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Institutional Context
Summary
The University of Bath is a research-intensive institution, whose founding principle is advancing knowledge through working in partnership with others, in support of the global common good. We are in the top 10 for all three of the UK’s national university league tables. Our research, teaching and knowledge exchange (KE) activities focus on our academic strengths in Science, Technology, Engineering, Management and Social Sciences, with research foci around key theme areas of mobility, sustainability, digital and health and wellbeing.
Engagement, partnership and collaboration are at the heart of our University mission: “Our mission is to deliver world-class research and teaching, educating our students to become future leaders and innovators, and benefiting the wider population through our research, enterprise and influence”.
Institutional context
The University of Bath is campus-based, overlooking the city of Bath and within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES). Bath is within the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) bringing together B&NES, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. This constitutes one of the most productive regions in the UK, with an economy worth over £33billion a year, a population of over 1.1million, an employment rate of 79%, and over 45,000 businesses. The University actively contributes to B&NES’s economy, supporting one in every 17 jobs and accounting for around £300million GDP.
The University’s academic structure comprises Faculties of Engineering & Design, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Science, and the School of Management. All of these parts are engaged in knowledge exchange (KE) activities alongside teaching and research and the impact of these spans multiple sectors of the economy. In KE our model is one of partnership with academic, business, government and community stakeholders. We prioritise engagement with highly innovative projects aligned with national and regional priorities. We take a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach which aligns our strengths to real-world problems. The University of Bath has undertaken a number of projects aimed both at supporting the local area in its response to COVID-19, and at building back the economy of the region following lockdown. More detail on this is provided in the Local growth and regeneration narrative.
Externally facing research centres and institutes are key to our knowledge exchange efforts. Examples include Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS), Centre for Sustainable Circular Technologies (CSCT), Centre for the Analysis of Motion, Entertainment Research and Applications (CAMERA), Institute for Mathematical Innovation (IMI) and Institute for Policy Research (IPR).
Our partnership ethos underpins our research, our placement networks and our graduate/ postgraduate employability. Support for the full range of KE activity is embedded across the University. Research and Innovation Services (RIS) lead the research-led elements of our KE strategy, including our technology transfer, collaborative and consultancy support. Outward-facing examples include our Public Engagement Unit active since 2012, the Material and Chemical Characterisation Facility (MC²) offering cutting edge analytical facilities with dedicated expert support, and the local community benefit from our world class Sports Training Village. In September 2018 the University of Bath and South Gloucestershire Council teamed up to purchase the Bristol and Bath Science Park
We are a founding member of SETsquared, a unique enterprise partnership and collaboration between the five research-led universities of Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey. Three times ranked as the Global No. 1 Business Incubator, the partnership provides a wide range of highly acclaimed programmes to accelerate business growth and KE, including the Research England funded Scale-Up Programme (Connecting Capability Fund) and Student Enterprise Hub (co-funded by OfS and led by Exeter University). Bath’s SETsquared Innovation Centre plays a central role in the economic profile of the city by incubating high-growth businesses, and co-ordinating regional networks in key technology innovation sectors, and the importance of this activity looks set to grow with post-COVID-19 initiatives such as bathunlimited.org.
For further information, please send queries to KE-enquiries@bath.ac.uk
Local Growth and Regeneration
Summary of approach
The University of Bath’s strategy for local growth and regeneration seeks to deliver a positive impact as a local and regional anchor in those locations where the University has either a physical or programme delivery footprint.
Through our wide range of disciplines we support the creation of smart, sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth strategies from which we can deliver transformational programmes which draw on the University’s teaching, research and knowledge exchange (KE) expertise to generate significant sustainable uplifts in jobs, business growth and skills development.
Our partnership driven approach includes business, government and academic stakeholders. We generate and apply innovations by matching the University’s R&D strengths with external partners in addressing market demand and local, regional, national and international priorities.
Aspect 1: Strategy
Local Growth and Regeneration Strategy Overview
The University is committed to driving socio-economic and cultural development at global, national and local levels, actively engaging with partners to support innovation through knowledge exchange (KE) collaborations and partnerships that add mutual value.
Our research-led KE Strategy reflects this, outlining our goal of facilitating opportunities to collaborate with external organisations on high-value research and innovation projects. We target collaborations which draw on our institutional strengths; align with our research strategy; where we have both capability and capacity; and which address market demand or socio-economic need.
Local Growth and Regeneration: Strategically Relevant Geography
Our strategy for local growth and regeneration is influenced by the locations where the University has a physical footprint.
As an anchor institution in Bath we’ve always had a role in delivering and supporting the City’s economic growth ambition. In partnership with Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) Council, we’ve worked over the last three years to deliver the socio-economic objectives of its Corporate and Economic Development Strategies. We are now working towards a mutual commitment to develop a Civic University Agreement to support the next evolution of that relationship.
Our physical footprint also extends beyond our immediate geography as demonstrated by our investment in the Bristol & Bath Science Park in South Gloucestershire, and the operation of the Hive Building Research Park at Wroughton in Swindon and the Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol.
Our areas of research strength also mirror the established socio-economic strengths of the wider South West in advanced engineering, digital and creative, fintech and legal-tech, sustainability, machine learning, healthcare and nuclear. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are an essential part of the economy, employing nearly 75% of the total workforce.
Local Growth and Regeneration: Strategic Identification of Need
We have a history of supporting policy development locally and regionally. Over the last three years, the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and academic specialists have been increasingly active regionally.
The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and the Swindon & Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) both drew on our expertise in the development of their Local Industrial Strategies and associated implementation plans as well as in the Innovation and Digital themes of the Western Gateway.
These activities also drew on The Science & Innovation Audit (SIA) for the South West of England and South East Wales led by the GW4 Alliance of four research-intensive and innovative universities of which we are a member alongside our partners the Universities of Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter.
Local Growth and Regeneration: Translating Strategy into Delivery
A founder member of SETsquared, we have almost 20 years’ experience supporting UK growth, driving place-based innovation to enable researchers to work with industry, particularly SMEs, to help business innovate, improve their productivity and ultimately grow. Independent assessment has already shown the partnership to have contributed more than £3.8 billion in UK GVA.
Across Bath, WECA, SWLEP and Heart of the South West LEP areas we deliver a multi-million-pound suite of business innovation support programmes. These cover institutional and Industrial Strategy priorities across the afore-mentioned sectors all of which support the implementation of keynote projects designed to address regional imbalances and close productivity gaps.
Local Growth and Regeneration: Strategy Evolution
We continually review and improve our approaches to delivery. We take account of external policy drivers such as Local Industrial Strategies and the Knowledge Exchange Framework and our own internal priorities ensure relevance to local growth and regeneration needs.
In 2019 the University concluded a wide-ranging formal review of its enterprise, entrepreneurship and innovation activities. It identified greater interest within the University to deliver KE activities specific to the needs of local and regional partners which is now feeding into the renewal of our University’s overall strategy and approach to KE.
Aspect 2: Activity
Delivering the Strategy in Partnership
Partnership working between local and regional authorities, industry and academia has been at the forefront of our delivery of projects which have a transformational impact on our local sphere of influence.
Local Partnership – Response to COVID-19;
The University has undertaken several projects aimed both at supporting the local area in its response to COVID-19 and at building back the economy of the region following lockdown. Our senior management sits on the B&NES Economic Renewal Partnership of public and private sector stakeholders from across the city, and on the WECA Economic Recovery Taskforce, its regional equivalent.
The University also supported the local community directly during lockdown by producing over 400,000 pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for local frontline healthcare workers, and through staff and students volunteering to support the Bath's Compassionate Community project helping isolated residents access their usual support systems.
Local Partnership – Investment to improve local socio-economic outcomes;
The University stimulates socio-economic activity and growth via our operational, supply chain and wage payment spending, via the expenditure of our UK and International students and the visitors that are attracted to the region as a result. In Bath that activity has been calculated to be worth around £300 million to B&NES's GDP per annum and supports one in every 17 jobs.
Catering for sport at all levels, our Sports Training Village (STV) is one of the most vibrant sporting complexes in the UK and attracts well in excess of one million visits pa. The STV is the training base / home to over 250 international athletes, one of only six UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centres and host to national squads from six sports. As such it has made a major contribution to Great Britain’s success at Olympic and Paralympic Games over the past two decades. This is greatly valued by the local population as evidenced by two recent surveys that found between 79% (UK Sport) and 87% (UoB survey) of all local and regional respondents are strongly aware / proud of the University’s contribution to, and excellence in, sport.
The knowledge, expertise and research excellence of the University of Bath has for the last three years also supported the local economy through the establishment of start-ups and the transfer of knowledge to companies and organisations through consultancy and other arrangements.
The diagram above shows how we have actively embedded the work of the Innovation Centre at the heart of the local business ecosystem. Working through six European Regional Development-funded (ERDF) programmes and a Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) across 6 local authority and 2 LEP areas we have provided added value to over 600 businesses in the local area.
Water research at Bath alongside local utility Wessex Water has led to significant positive outcomes in regard to investment decisions and future areas of work. These include a £1 million investment in Social Prescribing and Reducing Medicines Waste, a Chemical Investigation Programme 3 in antimicrobial resistance and a project to evaluate new technologies.
Regional Partnership Activity – Investment to Support Regional Growth;
In September 2018 the University and South Gloucestershire Council teamed up to successfully purchase the Bristol and Bath Science Park at Emerson’s Green, South Gloucestershire in a joint £18 million bid.
The Science Park will be home to the Institute for Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems (IAAPS). IAAPS will exploit the engineering and digital expertise of the University of Bath for the benefit of the UK's automotive industry. It will stimulate over £67 million in additional automotive research investment by 2025, creating a further turnover of £800 million for the UK automotive sector and supporting nearly 1,900 new highly productive jobs.
Together with the National Composites Centre and South Gloucestershire Council’s ‘Forum’ Innovation Centre we are using our complementary strengths, expertise and networks to fully realise the Park's potential as a centre of excellence for research and development across the region.
Hinkley Point C Supply Chain Innovation Lab
In partnership with EDF Energy, the University’s School of Management established the Hinkley Point C Supply Chain Innovation Lab to connect business leaders, policymakers and academics in the field of complex supply chains and megaprojects. Outputs of this project are currently being built into the business case for power stations at Sizewell and Bradwell.
National Partnership Activity – Supporting National Growth
The University leads a £40 million national Institute of Coding (IoC), to help fill the UK's digital skills shortage and attract more people from underrepresented groups into the sector. Operational for the last 27 months the national collaboration between 56 public and private sector partners has seen the development of accredited degree schemes and short courses aimed at professionals in a wide range of industries, as well as working to widen the participation of women, returners to work and hard to reach groups.
Our innovative Productivity Through People (PTP) programme, designed by the School of Management with Be the Business and five world-class companies (Babcock International, BAE Systems, EDF Energy Leonardo and Rolls-Royce plc) supports and invests in the business leaders of the future. It gives them access to the latest techniques, thinking and research, a framework to improve the competitiveness and efficiency of their business and develop leadership and management capability to transform working practices.
We have strategically grown our placement offering and support through which we actively improve the productivity of the local, regional and national workforces by enhancing the available pool of skills for employers. Our placements programme, which is now a national exemplar where students 6 to 12-month placement opportunities make a significant impact within the host company.
The University's Institute of Mathematical Innovation continues to work alongside industry clients in a variety of sectors. By analysing big data, simulating outcomes and modelling complex phenomena, it delivers innovative commercial solutions and exceptional results to companies of all sizes.
Aspect 3: Results
The SETsquared partnership outperforms its global peers in the value it provides to its innovation ecosystem and has been ranked three times as the Global No. 1 University Business Incubator, most recently in November 2019. SETsquared was also highlighted in the National Industrial Strategy (p.124) as an example of best practice in commercialisation and incubation.
The infographic below demonstrates the power of the wider partnership and represents the work of the central team working across the 5 institutions.
Since 2002, the SETsquared Innovation Centre in Bath has continually refined our delivery model. In addition to our contribution to the outputs of our partnership delivery our local-expert-led business support programmes have supported 548 businesses, (202 of which included female entrepreneurs) and helped raise £42 million in finance.
On the back of this success, the University, in partnership with Bath Spa University, Bath College, B&NES and WECA, are now working towards the development of an enlarged and enhanced Innovation, Research and Digital Skills facility in Bath City Centre. This will double the capacity of the existing Innovation Centre but more importantly offer an innovative co-location of skills, innovation and research for businesses, entrepreneurs and academics to stimulate and build a strong pipeline of emerging businesses for Bath and the region.
The IoC has enrolled over 500,000 learners on its digital skills courses since its launch in 2018. Lockdown saw a significant increase, with enrolments increasing more than tenfold this year. Over 350,000 of the enrolments are on the newly released programmes of online courses created by the IoC and its university partners.
The Productivity through People model is currently a core deliverable of the North West ‘Made Smarter’ pilot programme delivered via Lancaster University’s School of Management and expected to form part of the West of England ‘Made Smarter’ bid in 2020. It has also been adopted by Aston University and Strathclyde University.
As a University, across the three Faculties and the School, we typically create over 2,000 undergraduate placements per year. A significant number of these (circa 300 in 2019/20) are in the local area. Working with large companies, SMEs, and start-ups, there is a real desire to increase these numbers. Our students are high performers and make a real contribution to their host organisations.
For further information, please send queries to Bw669@bath.ac.uk
Public & Community Engagement
Summary of approach
Public and Community Engagement (P&CE) at the University of Bath is delivered and supported by a network of teams. These teams create opportunities, deliver training, offer funding, reward and recognise achievements, develop partnerships, and provide spaces for engagement activities.
The University’s 50th anniversary in 2016/17 mobilised a real shift in our P&CE because it demonstrated a wide-spread interest in our research, teaching, and facilities from local residents and communities. Since then, there has been a notable progression with greater sharing of learning between teams, and more ambitious, University-wide initiatives. The arrival of the new Vice-Chancellor in 2019 has seen a clear steer for stronger P&CE that supports the wellbeing of the city and region.
Aspect 1: Strategy
The University of Bath has seen a significant progression in public and community engagement (P&CE) over the assessment period. Over 2016/17 we celebrated our 50th anniversary, culminating in the first on-campus festival for local communities. The festival was an opportunity for thousands of our neighbours to explore campus, research labs, and leisure facilities; and engage with our research through interactive activities. The overwhelmingly positive response we received gave us confidence that our local communities were interested in our work and wanted to be more deeply involved.
In response to that event and subsequent listening exercises, building on our existing department-led activities, and a change in leadership in 2018/19, we are now developing a coherent strategy to guide our P&CE reflecting the ambitions of the University and responding to local needs.
Currently, and during the assessment period, we have several points of interaction with our local and regional communities.
Research: Public engagement with research, Industry collaborations and contract research, Our Shared Future
Education: Minerva Series of public events, Widening Participation, Language Courses
Students: Student Community Partnership, Undergraduate / Postgraduate projects, volunteering, Vertically Integrated Projects
Physical spaces: Sports Training Village, Edge Arts, green spaces, cafes, shops
Communications: working with local press teams, participating in Federation of Bath Residents’ Associations, community e-newsletter, a dedicated section of website and regular engagement with local government
Business*: Placements, Innovation Centre, SETsquared, student enterprise
These areas have developed, over time, in response to the needs of local communities, the capacity and capability of staff and students within the University, and have their own needs analyses, respective strategies, KPIs, resource allocation, and reporting mechanisms.
Senior responsibility for P&CE is distributed across several roles: Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Chief Marketing Officer, Director of Corporate Engagement, Director of Communications, Director of Centre for Learning and Teaching, Head of Public Engagement, and Head of Regional Development.
* See Local Growth and Regeneration narrative statement for more detail
Aspect 2: Support
We have a network of support which creates an environment where P&CE is developed and delivered to a high standard. The teams involved include: Public Engagement Unit, Community Engagement, Research and Innovation Services, Edge Arts, Students Union, Sports Development and Recreation, Centre for Learning and Teaching, Development and Alumni Relations, Communications, Widening Participation, and Corporate Engagement.
Through this network we deliver P&CE as part of research, teaching, and student experience. We support staff from all job families, and students, to deliver P&CE ensuring they have the necessary skills, are adequately funded, and are appropriately rewarded for their work.
Programmes to get involved
There are public programmes for staff, and students, to participate in, including: the Minerva Series, Visions of Science, Bath Taps into Science, Research Objects. We also collaborate with local organisations on engagement opportunities (for example, 3SG, Natural History Consortium, Kilter Theatre, Fringe Arts Bath, the Holburne Museum) that help us be a visible part of our local community. Internal funding (e.g. Engage Grants, Impact Acceleration Account) is used to mobilise individual-led activities. The Students Union Volunteer Department supports students to volunteer locally, contributing over 3,000 volunteer hours per year.
Building capability
Training is available for all staff and students to ensure they have the skills and confidence to deliver their activities. These interventions include workshops, online modules, one-to-one advice, and mentoring. They are delivered by the professional services teams that support P&CE and external providers.
Reward and recognition
There are formal and informal reward mechanisms for participating in P&CE. Formally, Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Public Engagement, and the inclusion of public engagement in promotion guidance. For students, P&CE, is a core part of Vertically Integrated Projects which contribute to credit-bearing modules.
Informally, communications celebrate those undertaking P&CE. These include: case studies of individuals, showcases featuring high-quality projects, and news stories in the local press.
Physical spaces
The Edge provides a public programme of exhibitions, classes, events, and schools and family programmes that are informed by research at the University.
The Sports Training Village (STV) offers world-class facilities and hosts major sporting events for the region such as the Netball Superleague. The STV is open to all through membership and has dedicated schools and young peoples’ programmes such as Tribe and Futures.
The Milner Centre is a world leading research centre and building with public communication embedded into its practice and made possible from a donation from alumnus, Jonathan Milner. The new building (opened 2018) was designed with a tailored space for public-facing activities.
Communication
Through newsletters, website, and social media, we raise awareness of the importance of P&CE, invite people to participate, and celebrate inspiring work to encourage more staff and students to get involved.
Additional funding
Alongside our core support for P&CE, we extend this offer through externally funded programmes such as the NERC-funded Viewpoints, and EC-Funded European Researchers’ Night – FUTURES programme. This approach allows us to innovate with new approaches, reach out to new communities and embed that learning back in our core programmes.
Evidencing value
The teams involved with enabling P&CE collect evidence of impact from the activities. This information is used for continuous improvement: ensuring that all parties understand the merit and worth of these activities, that they remain relevant, and continue to contribute to the strategic goals of staff, students, the University and external communities.
Aspect 3: Activity
The activities delivered through our P&CE work reflect the needs of the public and community groups involved, whilst also contributing to the strategic needs of the University. These activities range in size from modest to large, and from one-off interventions to programmes of activities.
Department-led initiatives:
Vertically Integrated Projects The 2016 Education Strategy placed greater emphasis on equipping students to engage in their roles as citizens, particularly within their locality. VIPs link researchers with a community organisation through a shared research interest. This topic is then integrated into the educational programmes for undergraduates and postgraduates enabling them to work in interdisciplinary teams alongside research-active staff. Topics addressed through the VIPs include sustainable transport for the City of Bath and addressing deprivation in the city.
Community Matters was a pilot, three-year programme of community based participatory research led by the Public Engagement Unit. The programme, delivered in partnership with a local charity, supported and empowered local voluntary groups to work with academic staff to form research groups. The charities honed their research questions, undertook rigorous research, and have subsequently gone on to use their results to inform their work and lobby for change.
Visions of Science art prize is a biennial open art prize for works that represent science and engages creative communities in the city and region. There have been two editions of Visions of Science in 2018 and 2020, receiving 450 submissions in total. As part of the programme eight bursaries enabling artists to work with researchers from the Faculty of Science have been awarded. In 2020 entries were also put to a public vote, receiving 1,696 votes.
Young Researchers programme is an annual programme of research-based activity for teenagers run between the Bath Royal, Literary and Scientific Institute and our Faculty of Engineering. Young Researchers supports science-interested young people (~8 each year) to undertake independent research under the supervision of doctoral students (~ 6 per year) who then reach 1,000+ people by exhibiting at Bath Taps into Science.
Netball Superleague is the UK’s top-level, elite netball competition. Team Bath Netball supports seven hubs across the southwest to develop young athletes’ talent through the Team Bath Performance Pathway. 1,900 spectators attend live events with televised games reaching 40,000.
University-wide activities:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, key organisations and the University came together to work for the benefit of the city and region. This was a whole-university response which involved academic colleagues in four academic departments, Estates, Alumni Relations; Marketing; Widening Participation alongside doctoral researchers and students. The responses included commitments to providing space for a field hospital if needed, production of 400,000 items of PPE for NHS workers, accommodation for key workers, training for local charities, and research collaborations.
The contributions made by the University in response to COVID-19 have been recognised in a letter from Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset which noted “how the University has risen to challenges placed upon local resources and local hospitals” and that “the broad spectrum of response is very exciting and... very awe inspiring too!”
This response was built on a shift in approach from 2018/19 where we have moved towards more University-wide activities with a whole-region remit. For example, Our Shared Future, is a partnership with the local authority, B&NES. Together we identified three areas of shared interest: cohesion and inclusivity, infrastructure, and climate change. A programme of workshops involving local experts, stakeholders and academic staff, and a public-facing event resulted in the formation of a decarbonisation task force.
Aspect 4: Results and learning
Our approach to evaluating P&CE ensures activities are fit for purpose and meet the needs of all who participate. These evaluations are used to improve programmes and ensure that interventions support the strategic aims of the department, team, and the University.
The Bath Taps Into Science festival provides one example where robust evaluation has been used to improve the delivery of P&CE. Evidence demonstrated that public and school visitors valued research-led content over generic science activities, and that interactive activities were rated very favourably. To ensure activities reflected this preference, interventions of support (training, guidance, workshops) were put in place to improve interactivity and develop key skills that were identified as important: project management, communication, risk assessment, and problem-solving skills.
The University is coming to the end of its current strategy. The evidence from these departmental and programme evaluations, the University-wide listening exercises, and the more recent responses to COVID-19, are being used to inform the new strategy which will give a much higher priority to P&CE.
Aspect 5: Acting on results
Our sustained programmes of P&CE have demonstrated the appetite for engagement from local communities, staff and students. We use a range channels to communicate and share our work (as described earlier).
The evaluations of our interventions, and other insight work, have told us that local communities have a strong appetite for engaging with the University. However, the capacity for communities to engage varies significantly. These exercises have identified topics that the University can contribute to, for example:
inclusive economic growth
skills development
reducing the disadvantage gap
living with climate change
sustainable housing
They have also informed us about how communities expect us to behave, for example:
having a clear, human, access point
being visible in city and region-wide activities
offering different scales of interaction from small, individual exchanges of knowledge to large, collaborative interventions
leading by example as an institution in areas such as procurement, Human Resources, travel, and wellbeing
communicating clearly about our local activities.
Next steps for the University involve developing and delivering; a Local Engagement Strategy, a Civic University Agreement, the local aspects of the Communications strategy, and sign the Knowledge Exchange Concordat, all of which will be informed by the information noted above and by an ongoing dialogue with other anchor institutions in the region.
For further information, please send queries to public-engagement@bath.ac.uk