When the University of the Built Environment (then known as the University College of Estate Management) submitted its eligibility application for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) in 2023, few could have predicted how quickly that journey would evolve.

Just three years later, the University's first KTP, delivered in partnership with The King's Foundation, has been rated Outstanding on completion and is now shortlisted for the Place-Based Innovation Award at the 2026 Innovate UK KTP Awards, to be held in Glasgow this December. While recognition itself is a significant achievement, the real story is one of learning, collaboration, persistence and ambition.

Starting as a new entrant

Like many institutions entering the KTP landscape for the first time, the university began with a steep learning curve. The first step was reaching out to our local Knowledge Transfer Adviser, followed by a formal eligibility application in 2023. Following approval, colleagues immersed themselves in the KTP community, actively engaging with both regional and national KTP forums.

Drawing on previous KTP experience gained at other universities, colleagues also established a programme of awareness-raising and training events within the university, helping academic colleagues understand the opportunities that KTPs could offer for research impact, business engagement and knowledge exchange. The enthusiasm generated through these activities quickly translated into action, with the university submitting its first KTP proposal shortly after joining the programme.

A partnership with purpose

That proposal became the foundation of a collaborative project with The King's Foundation, formally commencing in 2024.

The partnership sought to address one of the most pressing challenges facing England today: how to deliver much-needed housing while creating genuinely sustainable communities. Too often, discussions about housing focus almost exclusively on the number of homes built. Yet successful places require much more than housing units alone. They depend on integrated infrastructure, employment opportunities, environmental sustainability, community wellbeing, accessibility and long-term resilience.

Housing delivery is currently dominated by large national housebuilders, while the wider development ecosystem remains highly fragmented. Regional small and medium-sized (SME) builders, local authorities, landowners, investors, manufacturers, designers, infrastructure providers and communities often operate independently, each facing different priorities and constraints. These challenges vary significantly across regions, requiring place-based solutions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. For many SME builders, barriers such as access to suitable sites, finance, planning expertise, professional support and resilient supply chains continue to limit growth and innovation.

From knowledge transfer to system innovation

The KTP was established to combine The King's Foundation's internationally recognised expertise in placemaking with the university's research capability, creating a practical, repeatable and commercially sustainable model for delivering better places.

What emerged was far more ambitious than a traditional innovation project.

Whilst many innovation partnerships conclude with new knowledge, reports or recommendations, this collaboration sought to create a lasting mechanism for change. Rather than focusing on a single product, technology or construction method, the partnership explored how innovation could occur across an entire stakeholder network. The result was the development of the Place Building System, an alternative approach to housing delivery that strengthens collaboration between the many organisations and individuals involved in creating successful places.

Its ambition was simple yet bold: not merely to deliver a project, but to create a movement capable of changing how housing and place-making are approached across England.

What began as a KTP evolved into something far greater than either organisation initially envisaged. The partnership created a shared vision for how housing and placemaking can be delivered differently, bringing together stakeholders who would not traditionally collaborate and establishing foundations that will continue to influence practice long after the project's completion.

Professor Angela Lee and Professor Graeme Larsen, Project Leads

A lasting legacy

Perhaps the most significant outcome has been the creation of the Regional Building Foundation, an independent Community Interest Company established to continue the work beyond the lifetime of the KTP, creating a lasting legacy far beyond the project's original objectives.

Structured around 14 regions, the foundation aims to support locally responsive solutions that reflect differing economic, planning, infrastructure and housing contexts.

Six regional forums are planned during its first year of operation, providing opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange and collective action between stakeholders involved in housing and placemaking. The first regional forum and formal launch of the Regional Building Foundation took place at St Giles House on 10 September 2026, supported by the Earl of Shaftesbury and the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset. The event attracted approximately 250 attendees from across the Hampshire Basin and beyond, bringing together leaders from housing, planning, local government, industry and academia.

The future

For the university, both the national award shortlist and the Outstanding Project rating are important recognitions of what can be achieved through partnership, innovation and perseverance. These accolades build on earlier success, including being named Partnership of the Year by the King's Foundation in 2024. However, perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this journey has been witnessing an idea evolve from an initial KTP application into a lasting organisation with the potential to shape how places are planned, delivered and sustained across the country for years to come.

The success of the partnership has also helped establish a broader culture of innovation and collaboration within the university. Building on the momentum generated by its first award-nominated KTP, the university secured a second Knowledge Transfer Partnership in 2025 with the UK Green Building Council, further demonstrating its growing reputation as a trusted partner for knowledge exchange and innovation.

From engaging with KTP forums as a new entrant in 2023 to achieving national recognition just three years later, the University of the Built Environment's journey demonstrates the transformative opportunities that Knowledge Transfer Partnerships can create when universities and external partners work together to tackle complex societal challenges.

As the University celebrates this recognition, it also looks ahead to the next chapter: supporting new partnerships, advancing place-based innovation, and contributing to the creation of thriving, sustainable communities for future generations.