Building external relationships

To develop industry partners, we use a pipeline process, which is split into four key stages:

1. Prospect
2. Contact
3. Engagement
4. Partnership

Info-graphic showing the business development pipeline process. This is outlined in the "Pipeline process" section below.

Finding and building successful external relationships is a filtering process. We start by initially scoping potential partners within a defined industry sector; then carry out research to highlight the greatest opportunities. We aim to align business need with the University strategy and research areas.

The process moves from market research and scoping, to building strategies, and then to contacting and engaging with potential partners. In the 'contact' and 'engagement' phases, our key focus is to build connections with selected potential partners and create a relationship with them. We do this through facilitating meetings and discussions to gain a better understanding of joint ambition and alignment, with the aim of working together and forming a partnership.

Pipeline process

We are key stakeholders and play an active role supporting departments and academics build external relationships through deploying the methodologies and tools detailed below.