Strategic Themes for Research and Knowledge Exchange: Fostering Collaboration Across Communities

The themes are:

Greener, Sustainable Communities

Inclusive, Prosperous Communities

Sport and Healthy Communities

These themes reflect the university’s strengths and societal contributions, bringing together academics and external stakeholders to co-create knowledge that drives change. You can read more about the strategic themes in our recent article in the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce magazine.

To progress these themes, we are establishing a Community of Practice (CoP) for each, designed to create space for dialogue, shared learning, and collaborative innovation.

Spotlight on the First Community of Practice

Following the launch of the themes, which took place at the Festival of Research and Knowledge Exchange in November last year, a Community of Practice (CoP) will be created for each theme. We commenced last month with the inaugural CoP for Greener, Sustainable Communities. This first event brought together colleagues from seven of our schools, all keen to explore how the thematic approach could enrich their research and enable new partnerships.

The university’s diverse project portfolio spans a wide range of initiatives that not only deliver practical solutions and commercial impact for stakeholders but also support key government agendas to boost innovation, advance local economies, and contribute to the Net Zero challenge.

Participants discussed the scope of sustainability across disciplines and brainstormed potential sub-themes that could shape future work. Our collaborations span a broad spectrum of innovation areas focused on sustainability, climate action, and net zero ambitions. We bring a distinct strength in helping partners enhance productivity, improve resource efficiency, support with carbon reduction, and reduce waste delivering lasting impact aligned with long-term Net Zero goals.

Equally important was the exploration of how future CoP meetings could be structured, from interactive roundtables and sandpit-style innovation sessions to ‘meet the expert’ industry days, all designed to foster creative exchange and actionable outcomes.

Embracing Interconnected Themes for Greater Impact

While each theme maintains a distinct focus, they are inherently connected, and we recognise the interdependence of cross-cutting topics that unite all three. This integration amplifies our impact and ensures a holistic approach to addressing societal challenges.

We explored how the Greener, Sustainable Communities theme naturally aligns with the Sport and Healthy Communities theme, with shared research interests in areas such as healthy buildings, sustainable homes, public health, clean water, air quality, and green space innovation. To develop these synergies and to build upon some great multi-disciplinary work already taking place pan-university, future events will offer deep dives into these cross-cutting topics, fostering collaboration and new insights.

Similarly, there is a natural overlap with the Inclusive, Prosperous Growth theme, particularly through shared priorities such as the aforementioned focus on productivity and resource efficiency, plus areas such as innovative design and smart systems that contribute to broader sustainability goals.

These cross-cutting areas will remain a focus as we continue to embed the thematic work pan-university.

Looking Ahead

One of the greatest benefits of the CoP model is the formation of a network of experts spanning diverse disciplines. These communities create a rich environment for innovation, opening up new research opportunities and positioning us to respond quickly and effectively to strategic, large-scale funding and partnership initiatives.

As the CoPs continue to evolve, they will play a vital role in shaping the focus of the university’s research and knowledge exchange, driving meaningful collaborations, and making a lasting difference in the communities we serve.

We now have a Microsoft Teams group for our academic colleagues who would like to be part of the Greener, Sustainable Communities CoP, to stay informed of relevant opportunities and to be notified of future meetings and events. Please contact me if you would like to be added to this.

The first CoP events for the other two themes will be scheduled for later this year with details to follow soon.