Hamish McAlpine (Oxentia) The role of universities in supporting regional regeneration and growth is increasingly well recognised. But how do universities navigate this complex landscape, and how does this activity align with their broader missions around teaching and research? Once known as the 'third mission' or 'third leg of the stool', I argue that Knowledge Exchange is now a critical and integral part of how universities deliver their mission and strategies. As both government policy and KE practice evolves, how can all parts of the university work together to deliver for their regions, and how might this benefit the university?

2. The role of universities in delivering
inclusive regional growth
through knowledge exchange
Hamish McAlpine
Principal Consultant, Oxentia
@hamish_mcalpine @Oxentia #UKSG2022

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What we do
Consulting
We offer strategic support for
innovation strategy, IP licensing
and sales, IP portfolio
management, intrapreneurship,
and relationships between
universities and industry.
Our training offering ranges from
accredited courses for innovation
professionals, to masterclasses for
academics, entrepreneurs, and
corporate teams. We offer
standard as well as bespoke
training programmes, in a variety
of formats and languages.
Training & Mentoring
We help teams and individuals
accelerate innovation through our
proprietary accelerator
programmes, designed to leverage
the strengths and opportunities in
different ecosystems.
Accelerators

4. © Oxentia 2022
What I do
Principal Consultant at Oxentia – a specialist innovation consultancy
working with HE, Corporate and government clients since 2004
Before joining Oxentia in 2021, was Head of Data & Evidence at
Research England, part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)
Responsible for creating England’s first Knowledge Exchange
Framework (KEF), as well as managing £250m pa. of funding for
university knowledge exchange via the Higher Education Innovation
Fund (HEIF)
Involved in various aspects of government policy related to
knowledge exchange and commercialisation, with a particular
interest in innovation ecosystems.

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Overview
• What is Knowledge Exchange anyway?
• Knowledge Exchange 4.0™
• Mind the gap: Regional innovation ecosystems, civic universities
and inclusive growth
• Lessons from the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF)
• What role for Libraries?
• Libraries as the ‘front door’
• The growth of SHAPE commercialisation
• Bridging the gap
• Speaking truth to power

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What is Knowledge Exchange
anyway?

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The breadth of KE
Source: T. Coates Ulrichsen, 2017

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The volume of KE
Source: https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/RE-101121-ReportIPRelatedCommercialisationActivitiesEngland201920.pdf

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The changing nature of KE:
Knowledge Exchange 4.0

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The evolution of KE
• 1.0 A privileged few, throwing things out of the ivory tower
• 2.0 Organized efforts to transfer knowledge to economic partners –
often STEM- and large business focused, limited tailoring to needs of
recipients.
• 3.0 The value of genuine ‘exchange’ – tailored to need and co-created; a
wide range of economic and societal partners, not just economic
measures.

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KE 4.0
• Non-linear value chains, spanning teaching and research (& practice),
academic and professional services staff of all types
• Focus on solving pressing societal challenges, collectively and
collaboratively
• All disciplines (and none)
• Increasingly delivered outside of the academy
• Increasing focus on identifying benefit to all stakeholders
• Diverse and Inclusive KE, with equal opportunity for all
• Supported by responsive, dynamic and joined-up funding and policy,
both within the university, and via funders/government

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KE 4.0

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KE 4.0

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Mind the Gap:
The role of universities in
regional innovation ecosystems

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What is an innovation ecosystem?
“a loosely interconnected network of
companies and other entities that co-evolve
capabilities around a shared set of
technologies, knowledge, or skills, and work
cooperatively and competitively.”

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What role do universities play in them?
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/feb/07/highereducation.communities

17. © Oxentia 2022
What role do universities play in them?
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1052706/Levelling_Up_WP_HRES.pdf (p.40).

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What role do universities play in them?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/08/manchester-levelling-up-doesnt-work-gentrification

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Levelling-up: Place with Purpose
Purpose: Better lives
Role of Universities: Economic, social
and cultural regeneration to deliver
better lives through purposeful action in
(their) places.

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The civic university
Adapted from: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/media/wwwnclacuk/curds/files/university-leadership.pdf

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Lessons from the KEF
https://kef.ac.uk
1. More accessible information and data for providers
to understand and improve their own performance
2. More information for businesses and other users of
HE knowledge and resources
3. Increased public visibility and accountability for
funding.

22. © Oxentia 2022
https://kef.ac.uk
Working with the public
& third sector
Working with
Business
IP & Commercialisation
Skills, Enterprise and
Entrepreneurship
Local growth and
regeneration
Community and public
engagement
Research
partnerships

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Lessons from the KEF
https://kef.ac.uk

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What role do universities play in them?
“[Norwich University of the Arts] supports
the creative and cultural life of the city,
supporting the New Anglia Cultural Board,
Norwich Cultural Compact, Norwich
Heritage Alliance, Norwich Contemporary
Art Society, East Anglia Art Fund, and
graduate-led social enterprises like Print to
the People and Outpost Art Collective. In
2016 NUA was the lead partner that
brought the British Art Show to Norwich,
attracting over 48,000 visitors to Norwich.”
https://kef.ac.uk/data/10004775

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What role do universities play in them?
“UCL East is part of ongoing
regeneration and development of
higher-deprivation boroughs, working
to make the institution accessible and
enable grassroots knowledge
exchange within the community. The
design of the campus includes spaces
for local communities to engage in
various ways…”
https://kef.ac.uk/data/10007784

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What role for libraries?

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1. Libraries as
the ‘front door’

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2. Bridging the gap
between research-led
innovation ecosystems
and the academy’s wider
civic mission

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3. The growth of SHAPE Commercialisation

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4. Speaking truth to power

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4. Speaking truth to power
• The ‘front door’ role – particularly for public & community engagement
• Helping to deliver inclusive regional growth – where the benefits are felt and
shared by all – bridging the gap - from comms to open science and public
engagement with research
• Recognition of the importance of e.g., special collections and research data
management for commercialisation, especially in SHAPE disciplines
• Utilising knowledge and expertise to influence policy (inc. on metrics)
• Leveraging your trusted status to ensure that your voice is heard and embedded
in wider university strategy – for the benefit of teaching, research and knowledge
exchange.

32. © Oxentia 2022