Digital Planning’s Chief Science Officer Ben Hutchings attended the University of Derby’s Vice-Chancellor’s Partnership Award Scheme Showcase as a trusted commercial R&D partner for academia and industry.
The event brought together researchers, civic organisations and businesses to explore how funded partnerships can turn cutting-edge research into high-value, competitive proposals with real-world impact.
Digital Planning focused on bridging academic innovation with scalable, commercially robust implementation.
Ben participated in strategic discussions with Vice-Chancellor Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE DL and faculty leadership on how stronger SME engagement can accelerate research commercialisation and strengthen future funding proposals.
Ben said: “Universities like Derby are doing outstanding work at the frontier of research.
“Digital Planning’s focus is making sure that this innovation does not stay on the page, but is translated into secure, scalable digital products that improve productivity for businesses and communities.”
This reflects a shared priority between industry and academia: turning research excellence into deployable solutions across complex, regulated sectors.
Digital Planning delivers end‑to‑end digital solutions and commercial R&D – from concept and prototyping through to full‑stack implementation, cyber security and long‑term optimisation.
It supports clients in financial services, manufacturing, healthcare and other complex, regulated industries.
Through active partnerships with both University of Derby and Gulf Medical University, Digital Planning ensures that emerging AI and data science are translated into practical tools, not just papers.
These relationships sit alongside other strategic partnerships, including a Royal Society Industry Fellowship and collaboration with East Midlands Chamber on regional innovation and skills.
Together, these position Digital Planning as the implementation engine for advanced research – delivering solutions that save time, unlock capacity and drive measurable ROI.
