FLP partner with University of Brighton to secure funding from Innovate UK to drive technology innovation
Leading family law specialists Family Law Partners, together with The University of Brighton, has secured funding of £144,794 from the Government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.
The funding takes the form of a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), utilising the University’s knowledge engineering and artificial intelligence expertise to develop a triage style system to underpin a novel model of family law provision.
Recognised as one of the leading firms in the South East for family work by Chambers UK and Legal 500, the partnership is the latest development in Family Law Partners’ innovation agenda.
The Brighton-based team has been shortlisted for a national award in the ‘Innovation in IT’ category for development of its first commercial software offering, Siaro, and through the collaboration with The University of Brighton, will be leading the way in how technology can streamline elements of the divorce process.
Alan Larkin, Director at Family Law Partners and an alumnus of the university, said:
‘We are delighted to be working with the University of Brighton on this project. We see technology as having a pivotal role in the future delivery of family law services, and it is with great excitement that we have teamed up with knowledge engineering specialists from the university to innovate our service. On a personal level, it is also particularly satisfying to be strengthening our existing relationship with the local university and the institution where I undertook my legal training.’
The project will be led by Dr John Kingston and supported by Professor Miltos Petridis, both from the University’s School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics. Dr Kingston said: ‘We believe that knowledge engineering offers great potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness of decision making. We are delighted that the KTP programme enables us to work with Family Law Partners to support innovation in a forward-looking firm and also to assist their clients at what is often a very vulnerable point in their lives’.
The University is currently looking to hire a graduate as a Knowledge Systems Developer to deliver the project. Full details of the vacancy are available here: https://jobs.brighton.ac.uk/vacancy.aspx?ref=EG4030-16-437