Cirdan are delighted to announce that together with Queen’s University Belfast and our KTP Associate and Senior AI Engineer, Jonathan Armstrong, we have been shortlisted for Innovate UK’s esteemed Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership Award. Innovate UK’s Best Knowledge Transfer Partnership award honours the KTP which has brought the greatest benefits to all three participants, exceeding the expectations set out in their KTP proposal, and which best exemplifies innovation through collaboration.
Cirdan, who are a leading global provider of informatics and imaging solutions that enhance and speed up patient diagnosis, undertook a knowledge transfer partnership with Queen’s University Belfast working in collaboration with Dr. Stephen McComb, Knowledge Transfer Adviser and Dr Jesus Martinez del Rincon, from the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Jonathan Armstrong, the KTP Associate and Senior AI Engineer at Cirdan developed two AI products for Cirdan. Firstly, an AI algorithm for our CoreLite x-ray product which expedites breast cancer diagnosis. Secondly, in collaboration with consultant pathologist Dr. Maurice Loughrey from the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast, Jonathan developed a 95% accuracy cloud-based AI algorithm for detecting tumours in any polyp image, using 500 expertly annotated slides.
Commenting on the shortlisting, Hugh Cormican, CEO at Cirdan said: “We are honoured that we have been shortlisted by Innovate UK for this prestigious award. We have been supporting the KTP programme at Queen’s university for a few years now and we have seen great impacts for us as a business. Jonathan’s KTP project has enabled us to draw on expert AI knowledge to develop new products to enhance and speed up patient diagnosis on a global scale, which truly exemplifies our company motto of ‘Improving Wellbeing through Innovation’.”
Lorraine Marks, Head of KTP at Queen’s University, added: “It’s incredibly rewarding when the efforts of such a talented graduate, innovative company and team of leading academics are celebrated. To be shortlisted as one of just three finalists out of 800 UK-wide projects is a huge achievement and we’re delighted for all involved.”
Over 800 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships projects between universities and business are active across the UK, with less than 40 shortlisted for the awards. The Innovate UK Awards will take place in Liverpool on 12 October 2022.
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T: +44 (0) 28 9266 0880 E: rfitton@cirdan.com W: www.cirdan.com