AI partnership set to transform customer support and staff training
Monday 23 February 2026
A 27-month Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Huddersfield's Centre for Autonomous and Intelligent Systems (CAIS) and Huddersfield-based industrial fan manufacturer Woodcock & Wilson will build an AI system to level up customer support and employee training.
Led by Dr Emmanuel Papadakis and Dr George Bargiannis from the University's Department of Computer Science, the project pairs academic AI expertise with real-world manufacturing operations to deliver always-on support and faster knowledge access for teams.
Why this matters for support leaders
- 24/7 customer availability: Consistent answers and faster resolutions, regardless of timezone.
- Smarter knowledge access for agents: Guided retrieval that helps less-experienced staff find the right detail, fast.
- Data-driven operations: Insights to improve processes while building a scalable support infrastructure.
- Real-time assistance: AI that supports both customer-facing and internal interactions as they happen.
What's being built
Rohan Jadhav has joined as the KTP associate to design, develop, test and refine the intelligent system, integrating it within Woodcock & Wilson's daily operations. He is expected to be hired by the company at the end of the project, with on-site supervision by Chief Engineer Abd-Al Basit and Hisham Yahia.
The core innovation combines multimodal and agentic AI with knowledge graphs plus generative and conversational AI. The system will be powered by a curated knowledge base and improved through human-in-the-loop training to keep answers accurate and conversations natural.
Dr Papadakis noted that the project showcases how different AI types can be combined in an agent-based architecture, using knowledge graphs as an adaptable and explainable resource while generative and conversational AI put that knowledge to work across customer and internal use cases.
Dr Bargiannis, Deputy Director of CAIS, said: "The multimodal nature of data involved in Woodcock & Wilson's processes makes this project quite challenging, as the developed system will need to be capable of processing and understanding textual, numerical and visual data."
Expected impact
The company expects a step-change in customer experience and employee enablement, creating room to scale operations and expand into overseas markets. The AI system is set to support both external customer requests and internal training at pace.
Abd-Al Basit, Chief Engineer at Woodcock & Wilson, commented: "This collaboration marks a major step forward for Woodcock & Wilson. The AI system developed through this partnership will help us enhance our customer experience, empower our staff, and position the company for significant growth in both UK and international markets."
This KTP builds on an earlier Accelerated Knowledge Transfer project, where Dr Bargiannis and Dr Papadakis delivered a limited prototype that confirmed feasibility. Abd-Al Basit initially joined the company as a KTP associate in a previous partnership with the University, showing the long-term value of KTPs in driving innovation.
Practical takeaways for support teams
- Inventory your knowledge sources (manuals, FAQs, ticket history) and identify gaps that block first-contact resolution.
- Start with 2-3 high-volume intents for AI assistance and define clear escalation paths to humans.
- Set up human review loops for sensitive replies and use feedback to fine-tune responses over time.
- Track the basics: first-response time, time to resolution, CSAT, and agent time-to-proficiency for training impact.
To explore practical playbooks, tools, and case studies, see AI for Customer Support.
If you want background on how KTPs work across the UK, visit Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (Innovate UK).
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