Levidian and Cranfield University Knowledge Transfer Partnership awarded highest ‘Outstanding’ rating
Levidian’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Cranfield University has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ grading by Innovate UK, the highest possible rating for a KTP project.
The partnership focused on developing advanced digital engineering capabilities to support the continued commercialisation of Levidian’s LOOP technology. Through the collaboration, Levidian and Cranfield University worked together to create a digital twin of the LOOP system.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are designed to help businesses accelerate innovation by combining academic expertise with commercial application. For Levidian, the project represented an opportunity to embed new digital capabilities within the business while supporting the development of future generations of LOOP systems.
Building a Digital Foundation for Growth
LOOP is Levidian’s patented technology that cracks methane using microwave plasma, producing two valuable outputs: hydrogen and graphene. As deployment of the technology continues to expand, ensuring operational reliability, scalability and data-driven optimisation becomes increasingly important.
The digital twin developed through the KTP provides a virtual representation of the LOOP system, enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of operational performance. By combining engineering expertise, data science and machine learning techniques, the project has established a framework that supports improved system understanding, predictive maintenance and future product development.
A big part of the value of the KTP was in bringing academic depth and industrial application together in a really practical way. Through our excellent KTP associate, we were able to draw on Cranfield’s expertise while keeping the work embedded in the day-to-day realities of developing and supporting our LOOP technology. That combination has helped us move digital twin thinking from concept into capability, and it has shown the real value of collaboration between industry and academia.
- Ben von Bertele, Director, Digital and Strategy, Levidian
Delivering Lasting Value
While the initial objective was to create a digital twin of the company’s pilot-scale reactor, the outcomes extended beyond the original scope of the project.
The work delivered a scalable architecture capable of supporting future LOOP deployments, alongside advanced modelling and analytics capabilities that can be applied across the product range. The project also strengthened Levidian’s ability to utilise operational data to inform system design, commissioning and ongoing support activities.
A Successful Collaboration
The partnership combined Cranfield University’s expertise in digital engineering, machine learning and predictive analytics with Levidian’s industrial experience and proprietary technology.
Together, the organisations explored a range of advanced methodologies, including predictive maintenance modelling, anomaly detection, machine learning and performance forecasting. These tools have helped create a platform that not only supports current LOOP systems but also contributes to future technology development.
Receiving the highest possible rating from Innovate UK reflects the strength of the collaboration and the value delivered through the project.
As Levidian continues to scale deployment of LOOP technology globally, digital engineering will play an increasingly important role in supporting operational excellence, accelerating innovation and delivering value for customers.