The University of Liverpool has commenced a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Carpenters Group, a leading provider of insurance and legal services in the UK.
Supported through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme and co-funded by UKRI and Carpenters Group, the three-year project will harness the University's expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science to transform how legal cases are triaged, allocated and processed. The project has a total value of £327,000.
A key objective of the partnership is to develop an intelligent case allocation tool that combines multiple AI techniques with historic and real-time case data to ensure cases are routed to the right team first time, every time. The innovation aims to improve customer experience, support employee wellbeing and increase operational efficiency.
The project will also lay the foundations for the future use of combined generative and explainable AI technologies across legal case processing, helping to create a seamless and automated triage system.
University of Liverpool alumnus Dr Jordan Robinson has been appointed as the KTP Associate for the project. Working as an AI Engineer and Data Scientist, he will lead the development and implementation of the intelligent case allocation system, supported by experts from both the University and Carpenters Group. The Academic Lead for the project is Professor Katie Atkinson, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor and artificial intelligence expert at the University of Liverpool, working closely with the Carpenters Group project team, alongside Dr Procheta Sen from the School of Computer Science and Informatics, who completes the academic team with essential expertise on natural language processing.
Prof Atkinson said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Carpenters Group on this innovative project. By combining our expertise in AI and machine learning with Carpenters' industry knowledge, we aim to develop an intelligent case allocation system that improves efficiency, enhances customer experience and supports future innovation in legal services."
Darren Hall, Chief Operating Officer at Carpenters Group, said: "Ensuring cases reach the right team first time is critical to delivering the best possible service for our clients and customers. Working with the University of Liverpool gives us access to world-leading AI expertise that will help us transform our case allocation process, improve operational efficiency and create a stronger experience for both customers and colleagues."
The project began in March 2026 and is expected to further accelerate claim resolution times, improve operational performance and enhance customer satisfaction, while enabling employees to focus on higher-value activities. By reducing the number of case handoffs and improving allocation accuracy, the partnership aims to deliver faster outcomes for customers, support employee wellbeing and establish a new benchmark for innovation and efficiency within the legal services sector.
The project builds on the University of Liverpool's successful portfolio of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, which have helped organisations across a range of sectors access academic expertise to drive innovation, productivity and growth. The project expands the set of completed KTP projects under the topic of AI and legal services that are already bringing benefit to businesses in the Liverpool City Region.
This work is part of the University's AI for Life Research Frontier, which brings together expertise from across disciplines to advance AI technologies and their applications. Through research, civic engagement and policy development, AI for Life aims to create responsible, people-centred AI solutions that address major societal challenges, including improving health and social care, closing educational gaps and promoting economic growth.
