BP&R Editor Giulia Daniele spoke with the VeriVide Limited team about the company’s ongoing collaboration with the University of Leeds’ School of Design and how this is helping bridge the gap between industry and academia.
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[GD] Please take me through how the collaboration started and how it progressed over time, from initial challenges to ongoing success.
[VeriVide] Our relationship with the University of Leeds spans four decades. During this time, we’ve collaborated on a wide range of research projects, such as textile performance, hair and skin appearance measurement and dentistry. Because our system is being used in so many diverse applications, sharing expertise and maintaining consistent knowledge across users is complex.
We worked closely with the university to introduce regular training and check-in sessions to tackle these knowledge gaps. This included creating new software manuals that allow students to download an image and follow step-by-step instructions, so they can teach themselves how to use our equipment. We’ve also been invited as guest lecturers, which is a great way to engage with students and show them that what they’re learning has a real-life impact and use.
[GD] Can you share the project’s short and long-term goals?
[VeriVide] The goal of the partnership was to give students the opportunity to work with equipment used across industries and integrated into some of the world’s biggest brands’ workflows. This offers students an insight into real-world applications and gives them the skills, knowledge and confidence to go into employment after finishing university. This saves employers time and money while providing students with contemporary colour research.
The relationship isn’t only about us providing universities with the latest technology, but it’s a real learning development for all involved. The University of Leeds boasts one of the world’s top colour departments, involved in many different research fields. This provides us with insights into the latest research being conducted and crucial feedback on our equipment to help us optimise and develop new, exciting solutions. It’s really a mutually beneficial exchange.
[GD] What equipment has VeriVide donated over the years?
[VeriVide] Some staff members were already familiar with our work before joining the School of Design, and they brought our equipment with them when they moved. In 2018, we made a significant donation to support the foundation of their state-of-the-art colour laboratories. More recently, in 2025, following the introduction of the fluorescent light ban, the newest LED version of our DigiEye system was donated to the School’s Colour and Materials Testing Lab, where it is being incorporated into undergraduate and postgraduate practical sessions. We also donated our latest tunable LED light booths, UltraView and VisionView. The latter is a lighting cabinet with a colour-calibrated Eizo Monitor in the back. Any image captured in a DigiEye can be displayed in the monitor of the VisionView, allowing for samples to be physically assessed against digital submissions.
Our DigiEye system captures calibrated, objective images of samples in a controlled lighting environment and can generate virtual samples using existing colour libraries. This enables users to instantly assess and communicate the colour and visual appearance of samples. As images can be opened on any DigiEye software, universities can collaborate with other universities to assess each other’s research projects.
[GD] Can you share some of the feedback from the university?
[VeriVide] The University of Leeds currently has 150+ students using the system for module practicals in both undergraduate and master’s programmes. Some feedback we’ve received from the teachers is that the industry needs designers with a greater understanding of digital colour, which is why they’ve incorporated our technology into their curriculum. They’ve noticed that using DigiEye has helped their students get a deeper understanding of the challenges and solutions of digital colour communication.
Students really enjoy learning about the colour design processes, as well as understanding their real-life implications. Not only do they learn the concept, but they’re also able to replicate the idea of a contemporary colour workflow to understand the current industry’s challenges and how they can improve as designers. Some of the graduate researchers in the textile testing lab have only recently been introduced to our solutions, and they said they were surprised by their capabilities, especially for digital colour fastness assessment. They also see the huge advantages of DigiEye’s ability to store a digital history of their research, which they can always go back to and reassess.
[GD] How has this project facilitated collaborations between academia and the industry?
[VeriVide] Universities are required to write grants to get research approvals, and the best way to achieve successful grants is to either have an industry partner or be involved with another university. An example would be a plastic supplier having issues with colour consistency and partnering with the university to find a solution. Thanks to our equipment, universities can communicate colour appearance instantly, shortening the time it takes to compare their respective issues and find a solution together. Ultimately, these students are our future employees, so training them at university is a win-win for both academia and employers.
The collaboration supports cutting-edge research, knowledge exchange, and the development of future standards in colour science and digital imaging, further strengthening the University’s and VeriVide’s position as trusted partners for innovation and skills development across industry. Industries can get involved with universities and bridge financial gaps through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP), a government grant designed for university-industry collaborations. Grants take time, but they are a great tool to open the door to new talent.