University of Leicester’s support for wider society is recognised by Research England
The University of Leicester’s flair for engaging with and supporting wider society has been highlighted by a Research England report.
The Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) assesses the diverse activities through which universities engage with non-academic partners, locally, nationally and internationally, and allows universities to benchmark the scale of their activity against the wider Higher Education (HE) sector.
The University of Leicester has been identified as having ‘very high engagement’ compared to other universities in four categories:
- local growth and regeneration
- intellectual property and commercialisation
- research partnerships
- working with the public and third sector.
For each of these areas the University sits in the top 20% of HE providers in England and exceeds the average for universities of its size and type.
Leicester also has ‘high engagement’ (top 40% in the country) in a further two categories:
- working with business
- public and community engagement.
The latest results show Leicester has maintained the strong engagement of previous years, and is well above average compared to a cluster of similar institutions.
KEF highlights the huge range of activity and forms of knowledge exchange taking place between the University and non-academic groups and individuals, which benefits society. Boosting productivity, jobs and wellbeing, and supporting the city and region through innovation and enterprise activity are key elements of the University’s strategy, and align with the UK Government’s priority to drive economic growth.
The University of Leicester is driving innovation and growth in the local area, by leveraging its strengths in research and local partnerships.
The School of Business continues to support organisations to innovate and grow, with 428 small and medium enterprise leaders having completed the Help to Grow: Management programme and more than 100 social enterprises benefitting from the Growth Accelerator for Social Entrepreneurs. Outcomes on both programmes include improved management skills, business expansion, entry to new markets, job creation and increased productivity. The School of Business has also lead the GreenerFuture Leicestershire Business Advisory Service, providing businesses with access to practical tools, expert guidance, and tailored training to support emissions reduction, cost savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced productivity.
The Institute for Precision Health and NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre are working with Charnwood Campus Life Sciences and Technology Park to build effective partnerships between industry, academia and clinical teams that support innovation and regional economic growth, underpinned by development of our talent and skills pool. Industry partnership showcase events have demonstrated credible return on investment, roundtable discussion with business leaders have helped understand regional bottlenecks to growth, Innovation and Business Festivals demonstrate the value of our outward-facing collaborative environment, Innovation Clinics deliver tangible outputs for early-phase innovators across the region, and events for early career researchers have mapped routes to successful commercial interactions. We continue to work with industry partners to develop innovative healthcare solutions, and support an enabling environment for growth and scaling of innovation.
Space Park Leicester, the University’s £100 million science and innovation park, has been a transformative addition to the city’s economy, linking academic expertise to the wider Space City urban innovation district, supporting education, innovation and business growth. This year Space Park Leicester has also rolled out a new CPD offering, to give professionals essential skills and knowledge about working in or with the space industry. This builds on its extensive business support and engagement, which includes collaborative research, two spinout ventures, and a European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre.
The University’s Heritage Hub has become a key partner for local authority heritage strategies, supporting tourism and attracting place-based funding to the region, as well as supporting commercial ventures. This year the Heritage Hub’s partnership with North Northamptonshire Council on the Irchester Field School at Chester House Estate won an MJ Award for Innovation in Public Private Partnerships, celebrating excellence in local government. The partnership directly supports the goals of the Northamptonshire Visitor Economy Strategy by increasing visitor numbers, developing skills, supporting business growth and promoting inspirational places.
Through its Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme, the University is driving innovation-led growth through embedding academic expertise into a range of businesses. The current portfolio stands at 10 live projects, with many others completed since 1988. These collaborations have delivered measurable economic benefits, including increased productivity, job creation, and enhanced competitiveness. By translating research into real-world impact, the University continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening the regional and national economy.
Finally, the University is increasingly focused on creating new spin out companies based on knowledge and intellectual property generated from its research. Last year saw the launch of two new spinouts, the Museum Data Service and Perpetual Atomics. Several regional collaborations, including Midlands Mindforge, supporting investment in spinouts, and Forging Ahead, supporting the wider commercialisation ecosystem (building on the successful VentureVersity programme), are enabling further spinout and commercialisation activity.
Professor Richard Thomas, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research & Enterprise, said: “I am delighted to see the University’s continuing strong performance in knowledge exchange recognised in the KEF across the diverse range of measures. It is rooted in the dedication of our staff to engage with non-academic partners to innovate and make a difference to those outside of the University.
“As the government encourages universities to take a stronger role in driving local economic growth, I am impressed by what we have already achieved – and by the potential to further drive the success of the economy of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. This requires close collaboration and partnerships with our key local partners, including other universities, local authorities, businesses and the public sector, something I am committed to taking forward, including through our local Business and Skills Partnership and Universities Partnership.”
Full results and interactive dashboards are available on the KEF website.