A HAMPSHIRE business which makes dual control systems for vehicles is hoping to accelerate its overseas sales thanks to a partnership with a university.

He-Man Dual Controls has teamed up with Southampton Solent University to develop electronic-based products, which are becoming more common in France, Belgium, the Netherlands.

With a 95 per cent share of the market, the Southampton-based firm is far and away the leading UK dual controls supplier and develops mechanical products for driving school cars, track day cars and a specialist vehicles used by the military and emergency services.

As part of a government-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Josh Bowen, who graduated from Solent in 2015 with a first class honours in electronic engineering, will work with the company on new systems.

Paul Ferris, managing director at He-Man, says: “Dual controls replicate the controls on the driver’s side.

"In some countries overseas a visual and audio signal is required by the examiner if a driving instructor touches the pedals during a driving test, but you need an electronic control that does that,” he says.

“There are also a number of vehicles that we currently can’t fit our systems into, so linking one set of pedals to the other electronically is a distinct advantage.

“Products in this market haven’t changed for a long time, so we don’t want to be the dinosaur that misses the new ideas.

"The projects we’re working on with Josh and Southampton Solent University will mean that we can install products into cars that we previously couldn’t.”

KTPs allow businesses to benefit from the expertise of universities and recent graduates while receiving government funding.

The scheme has been running for 40 years, and works by using the knowledge of an academic specialist to support a recent graduate, who is hired by a company to fulfil a business need in an area where it lacks knowledge As part of the KTP, Southampton Solent University also offers He-Man the use of its extensive engineering facilities, such as 3D printers and testing equipment.

In return He-Man provide mentoring to Josh, as well as providing the opportunity for him to gain business experience.

The company also offers students from the university the chance to see industry in action, through planned student visits to the He-Man factory.

He Man has been in Southampton since 1964 and employ 23 at their premises in Cable Street and have agent installers all around the country.

They export their systems For more information relating to KTPs at Southampton Solent University, e-mail Katie Hornby, knowledge exchange and business development manager, at Katie.Hornby@solent.ac.uk.