insights into practical opportunities for a Welsh manufacturer.
“This is exactly the kind of international exposure that Welsh manufacturers need but rarely get access to. The eKTP funding made it possible for a Welsh SME to sit at the same table as global industry.
The project highlights the growing importance of universities as drivers of applied innovation, helping businesses not only adopt new technologies but also build the international connections needed to remain globally competitive.”