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Leeds Beckett and Wetherby-based Arville launch innovative partnership to drive data-led growth in the textiles industry
The 30-month KTP project is part-funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through Innovate UK. Academic experts from LBU’s School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing and Leeds Business School will work with Arville to integrate the operational and commercial aspects of the business, supporting better-informed decisions and new opportunities for growth.
Arville holds large amounts of valuable technical and commercial data. The team will connect and further harness these data to provide a clear and consistent view of the company’s performance across customers, products and brands, enabling more effective data-led decision-making.
Dr David Love, Senior Lecturer in the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, and project lead, explained: “This KTP forms part of a portfolio of successful projects that draw on the combined expertise of Leeds Business School and the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing at Leeds Beckett University. Arville has been trading successfully for 75 years, and this is an exciting opportunity to work across the business and embed innovative approaches and skills. These capabilities will help Arville reach new customers and markets, creating growth and opportunities that extend well beyond the lifetime of the KTP.”
Steve Gill, Group Chief Executive Officer at Arville, said: “As a business built on innovation, we recognise the importance of harnessing data to support future growth. This partnership with Leeds Beckett University will provide the tools, frameworks and capabilities needed to transform how we make decisions across the organisation. By integrating commercial and operational insight, we will be better positioned to improve profitability, enhance efficiency and deliver greater value to our customers.”
An experienced graduate will be recruited to manage the project as a KTP Associate. The Commercial and Operations Analytical Lead will join the Arville team full-time and receive full support from the LBU academics. For more information and to apply, please visit the Leeds Beckett Jobs website. The closing date for applications is 19 November 2026.
Anne-Marie Gallagher, Business Development Manager at LBU, added: “This new KTP project forms part of Leeds Beckett University’s wider support for the textiles sector. It builds on collaborations with leading Yorkshire manufacturers, including Abraham Moon and Specialised Covers, that aim to drive innovation, sustainability and growth.”
The full LBU KTP team comprises:
- Dr David Love, Course Director in the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing, specialising in Electronics and Robotics;
- Dr Christine Zhang, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Leeds Business School;
- Dave Chesley, Senior Lecturer in the Leadership, Governance and People Management subject group in Leeds Business School.
In this article
Dr David Love
I specalise in the design, analaysis and improvement of complex, human‑oriented, systems; especially networked systems with a mix of hardware and software components. In my current role I help develop the pipeline of KTP and other knowledge transfer awards in the Engineering group, and contribute to the delivery of KTP awards with colleagues in both inside the School and outside (especially with Leeds Business School). Previously I have set-up new groups in Networking, Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics (at Sheffield Hallam University), and the Electronics and Electrical Engineering & Robotics areas at Leeds Beckett. Currently I teach mostly on the Engineering Management side, but have taught most subjects on the hardware and 'software' (programme) boundary.
Dr Christine Zhang
Dr. Christine Zhang is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing and an academic researcher at Leeds Business School. She specialises in marketing communications, digital marketing and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing.
