Transformative innovation and impact
The growth of our distinctive Strathclyde innovation ecosystem, built around partnership and collaboration, is key to our overall strategy. Our relationships with government and the public and private sectors, developed over an extended period, accelerate the development of technologies, help companies compete, and inform the development of public policy. This highly successful approach attracts investment and creates deep strategic partnerships with high-impact businesses, large and small, from Scotland and across the whole UK, and with inwardly investing corporates.
By driving collaborative research on a global stage, we are able to be truly world-leading in our areas of strategic focus. At the same time, we make vital impacts locally and regionally, addressing industry needs and building new physical innovation assets. We provide expertise from within the university and crucially through our industry-facing Centres, through which we work directly alongside our industrial partners.
We are committed to providing our students, staff and alumni with an understanding of the value of innovation and entrepreneurship, through development opportunities that include student sponsorship, internships, placements and projects. We will continue to identify and develop new talent – new entrepreneurs and innovators – through our bold approach to knowledge exchange and impact.
Strathclyde’s authentic promotion of innovation, inspired by our world-class research, teaching and talent, will be a defining characteristic of our institution over the period to 2025. Engagement with the public is central to Strathclyde’s ethos and sits at the heart of our mission as a socially-progressive institution.
Distinctive Strathclyde
Read more about the growth of our distinctive Strathclyde innovation ecosystem.
Our strategic aims
Strategic Aim 3.1: Our distinctive industry engagement model accelerates growth, improves productivity and enables partners to access world-class research, technology and talent from the University
We will achieve this by:
- maximising collaborative research with industry
- creating an ecosystem for entrepreneurs to work alongside researchers, innovation organisations and companies across our key cluster areas
- expanding our industry engagement approach to encompass more diverse partners and models
- growing our licensing, continuing professional development (CPD) and consultancy activities
- empowering venture creators and creating competitive advantage through an unrivalled programme of support at the heart of the Glasgow City Innovation District and the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland
- engaging with organisations to support progressive workplace practices that deliver fair work, workplace innovation to drive productivity and inclusive growth
- supporting entrepreneurship, industrial engagement and commercialisation and enabling fast-growing businesses, by making strategic investments in developing companies and growing our number of industrial strategic partnerships
Strategic Aim 3.2: Our knowledge exchange with government, public and the third sector delivers increased impact
We will achieve this by:
- increasing our constructive and independent influence on government policy at all levels through the high-impact policy centres linked under the banner of Policy@Strathclyde
- working in partnership with public agencies such as the NHS to ensure that our research and knowledge exchange can support change to improve public services and impact on people’s lives through Strathclyde Health and Care Futures
- collaborating with third sector organisations locally and internationally to provide knowledge, skills, and capacity to support innovation and deliver transformational change
- increasing knowledge exchange from university research and technologies
Strategic Aim 3.3: Our public engagement activities are inclusive, benefit society, and have increased reach and impact.
We will achieve this by:
- enabling staff and students to take pride in sharing and developing their knowledge with others
- developing the engagement of the public in the priorities and delivery of our research through citizen science
- maintaining existing, and establishing new, public engagement platforms – large scale events with light touch interactions – all with the goal of deriving benefit for the University, for the research and participants, by changing understanding and awareness
- growing our public engagement portfolio of activities, with an emphasis on socially progressive engagement with wider and more diverse audiences in Glasgow and globally
- providing training and opportunities for staff to focus on escalating their public engagement activity, either as part of an existing external collaboration or in developing a new partnership
