ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ University has cemented its place as one of the top universities for working with businesses, commercialising ideas and contributing to local growth in the latest 5 (KEF) assessment, published by Research England. The KEF examines how universities engage with society and the economy on a local, national and international scale. 

Top rankings for working with business, IP and commercialisation

In its specialist STEM cluster in the KEF assessment, ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ is measured alongside other institutions that focus on science, technology, engineering and maths. ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ placed highly in comparison to others in the cluster:

  • Top 20% for working with business 
  • Top 20% for IP and commercialisation 
  • Significantly strengthened engagement with public and third sector organisations

Professor Leon A. Terry, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ University, said: “ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ is simply a powerhouse of knowledge exchange. Our collaborations with industry follow the principles of our founding – to advance technologies and ideas that create real-world impacts. It’s really pleasing to also be recognised for our high engagement with public and third sector organisations, something that has a really positive effect on society.”

A track record in incubating ideas

ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ University has long-term strategic partnerships with industry leaders which involve close collaboration to develop innovative new technologies. These include Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, PepsiCo and many other global corporations.

The University is also renowned for its work to support spin-out and entrepreneurial endeavours which drive regional growth, and has been shortlisted for Outstanding Entrepreneurial University at the prestigious Times Higher Education awards. ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ’s partnership with Green Future Investments Ltd (GFIL), which supports green tech innovators, won the Sustainability Collaboration of the Year award at the KE Awards 2024, which celebrates outstanding achievements in knowledge exchange.

Examples of ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ’s knowledge exchange success include:

  • New spin-out company , which focuses on commercialising sensors for environmental water monitoring.
  • A project with Severn Trent is creating a faster, cheaper and more sustainable way to deal with ‘forever chemicals’ in our water.
  • Working with Rolls-Royce and academic partners, ÌúÅ£ÊÓƵ is helping to develop ultra-efficient turbofans, improving efficiency and reducing the climate impact of aviation.

The aim of the KEF is to increase efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public funding for knowledge exchange (KE) and to further a culture of continuous improvement in universities. The University’s full result in the Knowledge Exchange Framework can be found on the KEF website.