Engineering: UK university in Fortune 500 collaboration

 

The University of Kent is to collaborate with a Fortune 500 company on identity management projects.

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Academics from the university and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) will work together on biometrics and identity management projects.

The collaboration was agreed via the signing of a Letter of Intent at the UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) reception in Washington DC on Monday 25 June.

UKTI facilitated the introduction of SAIC and the University of Kent at the highly successful ‘Science for Security’ mission last November and has supported their collaboration over the past eight months.

The partnership will involve SAIC and the university working to meet the challenges of the international biometrics market.

The benefits for the university include the enhanced co-operation and collaboration with one of the most important and innovative companies in the new global economy.

SAIC will benefit from direct interaction through UKBI (United Kingdom Biometrics Institute – a University of Kent initiative) with the UK’s academic research base, industry, government agencies and the European biometrics community.

'Rewarding collaboration'

Carole Barron, Director of Enterprise at the University of Kent, said: "We are delighted to be embarking on what we expect to be a very rewarding collaboration with SAIC.

"The development of this exciting collaboration is a reflection of the world-class reputation for the University’s research in the area of biometrics and identity management.

"We are looking forward to building on this international collaboration with one of the world’s largest systems, solutions and technical services companies to address challenges facing the world today in human identity management."

Professor Michael Fairhurst, Head of the Department of Electronics at the University of Kent and a co-founder of UKBI, said: "This is extremely good news for the University, but it also demonstrates the enormous value of UKBI in stimulating opportunities to extend the reach of the established strengths of the UK biometrics community."

Melinda Goforth, Head of UKTI at the British Embassy, Washington DC, added: "UKTI is delighted to work with both SAIC and the United Kingdom Biometrics Institute at the University of Kent.

"This type of collaboration between government, industry and academia is an extraordinary example of how we can work together to foster innovation."

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