A former University of the West of Scotland (UWS) student and Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate has won the Future Leader Award at the national KTP Awards in Manchester.

Ray Holder, who led a UWS partnership with technology company Smartify, was recognised for his leadership in embedding cutting-edge technology into cultural tourism through the Smartify platform.

His projects included digitising never-before-seen photographs from Tower Bridge’s 130th anniversary, developing an interactive model of the Cutty Sark that allowed visitors to explore closed-off areas during its refurbishment and creating a 3D model viewer that enabled people to interact with sculptures and objects without having to use special software.

Speaking after receiving the award, Ray who is now Head of XR at the company, said:

 

I’m genuinely delighted to have won. This award reflects the hard work, creativity and collaboration of everyone involved. Working with Smartify and UWS gave me the space to lead, learn, and deliver projects that really make a difference in how people connect with art and culture.

 

Thanos Kokkiniotis, Founder and Director at Smartify, added: “We’re absolutely thrilled for Ray. His creativity, technical expertise and leadership have left a lasting impact on Smartify. The KTP provided expertise that transformed what we could achieve and Ray has been central to that success.”

 

Ray’s achievement is a proud moment for him, for Smartify, and for UWS. Our KTPs are designed to bring academic knowledge and real-world challenges together, this award shows the incredible results that can come from those partnerships.

Senior KTP Manager at UWS Stuart McKay

 

The win adds to UWS’s strong showing at this year’s awards, alongside Routes to Work, who were shortlisted in two categories, highlighting the University’s commitment to driving real-world impact across both technology and social enterprise sectors.

This award-winning UWS KTP project contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals by advancing innovation, education, decent work, reduced inequalities, and sustainable partnerships. SDGs 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 17.