Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Inclusive, properous communities
Safeguarding heritage, powering innovation
LBU partners with two historic Guiseley businesses.
[Image: Nick Wood via Unsplash.]
We are committed to helping develop a strong, inclusive economy by sharing knowledge to help businesses and communities grow, innovate and diversify.
Leeds Beckett University (LBU) is partnering with two of Guiseley’s most iconic family-owned businesses – Abraham Moon & Sons and Haighs Bakery – in research-driven Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) projects that blend tradition with innovation to help secure their futures.
Supported by UKRI through Innovate UK, the two KTPs will see LBU experts work side by side with the businesses to co-develop forward-looking strategies that preserve heritage, enhance operational models and build resilience in a competitive landscape.
At Haighs Bakery, marketing researchers from Leeds Beckett will collaborate to develop a strategic model that supports sustainable growth, market expansion and operational efficiency – ensuring the well-established business evolves with the needs of its loyal customer base. Haighs, founded in 1950, supplies fresh breads, pastries and cakes to shops, schools, universities and takeaways across the region.
Just a stone’s throw away, a cross-disciplinary academic team is working with Abraham Moon & Sons Ltd, the historic woollen mill founded in 1837, to modernise traditional production processes while safeguarding unique textile skills. The company, whose fabrics are supplied to global fashion houses including Burberry and Prada, recently gained international attention when Billie Eilish wore a cap made from its signature cloth at the Grammy Awards.
Each KTP will be delivered by a full-time, graduate-level KTP Associate embedded within the business and supported by LBU academic teams – ensuring deep integration and long-term impact.
This KTP will support a cultural change within Haighs – allowing us to achieve our ambitions.
Working with Leeds Beckett on the KTP will allow Moon to disrupt the existing woollen industry model, securing our heritage and future through significant improvements to current processes and culture.
