Keele’s unique campus, world-leading research and expertise, and community of talented and dedicated students make an attractive choice for world-renowned businesses and brands looking to collaborate and base themselves here.
Whether it’s basing their headquarters on the Science and Innovation Park, taking on Keele students for work placements during their courses, or partnering with our academics for pioneering research and applying their expertise through knowledge transfer partnerships, our work with brands takes a range of forms with benefits for all involved.
Luxury car manufacturer Bentley Motors partnered with Keele on a three-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership, working with Keele experts to improve its utilisation and understanding of advanced data analytics within the business. Keele experts worked with Bentley on these areas, as well as jointly developing a structured process that will become the foundation for their future data-driven projects.
By using advanced machine learning, the manufacturer will be able to better predict the demand for each feature, leading to improved production efficiency and minimised customer waiting times.
Business and Psychology student Ellie Cotterill completed a work placement with Toyota as part of her undergraduate degree, working with the team that manages social media channels for Toyota and Lexus UK during her time at the company's UK headquarters in Surrey.
At Keele, every undergraduate course (excluding apprenticeships and top-up degrees) offers students a placement opportunity. This includes either a placement year opportunity or an integrated clinical or professional placement for every course, and most also offer a work placement module.
Leading environmental consultancy RSK Group signed a partnership with Keele in 2024, strengthening the two organisations’ sustainability ambitions and creating new opportunities for Keele staff and students.
The agreement has enabled RSK to access leading academics in sustainability and green technology for research and development, and enhance the Group’s skills pipeline with access to emerging student and graduate talent.
Keele has also benefited from access to the wealth of knowledge and experience across the RSK Group, which comprises more than 200 companies and 15,000 colleagues in 40 countries.
World-renowned tyre manufacturer Michelin relocated its UK head office to Keele’s Science and Innovation Park in 2025, with members of its UK commerce and group services teams now operating from the office in Innovation Centre 2 (IC2).
The company made the move in pursuit of its “People, Profit and Planet” strategy, saying it will help Michelin make significant gains in sustainability and create an enhanced workplace for its staff.
Read more about Michelin's relocation to Keele's Science and Innovation Park
Keele partnered with Siemens to develop the on-campus Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) – the largest project of its kind in Europe.
This hugely exciting development focuses on reducing carbon emissions and tackling climate change whilst driving new research and development and business growth.
The SEND project is creating an ‘at scale’ environment that allows energy generation, distribution, storage, forecasting and balancing to be intelligently carried out across different energy sources using the Keele University campus as a genuine ‘living laboratory.’
The project will deliver better energy management, reduce reliance on fossil-fuel derived energy, significantly reduce energy waste and provide opportunities to trial innovative ways of energy use and management.
National banking group Natwest is a member of Keele’s Partner Programme, working on projects which connect the University, Science Park tenants, and an extensive network of businesses and organisations at local, regional, and national levels. Natwest partnered with Keele on an innovative project designed to put the environment at the forefront of regional innovation.
The partnership meant that local businesses banking with NatWest were able to benefit from access to Keele University’s Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND), an ERDF-funded programme that supports Staffordshire-based SMEs looking to reduce their energy consumption and lower their carbon emissions.
Chemistry researchers at Keele received funding from Prostate Cancer UK for a study which aims to improve the accuracy with which doctors can test for unusual changes in prostate tissue which could be an indicator of cancer risk.
The researchers will specifically look at testing for high grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN), a term which describes abnormal changes in cells lining the prostate.
Researchers at Keele University have been studying how to help improve the early detection of ovarian cancer, which could benefit thousands of women every year.
Working with Cancer Research UK, who funded the research until March 2026, the team led by Dr Sarah Gosling hope to refine the ways in which signs of cancer can be identified in ovarian tissue, meaning it can be detected at an earlier stage to improve patient treatment and outcomes.
In 2019, the national charity Caudwell Children opened Britain’s first independent purpose-built centre on Keele's Science and Innovation Park, dedicated to multidisciplinary autism assessment, support, and research. The £18 million Caudwell International Children’s Centre is transforming the way disabled and neurodivergent children and young people can be supported, and go on to reach their true potential.
The Science and Innovation Park provided the space necessary to construct a unique, "butterfly-shaped" building specifically designed to be non-institutional and calming for children with sensory needs. Being on campus allows the centre to collaborate closely with academic and clinical partners on research programmes for childhood disabilities and neurodevelopmental conditions. The university's central location and excellent transport links make it accessible for families travelling from across the UK for assessments and therapy. The 60,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility serves as both a national hub for autism services and the head office for Caudwell Children, providing students and professionals with opportunities for volunteering and training.
Keele has also proudly supported a number the charity’s fundraising and engagement events, including campus fun runs and the annual Caudwell Children Open Day. The university’s Sport Centre provides the venue for the charity’s pan-disability football training sessions, in conjunction with Pro Level Academy.
