Transforming Systems through Partnership

Dr Waressara Weerawat from Mahidol University, Thailand, with a pubic transport rail system model from the TSP project, SmartMetro. The collaboration brought together experts from British and Thai universities, transport companies and public entities to develop big data analytical systems that support Thailand's unique requirements for integrated transport.

About Transforming Systems through Partnership (TSP)

For more than ten years, the TSP programme has strengthened collaboration between universities and industry in the UK and partner countries through grants.

Since its launch in 2015, the TSP programme has supported 300 projects across nine partner countries including most recently Jordan, India, Thailand, and South Africa.  

With grants averaging £50,000, TSP supports collaborations that address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through challenge-led research and innovation, and has to date contributed to progress across all 17 of the UN SDGs. 

TSP supports research and design of appropriate solutions, scaling and uptake, and helps build trust across institutions. Collaborations formed between universities in the UK and in partner countries also work with government agencies and industry of all sizes to drive research and innovation addressing pressing development challenges. 

Programme objectives

The TSP programme has three core objectives:

• Promote challenge-led research and innovation that uses engineering to address sustainable challenges in partner countries, the UK and globally.
• Establish partnerships in course design and delivery that equip the next generation with skills to address sustainable development challenges.
• Facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange that creates a strong evidence base for building better systems for the world we want to live in.

Programme highlights

Over the last 10 years, TSP catalysed impactful projects that have gone on to create real change, such as:

• Providing renewable energy access through an energy trading pilot for an underserved neighbourhood in Colombia, and creating the country's first 'energy community'.
• Developing sustainable, affordable housing models in South Africa and working with the government to scale these.
• Informing the first offshore decommissioning policies in Thailand through cutting-edge research.
• Piloting locally made affordable 3d printed customisable dental implants in Jordan, contributing to the country's manufacturing and health sectors.

The video showcases the power of partnerships, innovation, and long-term collaboration in driving real, sustainable change. Learn more about other TSP project success stories here. 

Awardee support

Recognising that lasting impact requires more than funding, TSP supports awardees to connect, learn and grow together. Through a range of community-building activities, we aim to strengthen peer networks, support knowledge exchange, and create space for collaboration. 

TSP awardees and alumni are connected through peer learning and expert-led session, needs-based skills development, in-country events and ongoing communication and updates. Topics range from Intellectual Property protection to stakeholder management, and support in securing future funding.

Multi-level impacts

TSP supports change at every level, from individual capacity to national ecosystems.

At the individual level, participants gain communication, innovation, collaboration, and project management skills, alongside access to cutting-edge scientific knowledge in areas ranging from water quality to waste recovery. They build diverse professional networks that span disciplines, sectors, and borders.

At the organisational level, participation strengthens long-term partnerships between academic and industry bodies, shaping education curricula and unlocking funding opportunities in fields like solar energy, healthcare and AI. 

At the ecosystem level, TSP projects contribute directly to tackling global challenges including climate change, clean energy, and access to healthcare. By supporting cross-sectoral and international collaboration, the programme helps strengthen national research and innovation ecosystems, provides links to international networks, and improves knowledge transfer. From affordable housing to engineering education, these collaborations generate evidence-based results that drive policy and behavioural change across the ecosystem. 

Thematic approach  

Across different grant calls, TSP has taken a thematic approach to focus research and innovation support in areas of most need, informed by locally-led advice and partnerships. These have included:

• Clean energy 
• Affordable healthcare
• Clean energy
• Education, gender & inequality
• Digital revolution for sustainable development
• Health & wellbeing   
• Sustainable food, land, water & oceans           
• Sustainable cities and communities   

National approach

Through partnerships with national government agencies and/or industry, TSP has provided support in-country through grant calls specific to local needs. Previous national calls include India, Jordan, Thailand, South Africa, Turkey, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, China and Colombia.

The programme remains open to new partnerships at all times, and the team can be contacted at the details to the right.