Knowledge Exchange Networks Creating open environments to stimulate new challenges facing businesses Claire Walker , Leeds Metropolitan University @ckegroup

Knowledge Exchange Networks What is Knowledge Exchange ? Welcome here today . I thought that with the focus of today’s workshop being around student engagement it may be worth taking a moment to foucs on stakeholder / employer and public engagement and how we can create environments to stimulate the development of relationships between businesses, public secto , academia and the wider community

Knowledge Exchange Networks traditionally facilitated via numerous different mechanisms and models of interaction including: Traditional academic outputs such as journal articles, books and conferences Informal interactions between researchers and research users, such as conversations and networking Collaborative research projects Workshops and other events Student placements, projects and internships Knowledge exchange is not just about disseminating research findings. It is a two-way process, which also involves learning from the experiences and expertise of practitioners, and utilising this expertise in the development and implementation of research projects. Knowledge Exchange (KE) is a term which is being used more and to supersede Knowledge Transfer to highlight the two way flow of information between a knowledge Base and its user/ business community. KE is a process by which knowledge , expertise and skilled people exchange between a knowledge base (HEI ) and the user / business community to contribute to economic growth , public services and policy development and community well being

I like this representation of knowledge exchange as a two way flow

Knowledge Exchange Networks What is a KEN model of engagement ?

1. Establishing the business need - The main mechanisms for this has been online forums, discussion groups , tweetchats, review of legislative and market drivers 2. Capturing and sharing Knowledge – HE’s have the expertise and knowledge to assist companies to address business problems. This knowledge however is usually based within a research centre and academically driven, which is sometimes not the most commercially effective route to market. Companies can work with HEIs on collaborative bidding and working on collaborative projects enabling businesses to create new knowledge and develop existing knowledge in a way that makes it more valuable to the company partner, thus making them more competitive in an increasingly competitive market. 3. Reaching out and Building capacity – Engage internally within HE to bring curriculum in line with industry needs . Engage internally to develop research capacity in areas of high demand form businesses 4. Feedback and Analysis – Feedback the findings from all activity in the form of tangible outputs, curriculum enhancement , post grad course development , short course development , partnerships

Knowledge Exchange Networks What are the benefits to Higher Education ?

Knowledge Exchange Networks Evidence for funding requirements for research projects Increase the impact of research by sharing findings with a wider audience than would be traditionally possible and can be used to inform policy , practice and innovation Enable long term relationship development with external organisations . Identify opportunities : new challenges to address , collaboration opportunities Networks as a research population : offer access to an audience / network for research purposes

What are the benefits for businesses ?

Knowledge Exchange Networks Gain a single point of access to academic experts Gain access to cross sector industry experts Raise the profile of your company by engaging with HEI's Keep up to date with legislative drivers/ policy changes , find practical solutions to business needs Effective Networking and Development tool Access and utilise research findings which can enable you to improve efficiencies within your organisation , provide valuable evidence for your services / products and become a market leader .

Knowledge Exchange Networks What makes a KEN sustainable ?

Knowledge Exchange Networks a theme driven heavily by regulation / legislation a theme which can give the professionals involved a real commercial advantage broad audience which can generate business opportunities business led approach to event delivery ( annual planning of events , slick co-ordination )‏ frequent web activity to support the in person network events

Knowledge Exchange Networks Room for improvement in the construction sector?

Knowledge Exchange Networks

Knowledge Exchange Networks Excellence:- innovating around new customer needs to exceed customer expectations Compliance:- delivering industry norms, standards and codes of practice to meet customer expectations Continuous Improvement & Innovation / Differentiation With the many social, economic and environmental challenges facing today's construction industry, the ability to continually improve performance has never been greater. Whilst there are many 'good' organisations in the construction industry, we believe those that actively innovate and continually improve on these challenges, shall become 'better' at exceeding customer expectations. This increases their ability to differentiate and succeed in an increasingly competitive market place.

Knowledge Exchange Networks Creating new environments to stimulate change in Higher Education and Business

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Innovation Vouchers, for example, are not Research Council products but signifi cant evidence from the workshops showed that they are effective in bridging the barriers companies have in engaging with universities. They also reduce the transaction costs which deter inexperienced companies in the formative stages of building links with universities. They may even lead companies to engage with the ‘fi rst’ steps’ on the esclator – taking on a graduate as a KTP associate, and perhaps even commissioning contract research from a university. Graduate projects were valued as part of a larger innovation cycle, provided that suffi cient resources were available in the company to scope them