Born of Ambition

BORN OF AMBITION

Driving change. Inspiring potential.

Opportunities

Research

A VISION FOR THE FUTURE

Northumbria has achieved a great deal over the last 15 years – transforming to become a researchintensive university that also acts as an engine both for social mobility and regional economic growth.

Cover image: Kayliegh Richardson. Read more about Kayliegh’s story on page 5.

In the latest Research Excellence Framework, the sector’s official evaluation of research across UK higher education institutions, Northumbria made the biggest single leap of any UK university in research power, rising from 50th in 2014 to 23rd in 2022. This remarkable achievement was one of the reasons we were recognised as the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2022. At the same time Northumbria has maintained a clear social mobility mission that unlocks potential and changes lives.

We are proud that around 40 per cent of our students come from areas with low rates of participation in higher education, which is the highest of any research-intensive university. And our graduates already fill almost a quarter of highly skilled jobs in the North East of England, providing a pipeline of highly skilled graduates into the region’s economy.

From this strong base, we now intend to redouble our efforts and forge ahead with our vision for the future. We have a bold and ambitious plan, which focusses on the impact Northumbria has on changing lives, by enabling individuals with ability and potential, from all backgrounds, to succeed and by supporting businesses and communities to thrive in the North East, London and beyond.

Northumbria’s performance in the last Research Excellence Framework was nothing short of remarkable. As the sector’s largest riser in research power for the second time, our status as a research-intensive institution was confirmed. But we want to do more to ensure high-quality research is pervasive across Northumbria, improving the quality and impact of our research in all subject areas to help tackle the big regional, national and global challenges that we face.

By evolving our research culture, we will create an institution where everyone involved in research feels part of a stimulating, fair and inclusive environment where colleagues support each other to undertake high-quality work. Research will continue to enrich our taught programmes, empowering our students to achieve their career and life ambitions beyond graduation. Students will be taught by leaders in their field and actively participate in real research projects – giving them the opportunity to make key contributions in their chosen area of focus.

At the same time, embedding experiential learning into our programmes – where our

students learn by doing – enhances students’ post-university prospects. It provides handson experience and connects the theory and knowledge learned in the classroom to realworld situations. In doing so, we’re not only enabling students to develop the professional skills that are attractive to employers in an increasingly competitive job market, but also driving the pipeline of talent and skills needed for the economy and society.

of background, feel they are able to carry on with their studies until they graduate.

But on its own this will not be enough. We will respond to demand from a growing number of young people who want or need to earn while they learn by further tailoring our education offer, for example by growing degree apprenticeships and rethinking how and when we teach so we better reflect the needs of our students. In addition to how students learn, it is crucial that we also provide the right level of support required for them to complete their degree and succeed after they graduate by tailoring our support to meet the individual needs of our students; whether that’s through financial advice, mental health guidance or accessibility support.

By supporting students through their degrees, and helping them realise their ambitions, this not only directly benefits our students, but it also serves to drive the local and national economies. It shows our civic and industry partners – especially in the North East where the rates of young people entering higher education are particularly low – that we are making participation and progression in higher education more achievable for talented students, regardless of their social or economic circumstances.

It goes without saying that higher education transforms lives, but the uncomfortable truth is that fewer students from low participation backgrounds find their way into highly skilled jobs or further study – and at Northumbria we want to eliminate this difference. We already recruit a high proportion of students from under-represented backgrounds, and as a minimum we want to make sure that we maintain that number, which in and of itself is no mean feat given the challenges they face in accessing higher education. It is also vitally important that by offering quality teaching and support, students, irrespective

Our vision for the future is to take this University even further and make an even greater contribution to society than we already do. Northumbria is born of ambition and a genuine champion of ambition in others. There is so much we know we can do – building on the foundations we’ve laid over the past 15 years – to develop skills, to share new knowledge, to unlock potential and to create opportunity. Working together with our students, stakeholders and partners we will continue on our journey to take on tomorrow. Read on through this special supplement to discover more about Northumbria’s bold and ambitious vision for the future.

UNLOCKING POTENTIAL

Committed to the belief that anyone who could benefit from a university education should have access to one, Northumbria University has a proud history of building a diverse student population by offering a range of opportunities to everyone with the potential and ability to succeed.

Professor Graham Wynn understands firsthand the life changing opportunities higher education can provide. Having grown up on a council estate in Sunderland where very few young people went on to university, he was lucky enough to study physics and astrophysics at the University of Leicester, and is now the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) at Northumbria. Professor Wynn is responsible for shaping the student experience and enhancing the quality and distinctiveness of Northumbria’s study programmes.

“Higher education transformed my life by opening up a new world of opportunity,” he explained. “I was the first in my family to attend university. I came back to the North East to join Northumbria and help with our work to ensure many more young people are empowered to achieve their life ambitions. Our aim is for our students and graduates to be able to create their own opportunities for success, in the ways they personally define success, by developing the skill set they need to identify and prepare for those opportunities, while having ready access to all of the support, facilities and advice they need to succeed.

“I’m proud to be part of a university that occupies a unique place in the sector. A university that has already been on a huge journey to increase research quality and volume, while retaining its roots in recruiting students from a wide range of backgrounds. We succeed in this by tailoring our education offer so that students feel welcome and part of Northumbria, and have access to a high-quality education and comprehensive student support services. All of this helps our students to stay at Northumbria, complete their degrees and succeed in their post-study ambitions.”

Around 40 per cent of Northumbria students come from widening participation backgrounds. This includes learners with experience of the care system, estranged from their families, those from underrepresented backgrounds, or the first in their family to attend university. Northumbria’s commitment to greater equity of access to higher education is acknowledged in a report by the think tank Civitas called Breaking the Care Ceiling, which commends the University for having a higher proportion of care experienced undergraduate students than almost any other UK institution. Northumbria comes second only to the University of East London in the Civitas Care Leavers League Table.

Outreach programmes with schools and a range of scholarship opportunities are just some of the initiatives aimed at igniting aspiration, driven by Northumbria, to provide routes for students from all backgrounds to succeed in higher education. The University’s work in this area is highlighted within the University Best Practice White Paper, backed by former Education Secretary, Justine Greening.

The white paper was launched to raise awareness of the wide-ranging roles universities play as drivers of opportunity.

Professor Wynn regards Northumbria’s strong social mobility mission as particularly important given rates of participation in higher education are typically lower in the North East than in other parts of the country.

“Of those who do go on to higher education study in the North East, approximately two thirds of students choose to stay in the region, which means we have a great responsibility to provide as much support as possible for the region’s aspiring nurses, teachers, engineers, legal professionals, social scientists and others to succeed throughout their educational journey,” he added. “We do this by making sure we are constantly evolving our education offer by working to be ever-more responsive to the educational needs of our students and our region.”

Northumbria plays an active role in the North East Raising Aspiration Partnership (NERAP), a collaboration of the five universities in the region, working together to support young people to think about how higher education can help them reach their goals from an early age. Emphasis is also placed on the variety of routes into studying a wide range of subjects. This includes preparation for academic study via a foundation year, training while in the workplace through a degree apprenticeship, as well as undergraduate, postgraduate and postgraduate research-level entry options.

Nerius Shah, current President of Northumbria Students’ Union, said: “As an international student I can confidently say the impact of Northumbria’s inclusive approach is profound on individual students and their experiences. The University empowers students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue their academic aspirations without feeling marginalised or disadvantaged. It also enriches the learning environment by bringing together students with diverse perspectives, creating a more dynamic and inclusive educational experience for everyone.”

The University has recently partnered with Bede Academy in Blyth to develop a new two-year T-Level course in health, designed to offer an alternative pathway to A-Levels and apprenticeships for young people with aspirations of working in the NHS or health and social care. T-Level courses are nationally recognised programmes and follow a framework of classroom learning and extended work placements, created by employers with support from the Department for Education.

Andrew Thelwell, Principal (Secondary) at Bede Academy said: “We are proud to be able to work in partnership with Northumbria University to introduce this course into our Post-16 curriculum, so that our students can access the best possible routes into incredible, highly skilled, high value work and careers. By working in the health sector this will change and, in some cases, save lives.”

Northumbria’s Higher Education Without Barriers initiative, a fund established to offer financial, practical and wellbeing services to the students most in need of support, complements initiatives offered by the University’s Student Inclusion Team. The team works with students from specific backgrounds or communities and operates schemes such as NU Belong, which supports students facing personal challenges or responsibilities outside of their studies, from pre-entry through to graduation. Mental health, counselling and welfare support is on-hand via the Student Life and Wellbeing team, while close collaboration with Northumbria Students’ Union on all aspects of creating a vibrant learning community helps to engage and to encourage successful progression for all students, throughout their university journey.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

“I wasn’t what you would call a typical law student. No one in my family had been to university,” explained Kayliegh Richardson, Associate Professor at Northumbria School of Law.

Kayliegh grew up in Preston, Lancashire, and admits she didn’t have the connections or networks to set her on the path to a legal career.

“When I started to investigate universities for myself, it was the focus on professional practice throughout the degree which made Northumbria stand out to me. I’ve wanted to be a lawyer from as far back as I can remember.”

£3.2 MILLION RAISED SINCE 2022

606 DONORS FROM 36 COUNTRIES

SUPPORT FROM 32 CORPORATE ORGANISATIONS AND 17 CHARITABLE TRUSTS

OVER £1.5 MILLION PROVIDED FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

FOCUS ON… HIGHER EDUCATION WITHOUT BARRIERS

Higher Education Without Barriers (HEWB) is a fund established at Northumbria University to provide a range of financial support, mental health and wellbeing services, and community projects. The aim is to make participation in higher education more achievable for talented students, regardless of social or economic circumstances. With support from Northumbria alumni, businesses, and charitable partners, the fund has raised over £3.2 million, created 160 new scholarships, and supported more than 2,500 Northumbria students since it launched in January 2022.

Dr Arnab Basu MBE, founder and CEO of Kromek Group, has funded a scholarship through HEWB after studying Materials Engineering at Northumbria and graduating in 1999. “As an international student I was very fortunate to be able to access a scholarship at Northumbria myself,” explained Dr Basu, who received an honorary degree from the University in 2016 for his contribution to engineering and business.

“The University has had a big impact on my life, what I do, and where I am today.

It was important for me to give something back and I know the University will continue enabling individuals to get the experience, get the training, and then go out into society to make a meaningful impact.”

The IntoUniversity Centre, embedded in the heart of the community in Newcastle’s East End, is just one example of the community-based projects supported by HEWB. The Centre is a unique collaboration between Northumbria University, Newcastle University and the UK-based education charity IntoUniversity. It has supported 1,200 young people aged between 7 and 18 from disadvantaged backgrounds to progress into higher education or another chosen aspiration in the past year, by providing after-school academic support sessions, workshops and a mentoring programme supported by current university students and professionals.

Scan the QR code to discover more about the Higher Education Without Barriers campaign.

Relishing the hands-on experience she was given alongside her studies from the outset, Kayliegh completed her first year with a strong set of results and was selected for a summer internship at legal firm, Ward Hadaway. The collaboration between the firm and Northumbria’s School of Law led to a training contract for Kayliegh and the chance to experience different areas of law after graduation.

Kayliegh said: “By my final year, I just wanted to have a go. Northumbria Student Law Office, which offers legal services to the community free of charge, allowed me to do just that. As students, we did the work solicitors do in practice, under the supervision of a qualified solicitor.”

She graduated from Northumbria in 2011 and became a family solicitor, pursuing her passion for advocating for children, their parents or guardians.

Kayliegh has now come full circle and was thrilled to return to Northumbria as a member of staff in 2015. Having overseen the Student Law Office, supporting students from all backgrounds to have the same hands-on experience she did, she is now Head of Apprenticeships for Law and is currently in the middle of her PhD.

“Pursuing my own research interests, looking at issues like domestic abuse, the family court system and access to justice, is so important to me,” she added. “I want to keep advocating, continue learning and keep making a difference. I want to help make justice accessible to everyone and make a career in law open to all.”

Scan the QR code to watch a video featuring more about Kayliegh’s journey.

POWERING AN INCLUSIVE ECONOMY

Northumbria University places more graduates into highly skilled jobs in the North East than any other university, helping to power the regional economy, support businesses, and open up life-changing opportunities for students. We look at what lies behind this success.

Almost a quarter of all first-degree graduates working in highly skilled jobs in the region are from Northumbria. It is an impressive figure, and a clear indicator of the contribution Northumbria makes regionally – both through graduate career opportunities and by providing a pipeline of talent needed for the economy and society. The University also boasts some of the most entrepreneurial students anywhere in the UK and is consistently ranked in the top 10 for graduate business start-ups based on aggregate turnover, according to the Higher Education Business Community Interaction Survey (HEBCIS). In fact, it has been rated number one on this measure in the HEBCIS survey no less than five times in the past 15 years – highlighting the innovation and drive of Northumbria students and how through enterprise they are helping to create jobs and wealth for the North East.

And with up to 40 per cent of Northumbria’s undergraduates coming from traditionally underrepresented or less advantaged backgrounds, the University’s impact on the economy is matched equally by an unwavering focus on social mobility. Unlocking potential for all regardless of background, goes hand in hand at Northumbria with its role as an engine for growth.

A key facilitator to this success has been an ambitious approach to experiential learning – providing students with real-life work

experience before they graduate to enhance their career prospects and equip them with skills employers need. Trail-blazing initiatives including the Student Law Office, where final year students work on live legal cases, and the Business Clinic, which offers free student-led consultancy services to real businesses and organisations, have led the way in the sector and been replicated by many. And further compelling examples of this enriched learning experience exist across the University, such as a recently launched student-led Physiotherapy clinic offering students vital experience across all aspects of clinic management. Clinic-based learning opportunities have also been highly successful within nursing, primary care and sport science courses.

Northumbria’s design degrees have always offered opportunities for students to work with commercial partners on a range of live projects.

Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences and Professor of Creative Media at Northumbria, Mary Krell, believes this is why Northumbria has design graduates who are now leading some of the world’s most recognised brands. “The way of working in design has always been about helping students understand and connect with the people and places where they might work in industry. Our graduates can draw on their live project experiences and what they have gained from it – and have gone on to run brands like

“We have made the really bold commitment that all undergraduates in all faculties who come to Northumbria will have access to experiential learning, regardless of what they are studying.”

PROFESSOR ROBERT MACINTOSH

Crocs or were responsible for designing the iPhone,” she said.

Professor Krell is also clear about the benefits for students studying art and humanities, and how experiential learning can prepare them for a wide range of careers. She explained: “History students, for example, may choose a career in business where real-world learning experiences give them the ability to think creatively and critically, which is a real asset for them and can be a platform into senior leadership.”

Making experiential learning interdisciplinary is also a clear differentiator for Northumbria – distinguishing the University from its competitors. This approach takes students from different degree courses and puts them together as a single team to work with industrial partners on live projects. “It helps our students understand how truly collaborative the working world is,” said Professor Krell, adding: “You may have film-making students working with English students, where the

ability to work together in a team and to help lead or shape that team can be very powerful. It gives our graduates much greater confidence when applying for future employment.”

And when it comes to applying for jobs, experiential learning can offer a genuine edge in so-called competence-based interviews where employers are looking for clear examples of managing real situations.

Professor Robert MacIntosh, Pro ViceChancellor for the Faculty of Business and Law, said experiential learning can arm graduates with a much more focused set of answers at interview. He believes this is particularly beneficial for first generation and socially disadvantaged students, explaining: “Students who come from a more affluent or privileged background probably have people in their social network who understand what graduate level employment looks like and can introduce them to useful contacts and opportunities. But if a student is training to be a lawyer and they don’t know any other lawyers, who are they going to turn to? Being part of our Student Law Office allows them to work on real client briefs which means they can both build professional networks and have highly impactful examples to draw on in job interviews.”

While Northumbria has a proud history of helping students from a wide range of backgrounds into graduate level jobs, the University wants to go even further.

“Experiential learning has given many of our students a better than average chance of career success,” said Professor MacIntosh, adding: “But historically these experiences haven’t been open to students on all courses, so we have made the really bold commitment that all undergraduates in all faculties who come to Northumbria will have access to experiential learning.”

Embarking on such an ambitious offering will be a genuine game-changer

for Northumbria, and one that could help shape the future of experiential learning across the sector. Professor MacIntosh also made the point that it is being implemented after a large-scale and highly participative consultation with Northumbria staff to develop a strategy from the ground-up rather than the top-down. The results of the consultation show the desire to deliver an enhanced student learning experience and to champion social mobility is strong right across the University.

To expand its programme of experiential learning Northumbria will look to continually broaden its network of partners who can offer placements or work with one of the student-led clinics. The advantages for all parties are significant, and Professor MacIntosh sees engagement with partners in this way as part of Northumbria’s wider regional and civic role. He said: “Many universities describe themselves as anchor institutions because they have such an important role to play regionally, with public organisations, local authorities, health care providers, the police, businesses and many other employers. These employers add value to the education and learning process through a range of work experience opportunities for our students – and in return Northumbria provides them and the region with a pipeline of suitably experienced and highly skilled graduates.”

Northumbria may not be unique in offering experiential learning, of course other universities include it in their programmes. But it is the scale and ambition now articulated in Northumbria’s new strategy that is different. The University was one of the first to start offering experiential learning and is now a frontrunner in offering it to all. It is a model of success and a platform for even greater ambition and progress in the future –one that really does unlock potential for all.

Northumbria’s pioneering work in powering an inclusive economy and experiential learning is now being recognised at the highest levels. On a recent visit to the University, Shadow Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson MP said: “It was brilliant to see what’s going on at Northumbria –everything from world-leading research in areas such as space physics, and the work that’s going on to support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The work that Northumbria is doing around investment, support for students and how that’s connected to jobs, industry and growth of our regional economy is fantastic. Our regional universities are absolutely central to the economy of the region, and to creating jobs and prosperity. They are anchor institutions that drive so much of our growth.”

Working with industry partners

Underscoring the benefits of experiential learning, a team of Advanced Practice Master’s programme students from Northumbria’s Faculty of Engineering and Environment worked with off-grid solar renewable energy company Veropower. Their brief was to help secure real-time data on a photovoltaic system Veropower had installed for its customer Baxby Manor Campsite in North Yorkshire.

Following site visits and a feasibility study the students developed a process to accurately analyse the reduction in carbon emissions and cost savings from the photovoltaic solar panels.

Through meticulous calculation and analysis, the students were able to present a report to Veropower detailing how the installation had not only brought about a positive financial impact and significantly contributed to the reduction of carbon emissions.

Anne Macdonald, Experiential Learning Support Manager at Northumbria, said: “This is a perfect example of our students gaining valuable and career enhancing experience working on a real project for a real client. Veropower were hugely impressed by the students’ work and the fact they were able to demonstrate tangible benefits of investing in solar technology through datadriven evidence. Experiential learning like this offers so many benefits – for our students and our business and industry partners.”

Supporting enterprise

A property technology start-up launched by two Northumbria alumni has grown into a multi-million pound business.

Jamie Cooke and Ben Ridgway graduated from Northumbria in 2008 with degrees in Estate Management. The following summer they launched what is now iamproperty, supported by the University’s student and graduate enterprise team. Almost 15 years later, the business has grown exponentially and reported a £76m turnover in its last financial year. iamproperty provides estate agents with digital solutions to accelerate their success, by increasing efficiencies and revenue generation opportunities. iamproperty also pioneered the Modern Method of Auction, seeing the company become the UK’s largest online residential auctioneer. In 2023, iamproperty sold over 9,000 properties via this method, accounting for 1% of all UK property transactions for the first time.

When launching the business, Northumbria’s Graduate Business Support scheme, funded iamproperty’s first office space for their 12 members of staff. Today, iamproperty has a team of 600 employees across the UK, of which 31 are Northumbria graduates.

Jamie Cooke, co-founder of iamproperty explained:

“As a start-up, having support from the University was invaluable. We were both new to the world of business and Northumbria’s enterprise team got us in front of industry professionals – from legal advisors to accountants. We were well supported from the beginning.

“Not long after we launched, we came back to the University to recruit graduates who were an important part of our growth in the early years. We attended careers fairs and events which our recruitment team still does to this day, to bring the best talent on board. We continue to employ well rounded, confident individuals who have a positive impact on the business – much of this because they have undertaken a placement year working in industry.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: RESEARCH WITH IMPACT

An unprecedented climb of 57 places since 2008 to rank 23rd in the UK for research power – the biggest rise of any university in the country –was a key factor in Northumbria being named Times Higher Education’s University of the Year 2022 and the Daily Mail’s Research University of the Year in 2023. After sweeping up these top accolades, what’s next for research at Northumbria University?

“Research quality, interdisciplinary activity, partnership working, and social mobility are at the heart of everything the University does, and our researchers are driving forward studies that benefit global communities,” says Professor Louise Bracken, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange.

“I think what makes us really distinctive is that we want our research to be used and we want it to make a difference,” she said. “There’s an ethos here of wanting to benefit people, society and the environment and you can see this coming to light in all sorts of ways, from informing the United Nations on the roles local volunteers play in meeting global challenges, or developing new technologies for renewable energy, to analysing the impact of the fashion industry on communities, supply chains and the environment. Creating new knowledge with impact is central to Northumbria.”

Collaboration is key for the future

Partnership working is vital to Northumbria’s ambitious plans to develop both its Centre for Health and Social Equity, known as CHASE, and NESST, the £50 million North East Space Skills and Technology centre, both of which will directly contribute to levelling up and creating jobs in the North East.

With building work underway to create physical homes for both on the University’s Newcastle city campus, the centres will

bring together researchers working with government, public, private and voluntary sector organisations, providing innovative state-of-the-art facilities for health and engineering research and training.

CHASE will play a pivotal role in helping to create a healthier, more equitable society for all. Researchers are investigating the links between income and health inequalities and transforming the infrastructure of support available for people who are homeless. They have provided crucial evidence that has led to the introduction of school breakfast clubs, holiday activity and food programmes across the UK and have improved support for military veterans – including those now living in poverty or at risk of suicide.

NESST will play a critical role in transforming the UK space industry, bringing together industry and academia to collaborate on globally significant research and development. Working with both small and multinational industry partners, NESST will put Northumbria and the North East at the forefront of innovation in areas such as satellite communications and space-based energy. Newcastle City Council’s leader, Councillor Nick Kemp, praised the impact it will have on the local economy saying: “Securing the funding for this landmark project is an outstanding achievement for Northumbria University and is testament to the excellence of the research it undertakes.”

And recognising the importance of everyone involved in research, from external stakeholders and partners through to technicians and professional support teams, is a prime focus as Northumbria takes its research to the next level. “Quality research is delivered by lots of different people, and not all of those people are always visible,” said Professor Matt Baillie Smith, Professor of Global Development and Dean of Research Culture at Northumbria University, who is leading the drive to create a stimulating, fair and inclusive environment where colleagues support each other to undertake high-quality research.

“We want our research to be used and we want it to make a difference.”

PROFESSOR LOUISE BRACKEN

Growing recognition for research quality

In the last two years, government funding body UK Research and Innovation and industry partners have awarded Northumbria more than £20 million to create three new centres where the next generation of research leaders in renewable energy, data science and artificial intelligence will hone their skills, providing clear evidence of the University’s research quality being recognised across the higher education sector and beyond.

Alongside this rising number of multi-millionpound research awards, there has also been a four-fold increase in the number of individual awards to researchers. Two recent grants from the Academy of Medical Sciences, for example, have brought researchers from Cape Town and Seattle to Northumbria to

drive new advances in bioinformatics and genetic mitochondrial disease. There are also impressive successes for researchers at the early stages of their careers, such as PhD candidate Matt Kirby, who is investigating green belt land policy in England. “Alongside my academic publications I’ve also produced a report for UK Parliament and had discussions with policy makers and practitioners, as well as working at Natural England and writing for a leading trade publication,” he said. “It is great to be part of a research programme which fosters and supports this important and impact-focused approach to research.”

Commercialising research outputs

Innovative technologies developed at Northumbria are also contributing to new economic opportunities. Work in intellectual property and commercialisation has grown exponentially in recent years with a dedicated in-house team encouraging and supporting researchers to take their ideas to market. The number of patent submissions is growing

said Richard Baker, Programme Lead for Northern Accelerator. “It is demonstration of our shared commitment to economic growth that we are working together to create new businesses through Northern Accelerator and supporting each other to build our capacity in this work. As a core partner in Northern Accelerator,

year-on-year, and spin-out businesses are emerging, attracting interest from investors.

Partnering with organisations such as Northern Accelerator, which commercialises research from North East universities, has brought benefits for Northumbria. With support from Northern Accelerator, spin-out medical technology company PulmoBioMed has raised £1.4 million towards commercialising its lung-testing device that could lead to earlier diagnosis of asthma and other conditions. Proofof concept funding was also awarded to develop Solar2Water – a portable unit that uses solar energy to extract moisture from the air to create clean, safe drinking water.

“There is significant potential for the excellent research conducted in the North East’s universities to help address some of the economic and social challenges we face regionally, nationally and globally through commercialisation,”

Northumbria has demonstrated how a modern university with high-quality research can benefit from collaboration to build a high-performing, sustainable technology transfer office without decades of investment and development.”

As Northumbria continues to make significant strides in its mission to change lives and tackle the global challenges of our age through education and research, Professor Bracken notes the new dynamism around the University in both the amount and the quality of its research. “You can see us as a collective evolving and changing. We’re doing things our way, and we’re on a really exciting journey.”

Scan the QR code to find out more about Northumbria’s worldleading research.

POWERING THE REGION AND BEYOND

Universities are a national asset. They catalyse economic, social and cultural development within their communities, across the country and around the world. Through powering an inclusive economy, creating new knowledge and driving social mobility, Northumbria plays a leading role in the economic and social transformation of the North East and beyond.

Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods, Northumbria’s Chair of the Board of Governors, is a strong believer in the power of universities to both benefit individuals and transform the communities they serve. “The impact of universities cannot be underestimated – as an employer, innovator, collaborator and educator, Northumbria’s role in strengthening the North East and beyond is significant and wide-ranging,” she explained.

A recent report by BiGGAR Economics which assessed the economic and social impact of the University showed that in the academic year 2021-2022 Northumbria contributed over £1.6 billion to the UK economy. Of this, £1 billion was retained in the North East* and £636 million directly benefitted Newcastle. The report also revealed that the University supported over 31,600 jobs across the country, of which 20,120 were in the North East* and 13,200 in Newcastle. And while these figures are significant, they highlight only a snapshot of Northumbria’s economic and social contribution.

Cementing its position as an anchor institution, the University is on a mission

to make an even greater impact – driving economic inclusive growth and addressing regional inequalities to shape the prosperity and wellbeing of society.

As the North East embraces a future of greater autonomy and opportunity through devolution, with major funding and decision-making powers transferred from Westminster to the region, Northumbria stands ready to help shape and deliver the vision set out in the region’s trailblazer deal. “Northumbria has so much to offer in terms of expertise and infrastructure to support priorities of the regional devolution,” said Dr Blackman-Woods.

“Recognising the value of connectedness and collaboration, the University is committed to making its expertise available and to joining forces with partners to come up with regional solutions. We are embracing the fact that devolution gives us a chance to build our own destiny.”

Working closely with the North East Combined Authority (NECA), Northumbria has identified several areas for potential collaboration across skills and education, research and innovation and addressing health and social inequities

and exclusion across the region. Many of the University’s current and planned projects are anchored in the new £4.2 billion investment plan and are positioned to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes for the region and its people.

One of the key priorities listed in the deal is the importance of strengthening green industries. Northumbria, working alongside Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland universities and other key regional stakeholders, has supported the development of plans for the new £160 million North East Investment Zone (NEIZ), a ten-year government funded programme set to unlock growth across clean energy and green manufacturing businesses. Northumbria’s expertise in this area also enabled the establishment of ReNU, a Centre for Doctoral Training in renewable energies. Formed in 2019, the Centre is helping the UK government progress towards its Net Zero aims for a low carbon economy by creating a pipeline of highly skilled doctoral graduates that will drive forward innovation in renewable energy. New funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council will see the expansion of this work to create ReNU+. In addition to the aims of the original Centre, ReNU+ will expand its work and include people from under-represented groups, encouraging them to access doctoral level training and to help drive an equitable transition to Net Zero.

At a recent ‘Impact and Ambition’ event Northumbria invited key regional partners to discuss how universities can help them better seize opportunity presented through devolution. ‘Collaboration’ and ‘innovation’ were repeatedly cited as vital to being able to do this.

“Collaboration is key, and we see it happening already in spades, but I think we could do more,” enthused Tony McMeekin, Open Innovation Director, Procter & Gamble UK.

“Universities can also play a role in enabling innovation, by creating those safe places to go and learn fast and easily demonstrate ideas and technology – so that not just big industrial companies, but emerging startups, SMEs whatever they might be, can go and try stuff quickly, safely, learn, and hopefully then grow.”

One of Northumbria’s major strategic developments is set to do just that. Serving as a blueprint for the University’s contribution to economic growth and prosperity, the North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST) will be a state-of-the-art research and educational facility for the space sector. NESST will have a significant impact on the region, creating over 350 jobs and injecting over £260 million into the North East economy over the next 30 years. It will enable significant innovation, outreach and educational opportunities from primary school to PhD. The Centre will regenerate an area of Newcastle on the edge of Northumbria’s City Campus, with the building serving as a hub of cutting-edge incubator and innovation spaces for businesses.

Professor John Woodward, Pro ViceChancellor (International) at Northumbria and the Executive Lead for NEEST explains how NESST is boosting emerging industries in the region: “NESST allows us to bring Lockheed Martin Space, one of the largest satellite technology and space companies in the world, into the UK and into the North East. That will allow us to supercharge our work with the regional space ecosystem, with SMEs and other companies in the UK.”

Northumbria also helps new and existing companies to innovate and grow through research and consultancy support. With Northumbria’s spinouts and start-ups already supporting 2,000 jobs in the North East, enterprise and homegrown talent is another success story the University continues to build upon. Leveraging the power of partnerships, Northumbria works in collaboration with other institutions in the region to deliver various initiatives. Arrow, for example, connects SMEs with academic experts to help them develop new products, processes or ideas; and Northern Accelerator promotes the commercialisation of research and bolsters the creation of spinout companies.

Another way Northumbria helps businesses and employees to gain a competitive edge is through developing skills and knowledge. Alongside traditional degree programmes, Northumbria offers degree apprenticeships and customised CPD courses and training. Help to Grow: Management, for example, is a practical training programme for senior leaders in small and medium-sized businesses. Rolled out nationally by the UK’s leading business schools, and in partnership with Government and the Chartered Association of Business Schools, around 200 North East SMEs have registered for the programme with Northumbria over the three years of the course so far.

Social and economic development are inseparable and while the North East has no shortage of strengths to build upon, the challenges of low life expectancy, child poverty, unemployment, poor productivity and low participation in higher education are indisputable.

In the academic year 2021-2022

Northumbria contributed over £1.6 billion to the UK economy. Of this, £1 billion was retained in the North East* and £636 million directly benefitted Newcastle.

Northumbria supported over 31,600 jobs across the country, of which 20,120 were in the North East* and 13,200 in Newcastle.

For every £1 the University received in income, it generated £4.99 of economic impact across the UK.

Our spin-outs and start-ups supported 2,000 jobs in the North East*.

Over 38,000 students from 138 countries generated over £223 million and supported over 7,200 jobs in Newcastle.

“We’re in a really fantastic place, but we can’t be complacent,” explained Michelle Percy, Director of Place, Newcastle City Council, during the Impact and Ambition event. “The equality and parity of health and wellbeing access is shocking given our world-class universities and healthcare systems in our city and region, and so those are the real challenges.”

Connecting multidisciplinary research, education and partnership working, Northumbria’s Centre for Health and Social Equity (CHASE) will help reduce health inequalities to improve healthy life expectancy and economic activity in the North East and beyond. The Centre will help to tackle the NHS workforce crisis, as its cutting-edge facilities will increase Northumbria’s capacity to educate nursing, midwifery and allied health professionals, as well as social workers. CHASE researchers will also support policymaking; a recent Northumbria-led report revealed that a Basic Income scheme – where the Government would provide Britons with a set income to meet basic needs – could potentially save the NHS tens of billions of pounds.

Tackling regional inequalities and boosting the North East economy is something Keith Merrin, Director, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM), believes cultural and creative industries can help with – especially in collaboration with universities. “We have universities which are really strong and

specialise in creative and cultural subject matters, which offers opportunities to collaborate on research to open up aspects of our archives, history and collections. By collaborating we build knowledge and raise the profile of the region’s assets,” explained Keith.

“In the North East there are a lot of bright minds who don’t achieve their potential, so we need to support them and help them to be more ambitious – Northumbria is particularly strong when it comes to recruiting from the local community.”

At Northumbria, research-enriched taught programmes, all of which will have experiential learning embedded in them by 2025, help students from all backgrounds to achieve their ultimate ambitions.

“There are opportunities for students to gain practical work experience in our sector,” added Keith. “They obtain real-world experience as part of their course and in turn it also helps us by providing additional resource. The region also continues to suffer from the highest child poverty rates in the country, so it’s crucial that we get more people into the workplace. Creative and cultural industries are fast growing and so present future employment opportunities. It’s important that organisations like TWAM work with universities to identify skills gaps. Together we can future-proof the sector’s workforce.”

The University supports the plans for the cultural and creative sector included in the trailblazing devolution deal and is working with the North East Combined Authority to explore how Northumbria can draw on its expertise to support and provide capacity to the mayoral combined authority team.

With distinct strengths in its cultural and creative portfolio, Northumbria is actively engaged in all three of the Cultural and Creative Zones across the region. Dr Roberta BlackmanWoods believes the work the University is doing with partners in industry, local businesses and the public sector to grow the economy is vital to students’ future success and employment opportunities.

She reaffirmed: “We will continue to build on our cultural partnerships for example with New Writing North, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums and Live Theatre to support the rise of the UK creative industries as a sector of national growth and international inward investment.

“I believe that we at Northumbria are genuinely excited by the future. We have a real ambition to lead the way forward – and that starts with being a crucial resource and inspiration for our region.”

Scan the QR code to find out more about Northumbria’s Economic and Social Impact.

*North East is defined as the North East Mayoral Combined Authority region of Northumberland, Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham.