Results of fourth Knowledge Exchange Framework published, recognising BU’s contribution to the economy and society

The fourth and latest Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF4) results have been published by Research England.

KEF4 provides a publicly available snapshot of the engagement of English universities with our economy and society, in a format that encourages universities to understand and improve on their performance.

The results highlight several areas of strength across BU's knowledge exchange activities - especially for collaborative research with external partners, where the university has achieved an outcome of 'high engagement' and a position in the top 40% in England, outperforming the average position for similar universities.

This includes continued growth in the number of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) over the last 12 months, doubling the number of projects from two to four. Project partners include both local and regional SME businesses which are all working in areas that will generate transformative, real-world impact.

For example, a current KTP project being led by Professor of Data Science Marcin Budka in partnership with digital platform ImproveWell will develop artificial intelligence models to turn feedback from frontline NHS workers into evidence to support decision-making and effective use of resources.

At the same time, BU has raised awareness of the KTP scheme among academics and industry partners, culminating in hosting Innovate UK's annual KTP Practitioners' Conference in June, which was attended by 200 people from across the UK HE sector, government, and the private sector.

The results of the KEF have been published in the form of institutional dashboards, with institutions measured against seven perspectives - including working with businesses, the public and the third sector; intellectual property and commercialisation; and public and community engagement.

BU's performance is captured and compared as part of 'cluster E', being large universities with a broad discipline portfolio across both STEM and non-STEM generating excellent research across all disciplines.

KEF4 shows overall improvement for BU in both collaborative research (high engagement) and CPD & Graduate Start-Ups (medium engagement) compared to 2023 results, and also reflects our consistent performance in all other perspectives measured, where we have maintained a medium engagement outcome.

Professor Keith Phalp, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Quality and Acting Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at Bournemouth University, said: "We are proud to be a catalyst for growth, using our skills and expertise to support our region and enrich society.

"The KEF provides an opportunity to assess our progress in knowledge exchange and the impact of our work. It is great to recognise the contribution of our staff, students in supporting this work on a regional, national, and international scale and making a real difference to the world around us."

Visit the Knowledge Exchange Framework website to view the institutional dashboards and find out more about the KEF.

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