Kinley Systems KTP: Sustainable growth and strategic management

This Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) tuned improve operational and manufacturing productivity for Kinley Systems by embedding strategic management and marketing capabilities, underpinned by optimised organisational change management.

Kinley Systems manufacture and supply high-quality landscaping systems to landscape architects, general architects, developers, contractors and designers for garden and urban landscapes. In October 2021 they formed a sister company, RAAFT, with the vision of becoming the first choice for commercial terrace fit-out globally.

The company formed the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with the University of Brighton as part of the Clean Growth initiative, focusing on embedding strategic management and marketing capabilities in the business.

The company worked closely with the University of Brighton’s School of Business and Law, employing Itohan Uwaifo, Business Transformation and Marketing Manager and KTP associate, to work on the project.

Itohan Uwaifo said, “My experience as a KTP associate has been quite an interesting one so far. I am excited that this project is affording me the opportunity to apply my academic knowledge to a real-life business challenge. The KTP project provides a unique platform for graduates or postgraduates to experience the best of both worlds – Academia and the Corporate world. It is intriguing that my role is central to RAAFT’s business strategic development and long-term growth and that has kept me enthusiastic to see how we can achieve this. I also like the support the University of Brighton has been providing through my academic supervisors Dr Francisca DaSilva and Dr Andrew Grantham and the Green Growth Platform”.

Stuart Bowie, MD of Kinley/RAAFT, said, “We recognised a KTP to be an excellent opportunity to embed of a wide range of innovative and sustainable business management research methods, enabling cultural change and new product development plans that will position the company well for future growth.

The sustainability element of this programme is key, since it will allow us to grow and refine our product offering to address environmental needs, and the contribution provided by University of Brighton will enable the results of the project to become embedded in the business.”