A groundbreaking partnership led by Nigeria’s Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) has won the prestigious African Agriculture Award at the 2025 Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Awards.
The project, a collaboration with the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) and Taro Agric Consulting, was honoured for successfully introducing data-driven technology to revolutionise poultry farming in Nigeria. It applied Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, analytical dashboards, and smart databases to optimise broiler chicken production, boosting efficiency and sustainability.
The award recognises exceptional impact through university-business innovation. The project has delivered a “step change in performance and profitability,” with Taro Agric Farm expecting a 30–40% increase in sales. It has also trained over 100 local farmers and integrated new digital skills into OAU’s curriculum.
This victory showcases Nigerian academic excellence and positions the country at the forefront of developing scalable, innovative agricultural solutions to enhance food security and economic growth across Africa.
2025 Award Winners
This year’s winners represent the very best of KTP collaboration – transforming ideas into measurable outcomes for business, academia and society.
African Agriculture KTP Award
Taro-Agric Consulting, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of the West of England
Best KTP Award
Yeo Valley Farms (Production) Ltd and University of Reading
Changing the World Award
Dunsters Farm Limited and Manchester Metropolitan University
KTP Academic of the Year
TNEI Services Limited – Glasgow Caledonian University
Future Leader Award
Usama Jamil – Ashtead Engineering Company Ltd / Kingston University
Dr Simeon Skopalik – Soapworks Ltd / University of Glasgow
Ray Holder – Smartify Holdings Limited / University of the West of Scotland
Shay McEvoy – AB Pneumatics Ltd / Queen’s University Belfast
Charlotte-Rose Kennedy – Renato Software Ltd / Birmingham City University
Best Knowledge Base KTP Support Team
The University of Essex
Technical Excellence Award
Soapworks Ltd – University of Glasgow
Business Transformation Award
Detoxpeople Ltd – Anglia Ruskin University
Golden KTP Awards
2025 also introduced the Golden KTP Awards – a special recognition of projects and individuals whose lasting contributions have shaped innovation practice and collaboration over the past five decades.
Here are the winners from each category:
Knowledge with Impact
Navico Group – Queen’s University Belfast
Driving Innovation for the Future
Arup – The University of Manchester
The Art of Successful Collaboration (Partnerships)
Aquacheck Engineering – Manchester Metropolitan University
The Art of Successful Collaboration (Practitioners)
Queen’s University Belfast
After more than 14,000 partnerships and £2.3 billion in value creation, KTP remains a cornerstone of the UK’s innovation ecosystem – connecting business ambition with academic expertise to drive productivity, resilience, and sustainable growth.
