The KE Awards celebrate the people, partnerships and creativity that underpin the UK’s knowledge exchange (KE) activity. KE is at the heart of innovation and fundamental to creating economic and social impact from our world-leading research base.
The KE Awards 2023 ceremony took place on the 23rd of November in Leeds where PraxisAuril welcomed a community of knowledge exchange professionals to celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to advancing collaborative knowledge and innovation.
Our panel of judges were, once again, very impressed by the quality and diversity of entries across eight award categories, with 27 professionals and collaborative initiatives shortlisted as finalists for the event.
We are delighted to announce that the winners of the PraxisAuril KE Awards 2023 were:
-
Place-based KE Initiative of the Year: University of Birmingham Enterprise Ltd with 'Unit 9 - A Medical Incubator Meeting the Incubation Needs of Pre-Revenue Companies'
-
Commercialisation Achievement of the Year: University of Dundee, Amphista Therapeutics Ltd
-
KE Strategic Partnership: The Alan Turing Institute, 'Turing-Roche Strategic Partnership for Personalised Medicine'
-
KE Team of the Year: Northumbria University, 'Intellectual Property Commercialisation Team'
-
Academic Entrepreneur: Professor Damion Corrigan, University of Strathclyde
-
KE Professional of the Year: Laura Forester-Green for 'Establishing the KTP Office at the University of Huddersfield'
-
Award for Supporting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion through Knowledge Exchange: University of Central Lancashire Initiative: 'A Creative Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Framework for Students at UCLan' & University of Hull Initiative: 'Homelands: Engaging with Migrant Communities to Challenge Perceptions of Africa in the UK'
-
Net Zero Collaboration of the Year: Lancaster University Initiative: 'Centre for Global Eco-Innovation: Co-developing Net Zero Solutions at Scale' & Manchester Metropolitan University Initiative: 'ECO-I North-West'
Amidst the celebration of exceptional achievements in Knowledge Exchange at the KE Awards 2023, there was a surprise moment where Iain Thomas, PraxisAuril's chair, presented the Lifetime Achievement in Knowledge Exchange award to David Secher, PraxisAuril's patron and co-founder, highlighting Secher's achievements and commitment to advancing knowledge exchange.
UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) was the lead supporter of the KE Awards 2023, recognising the importance of knowledge exchange and their role in supporting KE people and projects. Emma Lindsell, Executive Director of Strategy, Performance and Engagement at UKRI, said:
"This year's finalists exemplify the UK's strengths and world-class expertise in delivering sustainable innovation, impactful collaborations between academia and industry and pioneering approaches to address major societal challenges. These themes resonate deeply with UKRI's commitment to fostering a culture where knowledge exchange is not just an activity, but a cornerstone for driving real-world impact."
We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our category sponsors EAUC, TenU, Lab to IPO, and Withers & Rogers, whose contribution really reinforces the importance of collaboration within the sector. Simply, the event would not have been as special without their support.
David Russell, CEO at PraxisAuril said:
“Knowledge Exchange is - quite simply - the future. The winners of these national awards are pioneers of excellence and thoroughly deserve to have their achievements recognised, celebrated and amplified on a national stage. That is exactly what the PraxisAuril KE Awards do. I congratulate all the finalists and winners on their outstanding achievements.”
View or download the full album of pictures here.