X-CITED Industry Connection Programme
What is the Industry Connection Programme ?
The X-CITED Industry Connection Programme (ICP) is an innovative approach by GW4 to bridging gaps between academia and industry, by enabling Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) across the institutes to connect directly with industry partners for the benefit of all.
The overarching aim of the Industry Connection Programme is to reduce the engagement barriers between RTPs and colleagues in industry.
We support RTPs at different stages of their industry engagement by offering tailored opportunities to build confidence, connections, and visibility.
What does the Industry Connection Programme do?
For more experienced RTPs:
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We deliver bespoke, in-person events designed to help you expand your professional networks, strengthen industry partnerships, and showcase your facilities and expertise. Register to the ‘Confidence in Industry Conversations’ event in Sept 2026 today!
For those new to industry engagement:
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Our bite-sized, online, ‘Focus Fortnight’ sessions provide practical guidance and support to help you confidently begin connecting and collaborating with industry partners. Register your space below now!
For further information, please contact the X-CITED team at x-cited@gw4.ac.uk.
Industry Connection Programme – list of events
Scroll down to see what’s coming up within the ICP:
Industry Connection Programme: ‘Confidence in Industry Conversations’ Event
📅 When: |
📍Where: |
🕰️Time: |
Click below to register: |
23rd-24th Sept-26 |
The Marriott Hotel – Cardiff (in person) |
Day 1 – registration 10amDay 2 – close 4pm |
Click here to register for the ‘Confidence in Industry Conversations’ event |
All travel, meals and accommodation will be funded by X-CITED
We are excited to launch our FREE two-day residential ‘Confidence in Industry Conversations’:
The two days will include a day of bespoke training for our RTPs from world renowned facilitator – Sawan Khuri – known for providing bespoke, expert training in industry conversations and professional skills development – followed by a second day when industry partners are invited into the conversations.
Open to RTPs across GW4 (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff & Exeter), it’s a great opportunity to grow your skills, make new connections and learn more about connecting with business outside of higher education.
This ICP is aimed at GW4 RTPs who have some experience engaging with industrial colleagues and those with plenty of industrial experience but would like to build their networks, but is open to all GW4 RTPs with engineering and physical sciences links.
The Agenda includes:
Day 1:
- Learn the purpose of advertising and promoting your facility to industry
- Discover how to become more visible and gain new contracts
- Interactive work on case studies defining customer needs, idea generation and facility solutions
- Build your knowledge on cross-sector collaboration
Day 2:
- Understand the power of networks
- Interactive work on scenarios between RTPs and industry clients
- Industry partner Business show
- Wrap up and prize giving
What will you get out of this?
- Increase confidence to engage with industry – Further develop the skills and self-assurance to initiate, lead and sustain meaningful conversations with industry partners.
- Gain practical communication tools – Learn how to articulate technical expertise, translate academic capability into industry‑relevant language, and navigate different professional expectations.
- Understand industry perspectives – Gain increased insight into industry drivers, priorities, and decision making—helping RTPs position themselves as valuable collaborators rather than support functions.
- Practise in a supported space – Build the skills you already have during a dedicated training day before putting them into practice with invited industry partners on day two.
- Grow professional networks – Form new connections with RTP peers across GW4 institutions and establish direct relationships with industry contacts.
- Enhance career development – Strengthen transferable skills that support career progression, visibility, and impact—both within academia and beyond.
If you are a GW4 RTP who hasn’t undertaken any industry work in the past, or feel a bit rusty, you might benefit from our bitesize series coming up in October.
Industry Connection Programme: ‘Focus Fortnight’ – Why is industry contact important?
📅 When: |
📍Where: |
🕰️Time: |
Click below to register: |
8th Oct-26 |
Online (via Teams) |
2pm-3.15pm |
Click here to register: Focus Fortnight Why is industry contact important? |
1st session of our Industry Connection Programme’s ‘Focus Fortnight’
Why Industry Contact Matters – What’s in It for You and What’s in It for Them?
This interactive session explores how technicians can build meaningful connections with industry partners, helping to strengthen collaboration, enhance skills, and create opportunities for innovation.
You’ll gain an understanding of what industry engagement means in a technical context, explore the benefits for both universities and external partners, and discover the many ways you can get involved.
Whether you’re new to industry engagement or looking to expand your existing connections, this session will provide practical ideas, real-world examples, and the confidence to take your first—or next—steps.
By the end of the session, you’ll:
- Understand what industry engagement means for technicians.
- Recognize the mutual benefits for universities and industry partners.
- Feel more confident initiating or participating in industry interactions.
- Explore different forms of industry engagement.
- Leave with practical ideas and actions to get started.
No prior experience is required—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
(Open to all Research Technical Professional (RTPs) within GW4 (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff & Exeter).
Industry Connection Programme: ‘Focus Fortnight’ – Demystifying industry collaborations
📅 When: |
📍Where: |
🕰️Time: |
Click below to register: |
13th Oct-26 |
Online (via Teams) |
9.30am-12.30pm |
Click here to register: Focus Fortnight Demystifying industry collaborations |
2nd session of our Industry Connection Programme’s ‘Focus Fortnight’
This is an interactive online session where you will work in plenary and in breakout rooms over activities that will provide the following learnings:
- Understand what is in it for your industry partner
- Clarify what they need from you
- Manage expectations on what you can and will deliver, and by when
- Deliver within non-disclosure agreements and intellectual property constraints
- Build lasting relationships for further collaboration
Alongside these learnings there will be opportunities for you to meet peers from other institutions and exchange experiences. This workshop is designed with breaks and breathing spaces to enhance the learning.
No prior experience is required—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
(Open to all Research Technical Professional (RTPs) within GW4 (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff & Exeter).
Industry Connection Programme: ‘Focus Fortnight’ – Cross-sector collaboration
📅 When: |
📍Where: |
🕰️Time: |
Click below to register: |
15th Oct-26 |
Online (via Teams) |
9.30am-11.30am |
Click here to register: Focus Fortnight Cross-sector collaboration |
3rd session of our Industry Connection Programme’s ‘Focus Fortnight’
This is an interactive online session where you will work in plenary and in breakout rooms over activities that will provide the following learnings:
- Define common vocabulary
- Contextualise your message
- Develop the win-win
No prior experience is required—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
(Open to all Research Technical Professional (RTPs) within GW4 (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff & Exeter).
Industry Connection Programme: ‘Focus Fortnight’ – Collaboration from an Industry perspective
📅 When: |
📍Where: |
🕰️Time: |
Click below to register: |
20th Oct-26 |
Online (via Teams) |
9.30am-11am |
Click here to register: Focus Fortnight Collaboration from an Industry perspective |
4th session of our Industry Connection Programme’s ‘Focus Fortnight’
This session aims to provide Research Technical Professional (RTP) participants with an authentic industry perspective on how industry projects progress and how that might fit in to collaborations with higher education staff. We hope to demystify how industry organisations approach projects, as well as touching on how partnerships and engagement with academia might fit into those project timelines, highlighting both opportunities and practical considerations.
By the end of the session, participants should:
- Understand how industry defines and evaluates a “successful project”
- Gain insight into industry timelines, drivers, and constraints
- Recognise key differences between academic and industry approaches
- Feel more confident about initiating conversations with industry partners
- Be aware of what industry values in early engagement and collaboration
Speakers include: Nicola Kinsman, Project Engineering Manager, Leonardo UK Ltd
No prior experience is required—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
(Open to all Research Technical Professional (RTPs) within GW4 (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff & Exeter).
Industry Connection Programme: ‘Focus Fortnight’ – The practical side of industry collaborations
📅 When: |
📍Where: |
🕰️Time: |
Click below to register: |
22nd Oct-26 |
Online (via Teams) |
9.30am-1.30pm |
Click here to register: Focus Fortnight The practical side of industry collaborations |
5th session of our Industry Connection Programme’s ‘Focus Fortnight’
So you have agreed to work with an industry partner. What happens next? This is an interactive online session where you will work in plenary and in breakout rooms over activities that will provide the following learnings:
- Define precise deliverables
- Gather the team
- Prepare a budget for the work and send a quote
- Negotiate the contract
- Draft a collaboration agreement that includes
- timelines,
- personnel,
- equipment and resources to be used,
- data handling and sharing protocols, and
- communication processes.
This session will include a speaker and case study examples. Alongside the learnings there will be opportunities for you to meet peers from other institutions and exchange experiences. This workshop is designed with breaks and breathing spaces to enhance the learning.
No prior experience is required—just bring your curiosity and a willingness to explore new opportunities for collaboration.
(Open to all Research Technical Professional (RTPs) within GW4 (Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff & Exeter).
