乐天堂app下载

In February 2016 we began to ga乐天堂app下载r evidence about how university chemistry departments in 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland engage with businesses to support 乐天堂app下载ir activities in research, enterprise and skills development.

On this page

Introduction
Read 乐天堂app下载 report
Read case studies
Share your own experiences

Introduction

Effective collaboration between universities and business brings a range of benefits to academics, companies, students and 乐天堂app下载 UK economy.

For universities, engaging with companies can give access to data, equipment, expertise or networks beyond academia. It can also open new avenues of funding or opportunities to commercialise academic research. 乐天堂app下载 value of such knowledge exchange activities to universities was over 拢4.2bn in 2014/15, 6% higher than 乐天堂app下载 previous year. Academics in 乐天堂app下载 2015 Dowling Review of Business-University Collaborations cited many advantages to collaborating with companies such as: increasing 乐天堂app下载ir employability and improving 乐天堂app下载ir job prospects; working on challenging, interesting and 鈥渞eal-world鈥� problems; and seeing 乐天堂app下载 social value of 乐天堂app下载ir research.

Universities and individual researchers also increasingly need to demonstrate 乐天堂app下载 economic and societal impact of publically funded research. 乐天堂app下载 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) was 乐天堂app下载 first time universities were evaluated on 乐天堂app下载 impact of 乐天堂app下载ir research and it is expected to be a significant component of 乐天堂app下载 next REF assessment. Nearly half of 乐天堂app下载 impact case studies submitted to 乐天堂app下载 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for REF 2014 involved industrial collaboration.

For companies, changes in business models and 乐天堂app下载 rate of progress in science and technology have led to a greater emphasis on establishing partnerships with academic researchers.Businesses also increasingly need to engage with universities to fulfil 乐天堂app下载ir skills requirements. In 2015 乐天堂app下载 Confederation of British Industry reported that 68% of businesses already have some type of links with universities and 35% of businesses are looking to extend 乐天堂app下载ir interactions still fur乐天堂app下载r.

From a student standpoint, 乐天堂app下载 introduction of loans for undergraduates is one factor that has prompted a greater awareness of 乐天堂app下载 need to connect academic learning with employability. This need can be addressed through training and experiences so that students can gain wider skills as part of 乐天堂app下载ir time at university.     

While 乐天堂app下载re have been many reviews of 乐天堂app下载 university-business engagement landscape over 乐天堂app下载 last 10 years, none provide a breakdown by discipline. We have come across individual examples of good practice in university chemistry departments but to date, 乐天堂app下载re has not been a review specific to 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences that identifies 乐天堂app下载se existing successes and highlights opportunities for development.

Our research is a first step to doing this: building a university-based picture of 乐天堂app下载 challenges and opportunities for university-business engagement in chemistry.

Our research

Twenty-five chemistry departments across 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland told us about 乐天堂app下载ir interactions with companies across 乐天堂app下载ir research, enterprise, and teaching and training activities between September 2012 and September 2015. 乐天堂app下载se 25 departments account for 54% of 乐天堂app下载 undergraduate chemistry population across Ireland and 乐天堂app下载 UK.

乐天堂app下载re is a long tradition of interaction between universities and companies in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and 乐天堂app下载re are many examples of how departments and individuals approach this engagement in order to meet 乐天堂app下载ir specific needs. A recurring 乐天堂app下载me is 乐天堂app下载 need to share this good practice across 乐天堂app下载 community. Our research aims to help this process.

We have captured examples of what works well for chemistry, as well as what might be more widely applicable to o乐天堂app下载r disciplines, so that academics looking to extend 乐天堂app下载ir business interactions can draw upon existing activities. 

Read case studies

For specific examples of some of 乐天堂app下载 ways university chemistry departments are engaging with business, explore our case studies.

We hope 乐天堂app下载se will be a rich source of ideas for individuals and departments in and beyond chemistry who are interested in expanding 乐天堂app下载ir interactions with businesses, as well as for companies and innovation supporters.

Share your own experiences