The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at MMU (Cheshire) incorporates a range of subject areas including Humanities, Geography and Outdoor Studies, Psychology and others, all of which work closely with MMU (Cheshire)’s Departments in Exercise and Sports Science, Business Management Studies and Contemporary Arts.
MMU Cheshire is establishing a centre for Knowledge Transfer activity in IDS from where it launched its first Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Project in November 2008.
A second KTP with Wulvern Housing launched in August 2009 and a third is underway with Weaver Vale Housing Trust in March 2010. Several KTPs are currently in various stages of development including a second project for Wulvern Housing and planned collaborative projects with two other Housing Associations.
The IDS Department at MMU Cheshire is fulfilling its ambitions to link local businesses and organisations with academic research and outputs in order to produce significant economic and social impacts in the local community and the wider region. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are an effective method of achieving these ambitions and help achieve the University’s ambitions to contribute towards local and regional economic development and regeneration.
MMU (Cheshire) supports the wider aspirations of the NorthWest Region in improving quality of life for its citizens and in improving environmental sustainability in future economic development.
The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at MMU (Cheshire) incorporates a range of subject areas including Humanities, Geography and Outdoor Studies, Psychology and others, all of which work closely with MMU (Cheshire)’s Departments in Exercise and Sports Science, Business Management Studies and Contemporary Arts.
Current Knowledge Transfer Partnerships in the Department
A new era of automotive recycling
The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at MMU Cheshire and Car Transplants are underway with an environmentally friendly Knowledge Transfer Partnership.
The Interdisciplinary Studies Department at MMU Cheshire and Car Transplants have been awarded a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) funded by the Technology Strategy Board. This form of funding uses University knowledge to support practical business solutions which have wider social, economic and environmental benefits.
Trevor Brown (MMU Cheshire Business Development Manager) and Linda Reichenfeld (Senior Lecturer, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, MMU Cheshire) developed the project with Car Transplants and the partnership launched the KTP in November 2009.
Within the project, Car Transplants are initiating a new area of business growth by creating a second tier of vehicle repair using recycled, non-safety critical parts obtained from crash damaged vehicles and developing new processes for vehicle recycling. This initiative is supported by a major insurance company (Allianz), as it offers them an opportunity to expand their portfolios to include ‘green’ motoring policies that may ultimately have lower ‘excess’ charges.
The entire scheme will lead to significant energy savings and reductions in the carbon footprint of the automotive industry. It is expected that other insurers will join the scheme at the earliest opportunity, indeed there are already others indicating they will come on board (eg RBS).
The KTP involves the employment of a high quality graduate working in Car Transplants, for two years, and the successful candidate, Rebecca Graves, is midway through this two year partnership. Rebecca is the KTP Associate and Project Manager who is taking this Project forward under the supervision of academics Linda Reichenfeld and Fergie Morrison from IDS and senior managers from the Company.
Rebecca first undertook the development of a national RecycAll network allowing car repairers and car recyclers to interlink and access parts across the UK. The Project is now in the process of implementing environmental management systems leading to the attainment of ISO14001. The project will also review current methods of recycling and address the problem of non-recyclable materials by seeking new solutions and, potentially, markets.
A visible impact of RecycAll will be through insurance companies offering a ‘zero excess repair’ to their damaged vehicles but equally important are the Carbon savings made through adoption of more sustainable practices in end-of-life vehicle recycling.
This project is pushing vehicle recycling into the spotlight, boosting profits for recyclers, reducing Carbon Footprint among drivers and recyclers alike and providing motorists with a greener motor insurance. The figures stack up in favour of this Project, which will also help the salvage sector to meet stiff increases in environmental standards imposed by the European Commission. The partnership has presented a paper at All our Futures Conference 2 (September 2009) and Rebecca will be presenting at the International Automobile Recycling Congress in Basle (March 2010) with a paper on automotive recycling.
Housing stock and neighbourhood quality improvement
Wulvern Housing and MMU Cheshire have been awarded a Knowledge Transfer Partnership funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board. The project is supporting Wulvern and MMU Cheshire in working jointly to address key strategic and developmental areas within the housing sector.
Senior Lecturer Linda Reichenfeld and Business Development Manager Trevor Brown worked closely with Directors at Wulvern Housing (Carl Barber, Director of Neighbourhood Investment, pictured above with Trevor and Linda) to secure a two year funded knowledge transfer partnership.
A core aim of the project is to reduce void properties and rent losses and to improve the quality of the housing stock, through more rigorous monitoring and evaluation. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership is developing a sophisticated diagnostic sustainability tool which Wulvern will use to enhance core operations, focusing actions and investments in construction, repair and modernisation to improve demand, customer satisfaction and neighbourhood improvement. Wulvern’s core strategies will be supported by improved data capture and analysis, steering future investments in planning, housing developments and maintenance, supporting neighbourhood regeneration and wider green issues for future investments. The partnership has engaged a full time KTP Associate, postgraduate and RTPI member Paudie O’Shea, to deliver the project, working under supervision from Linda Reichenfeld (Interdisciplinary Studies, MMU Cheshire) and the Wulvern Neighbourhood Regeneration team.
This KTP launched in August 2009 and is providing significant opportunities for some of the IDS Department’s students to get involved in fieldwork and community engagement, emphasising the teaching and learning benefits of knowledge transfer, in addition to those accruing to the business.
Weaver Vale Housing Trust
A new venture between the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies and Weaver Vale Housing Trust has recently recruited KTP Associate Mohsin Riaz who begins a two year project in March 2010 to help the company design and implement a Desirable Homes standard. This Knowledge Transfer Partnership has been jointly funded by ESRC and TSB and is supervised and led by Dr Trish Belfield, with Dr Ken Parsons providing lead academic support. The partnership will help the Trust deliver its ambitious strategy to improve homes and neighbourhoods in West Cheshire.
KTPs under development in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
Wulvern Housing has asked IDS to develop a second project designed to embed sustainability strategies throughout the company, and academics led by Linda Reichenfeld in IDS, together with Business Development manager Trevor Brown have secured funding from the Economic and Social Research Council and the Technology Strategy Board to support a project which will help Wulvern attain BS8555 and ISO14001. This is a two year project to assess the potential for carbon offsetting in housing/estate management together with improving the environmental sustainability of the company and its housing stock. It is anticipated that this partnership will begin mid-2010.
Academics are also in talks with several other companies with a view to developing partnerships and collaborative projects.