The University of Nottingham continues to make strides in collaborative work with industry professionals and the public sector, demonstrated in this year's Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) rankings.
Conducted by Research England, KEF provides an overview of the knowledge exchange activities and performance of English universities, across seven broad perspectives including public engagement and local growth.
This year's results show the University of Nottingham is outshining its Russell Group peers in four of the seven areas: 'Local Growth and Regeneration', 'Public and Community Engagement', 'Working with Business' and 'Working with the public and third sector'.
Nottingham increased the levels of relative income across the board by a total of £5.7M and improved position within the Russell Group ranking in a number of areas, most notably collaborative research, regeneration revenue, regeneration capital and facilities and equipment.
The results of Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) are an important measure for the university as they demonstrate how research and knowledge exchange activity plays a pivotal role in supporting innovation and driving local economic growth.
He added: "The aim of this survey is to measure how universities work with external partners for the benefit of the economy and wider society. Our results reflect Nottingham's work with local partners to further excel the work we're doing in a variety of sectors, and I hope that the advances we continue to make will have real benefits for local people and businesses.
"I am pleased to see that Nottingham has continued to perform well scoring higher than its peers in Local Growth and Regeneration', 'Public and Community Engagement', 'Working with Business' and 'Working with the public and third sector'. I am particularly pleased to see growth in the area of 'Local Growth and Regeneration' which is testament to our ongoing relationship and commitment to working with the East Midlands Combined Authority."
The latest KEF ranking also confirmed the University of Nottingham's leading role as a Knowledge Exchange institution in the East Midlands.
UoN is ranked very high or high engagement in 13 of the 16 metrics, and the only institution in the EM ranked very high or high in all 8 of the IP and business metrics highlighting our critical role in the regional innovation ecosystem.
The University of Nottingham has a number of strong partnerships with local and regional partners to strengthen its offering of knowledge and research.
The Zero Carbon Cluster (ZCC) was launched in 2022 with a group of leading researchers to support intradisciplinary research and accelerate the translation of zero-carbon research into real-world commercial and policy solutions.
Pairing innovative technology with world-leading research expertise in, the ZCC actively engages with industry and government partners to align research priorities and ensure sustainable solutions can be rolled out at scale and pace.
Last year, more than five million pounds from East Midlands Freeport, match-funded by the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University, was announced for a new Zero Carbon Innovation Centre, primarily based at Nottingham's Jubilee Campus. This centre will consolidate the East Midlands' position as a world leader in the development and deployment of innovation in green industries, attracting international investment and providing support for global businesses.
Commenting on today's news, Tom Newman-Taylor, Chief Executive at East Midlands Freeport, said:
Thanks to our partnership with the University of Nottingham, we can increase industry's access to R&D capabilities, creating new zero carbon technologies, boosting skills and increasing the attractiveness of the region to investors. This is all possible through the incredible strength of research and knowledge we have here."
Professor Ian Hall, Director of NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre and respiratory consultant at Nottingham University Hospitals, added: "We're delighted to see the outcome of the KEF.
"NUHT and UoN collaborate closely across a wide range of programmes. Whether via our flagship collaboration in the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, spin-outs providing new patient treatments such as NuVision or in our teaching programmes that are training the healthcare workforce of tomorrow in the cutting edge techniques of today.
"Through our close partnership we are driving innovation together that is transforming and improving lives, and in broader terms the regions health and wellbeing."
