HT Brigham & Co, the 78-year-old metal pressings specialist, has signalled its ambition to embed innovation deeper into its business with investment in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) alongside Birmingham City University. The collaboration aims to accelerate new product development and introduce fresh digital and commercial thinking into one of the Midlands’ longest-established manufacturing firms.
The KTP — which began in late summer 2024 — focuses on strengthening Brigham’s capabilities in product and business model innovation, digital marketing, and the creation of a more structured innovation culture across the organisation. For a company rooted in high-precision progression presswork and complex metal assemblies, the move represents a strategic investment in its future competitiveness.
Chief Executive Doug Allen said the partnership underscores Brigham’s belief that the next era of UK manufacturing will be defined as much by people and ideas as by machinery.
“Partnerships like the one with Birmingham City University are vital,” Allen said. “They help us bring new thinking into our business — from materials innovation to digital product design — while giving young engineers hands-on experience in a live manufacturing environment. It’s exactly the kind of collaboration that keeps UK industry evolving.”
At the centre of the project is KTP Associate Stacey Kong, who joined HT Brigham after completing a master’s degree at the University of Birmingham and earning Associate (ACIM) status with the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Kong is leading workstreams that explore customer insight, digital product positioning, and innovation-led growth.
Her journey reflects the broader purpose of the KTP scheme: blending academic insight, industrial application, and professional development.
Drawing on her recent experience within the national KTP training programme at Ashorne Hill, Kong said the initiative has given her both direction and inspiration.
“The KTP has been an incredible journey,” she said. “The training sessions have been insightful and energising. I’ve met so many talented associates from different backgrounds, each with inspiring stories. Their passion motivates me to push our own project forward.”
Kong added that the industry-university collaboration is already shaping how HT Brigham approaches its new product pipeline.
“This partnership gives us the space to research, test ideas, and understand the needs of our future customers more deeply,” she noted. “Whether it’s through market surveys, innovation workshops, or digital design tools, we’re building a foundation for long-term growth.”
Her recent work has included customer research projects linked to Brigham Watch Company — a sister enterprise — and participation in regional entrepreneurship events to broaden the firm’s visibility and networks.
“Networking with founders and innovators shows how important it is for manufacturing to stay connected to new thinking,” Kong said. “Sharing Brigham’s story and learning from others helps us refine the way we innovate.”
Birmingham City University’s KTP team, led by academic supervisor Dr Achilleas Boukis, is supporting Brigham in designing new frameworks for product development, strategic positioning, and digital-first customer engagement.
The partnership also aligns with national priorities. As Innovate UK’s KTP programme celebrates its 50th anniversary, manufacturing firms across the UK are increasingly turning to university collaborations to boost productivity and adopt new technologies.
For HT Brigham — a supplier of high-precision metal pressings to the automotive, electronics and industrial sectors — the hope is that the KTP will serve as a catalyst for future diversification and resilience.
“It’s about building capabilities that help us stay ahead,” Allen said. “Engineering excellence has always defined Brigham, but innovation is what will carry us forward.”
With the KTP underway and early outcomes emerging, HT Brigham is positioning itself not just as a heritage manufacturer, but as a forward-looking Midlands engineering business ready to compete in the next generation of UK industry.