Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACEC

1© Tomas Ulrichsen

The Role of Government Policy in Supporting Knowledge Exchange in English Higher Education Institutions

A presentation by Tomas Ulrichsen, PACEC

Investigating Academic ImpactLondon School of Economics13th June 2011

Presentation based primarily on research led by Barry Moore (PACEC), Tomas Ulrichsen (PACEC) and Alan Hughes (CBR) over the period 2007 – 2011

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECIntroduction

• Introduction• Growth in knowledge exchange activity• Role of government policy (HEIF and its predecessors) for

developing knowledge exchange• Impacts on external organisations, academics and

communities• Impacts of HEIF on culture and capacity to engage• Challenges remaining

2© Tomas Ulrichsen

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECGrowth in knowledge exchange income 2001-2010

© Tomas Ulrichsen 3

Contract research

Collab. researchCoursesConsultancy

Facilities & equip.IP revenues

Income stream

842

564484301

9270

2010 income

(£m)

33

221912

43

2010share of total (%)

13.1

3.811.612.6

15.117.6

CAGR01-10

(%)

Regeneration 174 7 4.4

44

-21018

8-46

Growth09-10

(£million)

33

KE income 2,528 100 9.3 65

Know

ledg

e ex

chan

ge in

com

e (£

mill

ions

, con

stan

t 200

9/10

pric

es)

YearSource: HEBCI 2000/01-2009/10, PACEC analysis for BIS

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECEvolution of Government Support for Knowledge Exchange

© Tomas Ulrichsen 4

HEIF

Total KE funding

HEROBC

Total accumulated funding 00/01 – 10/11: £1,040 million

(£1,110 million)(constant 2003 prices (current prices)

Aim of funding to correct market and system failures to support the building of capacity and capability of HEIs to increase their economic and social impacts, and to change

culture towards knowledge exchange

Know

ledg

e ex

chan

ge fu

ndin

g(£

mill

ions

, con

stan

t 200

9/10

pric

es)

Source: HEFCE, PACEC/CBR analysis

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECInfrastructure Supporting the Knowledge Exchange Process

© Tomas Ulrichsen 5

Knowledge exchange support functions and infrastructure

Facilitating the research exploitation

processAccess points for external orgs

Business development

Technology transfer

Consultancy support

Patenting / IP advice

Corporate Relations

Press / communications

Investment funds

Skills and human capital

developmentCPD / short courses

Lifelong learning

Careers services

Work placements / project experience

Joint curriculum development

Stimulating interactions

Provision of public space

Alumni networks

Academic – external organisation networks

KE professional networks

Exploiting the physical assets of the

HEI

Science parks

Incubators

Facilities / equipment

Supporting the community / public

engagementOutreach

VolunteeringWidening participation

Awareness raising

Social cohesion / community regeneration

Staff exchanges

Marketing

External fundraising for research

Contracts / legal support

Social enterprise / entrepreneurship

Social enterprise

Enterprise and entrepreneurship training

Involving public in research

Source: PACEC audit of HEI KE infrastructure

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECImpacts of Knowledge Exchange on Users

© Tomas Ulrichsen 6

Acade

mics

External organisations

Communities

With STEM With Non-STEM

Sources:PACEC/CBR Survey of External Organisations (2008); PACEC/CBR Survey of Academics (2008); PACEC Survey of staff at the University of Essex; PACEC interviews with staff at University of York; PACEC/CBR Case Studies of 30 HEIs (2008)

• Support for product / process innovation

• Skills development

• Workforce / management skills development

• Marketing• Business model / strategy

• Insights, funding, contacts for research

• Case studies / practical knowledge for teaching

• University outreach

• More informed public / better able to solve problems

• Improved employability, capabilities / skills

• Contributions to social cohesion

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECImpacts of Government Policy on Knowledge Exchange

© Tomas Ulrichsen 7

…On KE outputs…On KE outputs

…On culture / attitudes

…On culture / attitudes

• Extensive triangulated research programme showed that government support has played significant role in helping HEIs build capacity / capability to engage - significant gross additionality

Scale of KE greater than would otherwise be Critical for developing KE infrastructure Leverage other funding Backed up strategic KE campaigns with resources

• HEIF funding has helped drive increasing support for knowledge exchange at leadership level and amongst academics

• But culture/attitudes not yet fully supportive• Strong view that KE cannot come at expense of

academic freedom /research qualitySource: PACEC/CBR (2009) Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Role of HEFCE Third Stream Funding, report 2009/15 to HEFCE

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECCan HEIs Do More?

8

33

37

15

14

32

18

28

19

34

16

29

12

I do not feel knowledgeable about the issues involved but would be

interested in the commercial application of my research

I feel knowledgeable about the issues involved in getting research

commercialised

I am not really interested in the commercial application of my

research

I would not want to be directly involved in the commercial application of my research

Huma-nitiesSTEM

Social sciences

% academic respondents © Tomas UlrichsenSource: PACEC/CBR Survey of Academics (2008)

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECWhat Constrains Impacts?

© Tomas Ulrichsen 9

Higher Education Institution

Private / public / third sector organisation

Lack of time Bureaucracy and inflexibility of

HEI administration Difficulties in identifying partners Insufficient rewards and lack of

awareness of the benefits from the interactions

Lack of understanding by academics of the process

Capacity and capability of the KE system still developing / evolving

Lack of resources within external organisations to fund the KE engagement

Insufficient benefits from the interaction

Lack of interest by external organisations and lack of demand for KE

Intellectual property agreements as a barrier to some, albeit minority of, KE engagement

Source: PACEC/CBR Survey of Academics (2008); PACEC/CBR Survey of Enterprise Offices (2010); CBR Survey of Enterprises (2008)

Public and Corporate Economic

Consultants

PACECConclusions

• Last decade has seen significant increases in KE activity• Enabled, in part, by targeted, flexible government funding for KE enabling

culture change / developing capacity to engage (infrastructure, skills etc.)• But still constraints that need to be addressed

• Diverse range of external impacts that vary by STEM / social scientists• Synergistic impacts on research/teaching

• HEIF funding has been protected (in cash terms) emphasizing government’s commitment to KE

• But emphasis shifted to rewarding better performers (based on KE income) rather general capacity building - some losing part / all of funding

• Big questions: what will HEIs who lost some/all funding do now? And what impact will this have on academics seeking to achieve impact of their research/teaching through KE?

© Tomas Ulrichsen 10