How academics can help small firms' ideas take flight What we were looking at was a complex mathematical problem and we didn't have the knowledge in house to solve that. The firm resorted to a daunting-sounding formal, three-year partnership with the university. They found the key to solving the problem by dusting off a paper written by a professor in 1998. The result is a novel algorithm which processes in-flight data to automatically generate a set of mechanical adjustments to reduce vibration levels, cutting maintenance costs and improving engine life and safety. Best of all, Helitune didn't need to provide all of the funding - the project was run through a Government-backed scheme designed to transfer knowledge from universities to businesses. So called Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) match graduates and academics with businesses looking to run research and development initiatives. The Technology Strategy Board (TSB), an agency that backs applied science, typically provides two thirds of the funding, with the business expected to come up with the rest. Young workers called "associates" are hired to run the project. "It's still a sizeable contribution for the company - like employing a graduate," says Mr Morrish. What it brings to us is facilities and knowledge from the university that we can't put a value on. It enhanced our credibility by adding another level to our capabilities. According to the TSB, every £1m of government expenditure on KTPs results in a £3m rise in annual pre-tax profits for participants, as well as £1.3m of investment and 23 new jobs. Despite Helitune's enthusiasm, the prospect of significant growth in the 800 KTPs taking place looks unlikely: cuts to the TSB's budget resulted in a 16pc reduction in the number of projects last year. However, Debbie Buckley-Golder, who runs the KTP scheme for the TSB, says the organisation is finding new sources of (mostly public sector) funding that mean businesses should not be discouraged from applying. We are keen to encourage more businesses to come forward, because that gives us a chance to approach more funders. We're drawing more money in all the time. She said that the majority of companies that do a "full application get funding because we weed people out early on." We expect a business case in every application - how they will get commercial benefit, what the increase in turnover and profit will be. Some won't be successful, but there's such a lot of evidence we can show that KTPs work. Mr Morrish, whose company has just won an award for its KTP, says firms considering using the approach "shouldn't see it as a low-cost method of employing R&D labour," despite the fact that Helitune has taken both of its "associates" on full time. You have to ask, what are we going to deliver that's tangible, that's going to take the business forward. If you view it like that, you can achieve fantastic results.