Knowledge Exchange at Suffolk

Suffolk Libraries had struggled to connect its customers with the most appropriate services due to the overwhelming volume of service and customer information available.  

University of Suffolk Academics from our Technology, Business and Arts school developed AI techniques to link the emotional needs of potential end users with events and services available through Suffolk Libraries. This was achieved through data classification and the implementation of a personalised recommendation algorithm.

As a result of this Knowledge Exchange collaboration, members of the community were easily connected to the events and services that benefitted them most.

Read the full article on our Open Access Repository. 

Residents in the Woodbridge area had concerns about poor water quality of the River Deben and how much this is impacted by local Wastewater Treatment Works and agricultural run-off. Of particular concern were the level of E-Coli and Phoshate, with residents keen to know if these were above safe levels.

University of Suffolk scientists from our Allied Health Sciences school collaborated with the Woodbridge-based Deben Climate Centre (DCC), a community organisation focussed on improving local ecology, practising citizen science. DCC collected water samples from 25 locations on the River Deben for over 12 months. University of Suffolk scientists then ran tests on the collected water samples and identified E-coli samples containing toxins which could be dangerous to human health. The University of Suffolk also hosted the event for Deben Climate Centre where findings and methods were shared.

The findings of this project found antibiotic resistant bacteria in water samples and concluded that swimming in the sampled locations of the River Deben brought the risk of contracting pathogenic infection that would be difficult to treat with antibiotics. This added weight to the campaign for Water Treatment Works to improve water quality and prompted warning notices placed in swimming holes and campsites, therefore having a tangible impact on the health and safety of residents and visitors to the area.

Watch the TV News Anglia coverage of the collaboration between Woodbridge Climate Action Group and the University of Suffolk to investigate water quality in the River Deben on YouTube [from 01:28 to end]. 

The Cancer Alliance found an identifiable gap in the training, education and support that Multi-Discipline Team (MDT) co-ordinators receive. There was widespread agreement that MDTs have not been working as effectively as they might, highlighted in all three cancer strategies and by NHS England. Lack of support and lack professional knowledge of how to best run such meetings were likely contributing to this.

Suffolk staff from the school of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health collaborated with Cancer Alliance to present and run sessions for a training programme to upskill staff, increase their resilience and help them achieve optimum performance. The University of Suffolk hosted the programme.

The programme was successful in fulfilling its objectives by providing participants with a greater understanding of their role and responsibility within the Multi-Discipline Team, and by providing them with tools to build on confidence and resilience. Participants felt the course was run well, and wished it to be run as mandatory training.

Read more on the Cancer Alliance website.

• Public Lectures
• Workshops & Challenge Labs
• Citizen Science Projects
• Hackathons
• Exhibitions
• Outreach work
• Events

• Collaborative Research – funded by government or research councils

Activities in partnership with either small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or non-SMEs.

• Contract Research – where the agenda for the project is set, and funded by, the business
• Consultancy – when an academic is providing a specific piece of expert advice
• Facilities Hire
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)

This perspective covers the same activities as working with business, however the partner is from the public or third sector, such as charities, social enterprises and community groups.

• Contract Research
• Influential research to help Suffolk schools plan music provision
• Consultancy
• Facilities Hire
• Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)

• CPD
• Short courses

• Projects linking with Development and Regeneration funds
• Skills training
• Business support
• Innovation programmes

• Tech solutions
• Training resources