<strong>Creat<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>Prosperity</strong>: <strong>the</strong> <strong>role</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong><strong>in</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong>’s creative economy16Proposition 1.Higher <strong>education</strong> research is a crucial source <strong>of</strong> new ideas and practices that drive <strong>in</strong>novation<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> creative economy.• A very wide range <strong>of</strong> <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> research contributes to <strong>the</strong> creative economy, both acrossdifferent academic discipl<strong>in</strong>es and <strong>in</strong>dustry sectors.• This research is high quality and its economic, social and cultural impacts are strong.• Exist<strong>in</strong>g mechanisms for assess<strong>in</strong>g research quality and impacts do not always capture <strong>the</strong>full benefits <strong>of</strong> research for <strong>the</strong> creative economy, mean<strong>in</strong>g that universities may not be fullyrewarded for this activity.• Much <strong>of</strong> this research is <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly collaborative and multidiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary.• Multidiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary research <strong>in</strong> universities <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly bridges <strong>the</strong> gap between science,technology, creativity and bus<strong>in</strong>ess skills – essential to <strong>the</strong> future success <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>creative economy.• The outputs <strong>of</strong> multidiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary research <strong>in</strong>itiatives are f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g application <strong>in</strong> a broad range<strong>of</strong> sectors, underl<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> wider contribution <strong>of</strong> creative <strong>in</strong>dustries across <strong>the</strong> economy.• Although <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> research relevant to <strong>the</strong> creative economy has been <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g,it is modest compared to <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> science.• There are challenges <strong>in</strong> multidiscipl<strong>in</strong>ary research <strong>in</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g across <strong>in</strong>stitutional facultystructures and with<strong>in</strong> subject-based fund<strong>in</strong>g structures.p TV studio based with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> School <strong>of</strong> Comput<strong>in</strong>g andMa<strong>the</strong>matical Sciences at <strong>the</strong> University <strong>of</strong> Greenwich.4.0 Higher <strong>education</strong>’s contribution
<strong>Creat<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>Prosperity</strong>: <strong>the</strong> <strong>role</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong><strong>in</strong> driv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong>’s creative economy174.3 Higher <strong>education</strong> research is fundamentally concerned with develop<strong>in</strong>g new knowledge, new ideasand new practices. In <strong>the</strong> course <strong>of</strong> our work, we found numerous examples <strong>of</strong> research activity <strong>in</strong><strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> that was contribut<strong>in</strong>g valuable knowledge and <strong>in</strong>sight to <strong>the</strong> creative economy.Importantly, this ranged across very diverse discipl<strong>in</strong>es, from practice-based research <strong>in</strong> art, designand perform<strong>in</strong>g arts to technology research <strong>in</strong> eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and comput<strong>in</strong>g faculties, as well as <strong>the</strong>contribution <strong>of</strong> social sciences and <strong>the</strong> humanities <strong>in</strong> understand<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> ways <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> creativeeconomy operates.4.4 Some <strong>of</strong> this research is explicitly commercial <strong>in</strong> its focus, particularly <strong>in</strong> technology, while o<strong>the</strong>rprojects are more likely to have a longer-term impact <strong>in</strong> areas such as <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> creativepractice, evidence-based policy mak<strong>in</strong>g and new ways <strong>of</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> creative <strong>in</strong>dustries. Both wererecognised as be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> enormous value by stakeholders across <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong>, and many felt it important notto downgrade more ‘pure’ (and possibly less immediately commercial) research <strong>in</strong> favour <strong>of</strong> that whichmight f<strong>in</strong>d a shorter-term <strong>in</strong>dustrial application.4.5 The scope <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research activity that relates to <strong>the</strong> creative economy is expand<strong>in</strong>g, and <strong>in</strong>vestmentis <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g through <strong>the</strong> research councils and organisations like <strong>the</strong> Technology Strategy Board.This research is high quality; <strong>the</strong> 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) showed that, on average,51 per cent <strong>of</strong> research <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> creative subjects conducted at <strong>UK</strong> universities was rated ei<strong>the</strong>r 4*(world lead<strong>in</strong>g) or + 3* (<strong>in</strong>ternationally excellent) compared to <strong>the</strong> all-subjects average <strong>of</strong> 47 per cent(<strong>Universities</strong> <strong>UK</strong>, 2009), <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g practice-based research <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> creative and perform<strong>in</strong>g arts.4.6 The available evidence also shows that this research has an impact. For example, recent workby AHRC on economic impacts estimated that for £1 <strong>of</strong> research <strong>in</strong>vested by AHRC, <strong>the</strong> immediatereturn to <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong> economy is £10, with a fur<strong>the</strong>r £15–£20 returned over <strong>the</strong> long term (AHRC, 2009).4.7 The University <strong>of</strong> Ulster example below illustrates both <strong>the</strong> economic and cultural impacts <strong>of</strong> <strong>higher</strong><strong>education</strong> research through a project that developed commercially viable digital media technology,and subsequently provided audiences with a new way <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>teract<strong>in</strong>g with cultural material. It alsodemonstrates that sp<strong>in</strong>-outs, while not a frequent outcome <strong>of</strong> university research <strong>in</strong> any discipl<strong>in</strong>e,do still happen <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> arts, a f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g confirmed by wider research on <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> third-streamfund<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> English <strong>higher</strong> <strong>education</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutions (HEIs) (PACEC, 2010).1. CASE STUDYEyeSpyFXThe University <strong>of</strong> Ulster is <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly<strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> digital media activity, with strongl<strong>in</strong>ks <strong>in</strong>to <strong>in</strong>dustry and a grow<strong>in</strong>g portfolio<strong>of</strong> research collaborations with digitalmedia companies through KnowledgeTransfer Partnership (KTP) and InnovationVoucher schemes.Initial research <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> remote control <strong>of</strong>robotic devices at <strong>the</strong> Art and Design ResearchInstitute <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> School <strong>of</strong> Creative Arts led to<strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> a sp<strong>in</strong>-out company, EyeSpyFX,whose first product was a mobile phone appfor controll<strong>in</strong>g pan and tilt webcams.The company created employment forfour University <strong>of</strong> Ulster graduates and hass<strong>in</strong>ce evolved <strong>in</strong>to a specialist app developerwork<strong>in</strong>g with a wide range <strong>of</strong> global securityand webcam developers.More recently, <strong>the</strong> company has expanded itsservices <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> design and development <strong>of</strong>bespoke applications on multiple platformsand has recently launched a new portfolio appfor <strong>the</strong> Apple iPad. The new app is <strong>the</strong> result<strong>of</strong> a collaboration with celebrated Irish artistJim Fitzpatrick, renowned for his iconic andcolourful Celtic artwork. The app allows <strong>the</strong>user to explore and expand <strong>the</strong> f<strong>in</strong>est details<strong>of</strong> Jim’s <strong>in</strong>tricate work, creat<strong>in</strong>g a new way <strong>of</strong><strong>in</strong>teract<strong>in</strong>g with art.4.0 Higher <strong>education</strong>’s contribution
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