As a Senior Lecturer at Queen's University Belfast and a chartered architect with over two decades of industry experience, Dr Tara Brooks has led six Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) projects, helping local construction businesses deliver digital innovation and sustainable practice improvements.

With expertise in BIM implementation, digital exploitation, BIM automation and carbon measurement in construction, Tara seeks to bridge academic research, teaching and practice, and has found that KTP provides the perfect vehicle.

Recognised as Academic of the Year at the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Awards 2024, Tara is a passionate advocate for knowledge transfer at Queen’s and across the construction sector. She encourages early-career academics to explore KTP as a valuable platform for impactful research and meaningful collaboration with industry.

Through KTP, Tara has applied her specialist research in emerging digital technologies and human behaviour in construction to address one of the sector’s most pressing challenges: environmental sustainability.

“Adopting sustainable construction methods is not an overnight process. Some aspects of the industry require fundamental change, and we as academics need to challenge the status quo,” Tara explains.

Her work shows how academic insight can drive innovation and transformation in industry, helping to shape a more sustainable future for construction in Northern Ireland and beyond.

 

Academic Background and Industry Expertise

Tara is a chartered architect and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, with professional memberships including MCIOB, MRIBA, and ARB. After qualifying at UCL in 2000, she built a successful career in architecture and project management across London and Belfast, including roles at Todd Architects and in the contracting sector.

Returning to academia as a mature student, Tara completed an MSc and PhD at Queen’s, focusing on BIM, digital technologies, and construction quality management. Today, she leads KTPs that help construction businesses modernise operations, boost productivity, and embed sustainability.

Her industry experience ensures that project plans are grounded in real-world understanding, while her academic leadership, particularly as Programme Director for the MSc in BIM Project Management, connects research, teaching, and industry practice. Tara’s work embraces sustainability in its broadest sense, and she has published widely, often co-authoring with KTP Associates to support their development as researchers.

Driving Business Innovation through KTP

Tara is passionate about translating academic expertise into business impact. Her collaborative approach and deep industry insight have helped companies like Felix O'Hare & Co. Ltd embrace innovation through KTP.

“My goal is to help businesses modernise operations, boost productivity, and embed sustainability by applying research in a practical way through KTP,” Tara explains.

For Tara, KTP is about developing and nurturing relationships as seen in the as seen in the transformative journey Felix O’Hare have embarked on with Queen’s. Under Tara’s leadership, their first KTP, rated Outstanding by Innovate UK, built advanced digital construction capabilities. Motivated by Tara’s vision for sustainable construction, the company launched a second KTP focused on reducing embodied carbon and challenging industry norms.

Tara’s strategic guidance ensured the project prioritised long-term environmental impact over short-term profit, positioning Felix O’Hare as a sector leader. She supported the Associate to deliver carbon literacy training and embed sustainability practices across the company and its supply chain.

Her ability to build trust and deliver change highlights the transformative potential of KTP for both business and the wider construction sector.

Collaborative Partnerships

Tara values the opportunity to work in partnership with companies and with fellow academics through KTP. Each of the KTPs she has been involved with to date has been co supervised with colleagues from Queen’s – with John Meneely, and expert in digital reality capture, drones, VR and AR; with Drs Stephen Mcilwaine and Siobhan Cox, whose expertise in carbon accounting in construction is pivotal for the ongoing KTP with Fox Building & Engineering Ltd, and with Dr Faris Elghaish, PhD, MCIOB, FHEA who brings expertise in digital applications including AI and generative design.

The combined strength of these academic partnerships is much more than the sum of their parts and she credits the success of previous and current KTPs to effective collaborative supervision.

Supporting the Next Generation of Industry Leaders

Tara is deeply committed to developing future talent through KTP, recognising its potential to drive innovation via graduate-led projects. She recently mentored KTP Associate Úna Barrett, whose outstanding contributions to her organisation and the wider construction sector have been widely recognised.

“I’m committed to supporting the next generation of industry leaders, helping KTP Associates gain experience, confidence, and opportunities to make a real impact in construction,” Tara says.

Tara has encouraged Úna to pursue professional development opportunities, including guest lecturing at Queen’s and supervising MSc dissertations. She has also helped raise the profile of Úna’s work, securing speaking opportunities at major industry events such as the Northern Ireland Sustainability in the Built Environment Conference and an ICE seminar on carbon management. In fact, Úna’s potential was recognised nationally when she won the Future Leader Award at the Innovate UK KTP Awards in 2024.

Beyond individual mentorship, Tara fosters a collaborative KTP ecosystem at Queen’s. She brings Associates together through in-person events, connects them with PhD researchers, and integrates real-world case studies into MSc teaching. This integrated approach is now promoted by the Queen’s KTP Office as a model of best practice.

 

Advancing Academic Impact and Knowledge Transfer

Tara is a true academic KTP ambassador, championing the programme internally by encouraging new/early-career academics to get involved, but also communicating successes to the wider construction industry including when acting as a judge for the UK wide Digital Construction Live Awards in 2022. She is fiercely proud to be part of the construction industry in Northern Ireland, and never wastes an opportunity to spread the positive message of KTP.

KTPs are funded by UKRI through Innovate UK with the support of co-funders, including the Scottish Funding Council, Welsh Government, Invest Northern Ireland, Defra and BEIS. Innovate UK manages the KTP programme and facilitates its delivery through a range of partners including Innovate UK Business Connect, Knowledge Bases and Businesses. Each partner plays a specific role in the support and delivery of the programme. 

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Queen’s University Belfast continues to offer high-level expertise to businesses through KTPs, with academics like Dr Tara Brooks leading the way in driving innovation and sustainable growth in most sectors across Northern Ireland.

Contact the KTP team at Queen’s to explore how your business can benefit from working with Queen’s, or to find out more: ktp@qub.ac.uk