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Knowledge Exchange Framework

The University achieves strong KEF results with excellent regional growth progress.

The University of Liverpool performed strongly in Research England’s Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF5), maintaining its position as one of the country’s leading universities for knowledge exchange. Building on previous KEF results, we continue to demonstrate very high or high engagement in six of the seven perspectives assessed.

Highlights include:

  • Achieving the highest possible rating (Quintile 5) for Research Partnerships, where we exceed the cluster average, IP Commercialisation, and Working with the Public and Third Sector.
  • Improving our performance in Local growth and regeneration, where we are recognised as having high engagement (Quintile 4), exceeding the cluster average.


The results also recognise our high engagement (Quintile 4) in Working with Business, and Public & Community Engagement, where we are in line with the cluster average. KEF’s interactive dashboards can be viewed here*.

Examples for a number of KEF perspectives, extending beyond what has been measured in the latest KEF 5 results, include:

Research partnerships

Our continued success is driven by a clear strategic focus on partnerships and collaborative research. A major milestone this year is the Healthcare Charter Partnership with Roche Diagnostics Ltd, bringing together more than 20 organisations to improve health outcomes and boost prosperity across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

Our long-standing partnership with Unilever continues to set the benchmark for industry–academia knowledge exchange, recognised as a best-in-class model.

The University’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships portfolio also continues to expand, with three new projects launched this year: enhancing wild rocket varieties with CN Seeds Limited, developing smarter care solutions with Duchenne UK, and strengthening the reliability of offshore, nuclear, and wind infrastructure with PSW Integrity Limited.

We're pleased to see the University of Liverpool's strong KEF results continue, which really validate the significance of our partnership. Together, we are making meaningful progress in improving lives across the Liverpool City Region through the power of diagnostics, driving innovation to ensure more people access the care they need, faster.

Matthew Johnson, Director of Access and Innovation at Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland

 

Local growth and regeneration

Our progress, now exceeding the cluster average, reflects how we drive projects that strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem, support businesses, and deliver real impact. The Horizons Innovation Programme, led by the University’s VEC with delivery partners, has supported over 750 SMEs and generated £197 million in GVA.

More recently, the University has taken a leading role in the Liverpool City Region Life Sciences Innovation Zone, part of the Government’s Investment Zone Programme. Flagship initiatives include the Civic HealthTech Innovation Zone (CHI-Zone), applying AI to transform health and social care, and the Microbiome Acceleration, Innovation and Development (MaID) Hub, advancing microbiome therapies, antimicrobials, and diagnostics. Together, these position the region as a health innovation leader with growing international visibility.

 

IP and commercialisation

Our continued success reflects strategic focus and investment in resources that foster an entrepreneurial culture. Our new multi-year partnership with Northern Gritstone, the investment and venture-building company chaired by Lord Jim O’Neill, makes Liverpool the fourth university in the ‘Northern Arc’ of IP-rich early-stage investment opportunities, following Leeds, Manchester, and Sheffield. We also partnered with Sustainable Ventures to deliver the Sustainable Futures Accelerator, helping climate tech spin-outs scale their innovations, supported by our Sir Peter Rigby Centre for Enterprise. Read more about the University’s enterprise successes, spin-out companies, and technologies turning ideas into real-world impact here.

 

Public and community engagement

Our engagement spans all sectors, with public and community involvement central to our mission, enabling us to tackle societal challenges and maximise the reach of our research. This year, for example, the University co-hosted the British Science Festival, which featured over 100 events across the city, showcasing our research frontiers and giving the public direct access to world-leading experts, connecting communities with cutting-edge research in a fun and accessible way.

The Children Growing Up in Liverpool (C-GULL) programme, a longitudinal birth cohort study, exemplifies this approach, collecting data from 10,000 families to improve child health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities in the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

It’s fantastic to see the University of Liverpool performing so strongly in the KEF results, particularly in local growth and regeneration. As a key anchor institution, vital to our economy and future prosperity, the University is central to our UK-leading place-based approach to innovation, where industry, academia and the public sector work hand in hand. We look forward to building on this success as we deliver the Innovation Zone, put our Plan for Prosperity into action, and work towards raising R&D investment to 5% of GVA by 2030.

Cllr Mike Wharton, Liverpool City Region Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade

 

Case studies

Our case study webpages highlight a wide range of activity at the University under each KEF perspective, extending beyond what has been measured in the latest KEF 5 results.

Read more about KEF here.

 

*If you have previously viewed KEF4, we encourage you to refresh your browser before viewing the KEF5 dashboards.

 

 

Information for University of Liverpool staff:

If you require further information around KEF, please contact Stephanie Dolben, Knowledge Exchange Strategy and Evaluation Manager, at sdolben@liverpool.ac.uk.

Partnerships and collaborations with organisations beyond academia, such as businesses, NHS trusts, government agencies, and cultural organisations, are essential for generating income and impact – read more about the University’s knowledge exchange strategy and KEF.

Research, Partnerships and Innovation (RPI) supports these collaborations and provides resources, including the Research Partnering Toolkit, to help you achieve successful outcomes. Find out more on our Partnership Development webpages. Meanwhile, our Enterprise Team provides support for commercialising intellectual property through licensing or spin-outs, helping to maximise the impact of University research.