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Working with Business

We actively partner with regional, national and international organisations making connections to our academic expertise, student talent and equipment and facilities.

We have a range of business support programmes available and would love to hear about your ideas and requirements. 

Orbit is our enterprise zone, located at NETPark in Sedgefield, a hub of innovation for ambitious science and technology companies.

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Contact the Business and Partnerships Team

Knowledge Exchange and Expertise

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) can help your business to innovate and grow.

KTPs are a leading programme from Innovate UK that brings together a company, an academic team and high calibre graduate, known as an Associate, to work on an innovative project. Improve your competitiveness and productivity, through better access to research, technology and skills.

 

12-36 months is the average length of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project.
70% of Associates are offered a permanent job by the company, when the project ends.

Recruiting Students and Graduates

We're one of the UK's leading research universities with world-class expertise in science, engineering and technology, business, social science, the arts and humanities.

Our graduates are some of the most sought after in the UK, offering a range of knowledge, skills and experience developed by excellent teaching and internationally rated research. Browse opportunities to promote your vacancies and engage with students.

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Our partnerships are leading the way in research and innovation

Play video 1

Planning for Uncertainty in Offshore Wind

With a £45,000 grant from EPSRC IAA (Impact Acceleration Account) we employed a post-doctoral academic to work on a secondment basis with our partner Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, developing prototype software.

View our full playlist

Join our mailing list

Join our mailing list to receive information about funding opportunities, programme updates, student and graduate recruitment opportunities, news and events.

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Business News

Durham Innovation District seeks joint venture partner to bring trailblazing vision to life

We’re working with Durham County Council and global commercial real estate services firm Avison Young to launch the opportunity for a joint venture partner to be involved in the cutting-edge research and business accelerator, Durham Innovation District.
Panel session at the Durham Innovation District launch

New £5m research centre driving economic growth and sustainability

A new joint research initiative focusing on energy systems integration has been awarded £5m by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to help boost UK economic growth and address regional needs.
An image of solar panels and wind turbines with a distant industrial landscape

Upcoming events

The open body: What can we learn from meteorological medicine?

Monday 8 December 2025 - Monday 8 December 2025
5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Online
A red-orange sun against a dark blue sky, with silhouettes of dark trees in the foreground

Roundtable: Geographies of Heat

Tuesday 9 December 2025 - Tuesday 9 December 2025
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Institute for Medical Humanities, Confluence Building
A silhouette of a bare tree and grass against a red-orange sky, giving the impression of a fire

Casilda Ybarra Satrústegui (Fundación MAPFRE), Anders Zorn and Spain, December 9th 18:00

Tuesday 9 December 2025 - Tuesday 9 December 2025
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Online event via Zoom (link in the description)
La Carta Art

What Are you Doing in this Place of Nothing but Rocks and Trees

Wednesday 10 December 2025 - Thursday 13 November 2025
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
CLC407, Calman Building, Durham University DH1 3LE
Ben Campbell

Research and Innovation Services

Research and Innovation Services
Durham University
Boldon House,
Wheatlands Way,
Pity Me,
Durham,
DH1 5FA.

E: business.gateway@durham.ac.uk