University of Exeter joins leading group of research on business and community impact.

University of Exeter joins group of leading research universities in assessment of business and community impact.

The University of Exeter’s steadfast commitment to supporting and nurturing economic growth and businesses has again been recognised in a comprehensive national assessment published today.  

New data from the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF), produced by UKRI, has highlighted how the University’s knowledge creation impacts on society and industry, locally, nationally and worldwide.  

The KEF dashboard is organised by separating institutions into seven ‘clusters’ – which place them amongst organisations with similar capabilities and resources to support knowledge exchange activities. The University of Exeter is part of a Cluster V alongside the country’s highest ranked research universities. 

For the University of Exeter, KEF4 results demonstrate our achievements across the full range of knowledge exchange activities. We particularly welcome the recognition of our sector-leading performance on “supporting local growth and regeneration” category.

The University of Exeter was one of only two Russell Group Universities, alongside Birmingham, that are deemed to be engaging at a “very high” level with local growth. 

The University is also placed in the top quintile for research collaboration with Small and Enterprises (SMEs), as well its collaborations with public and third sector companies.  

President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter, Professor Lisa Roberts, said: 

“The results of KEF4 yet again demonstrates our strong and enduring commitment to the economic growth of our region. Our continued excellent record of achievement across the range of knowledge exchange activity, placing us with the world leading cluster of comparator universities, reflects that we are well on our way to meeting the ambitious new commitments set out in the University’s 2030 Business Engagement and Innovation Strategy. 

“We look forward to expanding our work with businesses and partners to generate transformational change for their organisations, the economy, environment and society.  I would like to thank everyone involved and all our partners in delivering these results. 

Chris Evans, Divisional Director of Exeter Innovation, the University’s knowledge exchange service, said: “The results of KEF4 demonstrate an ongoing commitment at the University of Exeter to deliver excellent support for business and our partners across the region and across the world.”   

The Knowledge Exchange Framework aims to measure how effectively higher education providers are working with businesses, serving the economy, supporting their communities, and benefitting the wider public.   It sits alongside the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and the Research Excellence Framework (REF) to help provide a complete assessment of the work conducted by universities.