A national assessment of how universities contribute to regional economies and communities highlights the collective strength of the Midlands Innovation (MI) partnership.
The results show that collectively MI universities are amongst the UK’s top institutions for the economic growth they generate through their work to support businesses of all sizes, and for the creation of new ‘spin-out’ businesses, products and services that they generate through academic research.
The fifth national Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) published (in September 2025) by Research England evaluates the contributions higher education institutions make both locally and nationally.
All eight MI partners, the universities of Aston, Birmingham, Cranfield, Keele, Loughborough, Leicester, Nottingham and Warwick are rated in the top two categories for performing to a ‘very high and ‘high’ standard for their work with business, and seven are in the ‘very high’ or ‘high’ categories for the IP they generate and the commercialisation of research.
The results also highlight partners strength in research partnerships, and the work they undertake to support local growth and regeneration – demonstrating the impact of partners work to support organisations across the Midlands to drive economic growth.
The news that Midlands Innovation partners individually are amongst the country’s top universities, also underlines their collective strength and success in securing funding already this year for two new nationally leading initiatives which drive growth. These are:
- Forging Ahead – Announced by Lord Patrick Vallance, the project sees 15 Midlands universities working together to drive forward entrepreneurship and innovation across the region. The project secured 1/3 of the total national funding awarded.
- AI RDN+ – a project bringing together universities across MI and Yorkshire Universities to drive up the ethical use of generative AI in research, it will provide PhD researchers with the skills that future employers will need to drive innovation in their businesses, and also provide an academic blueprint of how the sector can embrace and evolve at-pace to the use of generative AI in research.
These two new initiatives build on the foundations of other MI projects which are aiming to scale up the commercialisation ecosystem in the region and to drive greater levels of overseas investment into the region’s R&D sector. These are:
- The Invest in UK Universities: Midlands Campaign – a trail-blazing inward investment initiative to attract greater levels of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into regional research and development, which demonstrates the collective strength of 17 Midlands universities, working collectively and at-scale to drive overseas investment into key sectors of strength across the region.
- Midlands Mindforge – a bold decision by MI partners to establish the country’s first university patient capital investment vehicle to operate at a pan-regional scale, and to involve the highest number of universities. Mindforge will aim to support entrepreneurs build and manage high-growth businesses through investment and ecosystem building. It will invest in companies from across the Midlands backed by world-leading science and technology.
Dr Helen Turner, Director of Midlands Innovation, said “As the Government prioritises boosting UK-wide growth and productivity, the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework results highlight the pivotal role Midlands Innovation universities play—both nationally and regionally. Their outstanding collaboration with businesses, commitment to nurturing future entrepreneurs, and success in commercialising research are driving real economic impact.”
Collectively this year’s knowledge exchange statics also show that the majority of MI partners score in the top three quintiles across six KEF categories, including their work to support the public and third sectors and with the general public and local communities.
