What is research valorisation? Three pathways for creating value from research

The term valorisation has long been used in parts of Europe, particularly in Dutch and French-speaking research and innovation contexts, to describe the process of creating value from knowledge beyond academia. In the Dutch policy context, valorisatie refers to making knowledge available for societal and economic use, while the French concept of valorisation de la recherche similarly focuses on ensuring that research results, knowledge and expertise are translated into benefits for society, the economy and public institutions.

Over the past decade, the concept has become increasingly prominent in European research and innovation policy, where it has evolved from a focus on commercialisation towards a broader understanding of how research creates value for society. The European Commission (2022) defines knowledge valorisation as the process of creating social and economic value from knowledge by connecting different actors and transforming research results, data and know-how into products, services, solutions and knowledge-based policies that benefit society. This broader perspective recognises that research creates value through many different routes, not only through commercialisation.

Building on this understanding, research valorisation can be defined as the process of creating value from research by ensuring that knowledge is shared, applied and translated into benefits for society, the economy and the environment. It encompasses a wide range of activities, from developing new products and services to collaborating with external stakeholders, informing public policy and improving public understanding. Rather than being a single activity, research valorisation is an ongoing process of knowledge exchange, application and impact, with commercialisation representing only one of several ways in which research creates value.

The accompanying infographic illustrates one way of understanding research valorisation by focusing on the pathways through which research creates value. While the pathways are the central focus, they should be understood alongside the outputs they generate, the stakeholders they involve, and the different forms of value and impact they create.

The three pathways of research valorisation 

We highlight three complementary pathways through which research creates value: commercialisation, engagement, and advisory and communication. These pathways are not mutually exclusive. A single research project may create value through one or more pathways depending on its objectives, stakeholders and intended impact.

1. Commercialisation and entrepreneurship 

The commercialisation and entrepreneurship pathway creates value through innovation by translating research into products, services, technologies, ventures and business models that can be adopted by markets, organisations or communities, addressing both economic and societal or environmental challenges. It is often the most visible pathway of research valorisation because it leads to tangible outcomes.

This pathway typically involves identifying opportunities to create value from research, protecting intellectual property, validating technologies, and supporting entrepreneurship and venture creation. While not every research project has commercial potential, entrepreneurship provides multiple routes for translating research into practice through start-ups, spin-outs, social enterprises and other mission-driven ventures.

Examples of activities

• Protecting intellectual property through patents and other mechanisms.
• Licensing technologies and know-how to external organisations.
• Establishing spin-outs and supporting start-up creation.
• Creating social enterprises and mission-driven ventures.
• Developing research infrastructure and data platforms that enable innovation.

Example of outputs 

Commercialisation activities may produce patents, licences, spin-out companies, start-ups, products, technologies, software, digital platforms, shared research infrastructure and investment opportunities.

2. Engagement 

Engagement creates value by bringing researchers and external partners together to co-create knowledge, build capability and address shared challenges. Rather than viewing knowledge as something that is simply transferred from universities to society, this pathway recognises that innovation often emerges through ongoing dialogue, collaboration and partnerships.

This pathway brings together universities with industry, government, public organisations and communities to address shared challenges, co-create knowledge and strengthen capability across research, education and innovation. It emphasises long-term relationships and reciprocal learning rather than one-way knowledge transfer.

Examples of activities 

• Conducting collaborative research with external partners.
• Provision of knowledge as a service through executive education, workshops and training.
• Working with communities to address local needs and share knowledge.
• Supporting Industrial PhDs, secondments and practitioner exchanges.
• Running living labs, citizen science initiatives and community-based research.

Examples of outputs 

Engagement activities may produce collaborative research findings, educational programmes, shared datasets, community initiatives, workforce capability and jointly developed solutions.

3. Advisory and communication

Advisory and communication creates value by translating research into evidence that informs decisions, shapes professional practice and improves public understanding. It ensures that research findings are communicated in ways that are relevant, accessible and actionable for different audiences, helping bridge the gap between evidence and practice.

Researchers contribute through expert advice, policy engagement, contract research, science communication and public engagement. This pathway extends beyond formal policy advice to include activities that enable research to influence public discourse, professional practice and evidence-informed decision-making across society.

Examples of valorisation activities

• Providing expert advice to policymakers, governments and public organisations.
• Undertaking contract research to address external challenges.
• Serving on advisory boards, expert panels and standards committees.
• Engaging with the media and communicating research through articles, podcasts, public lectures and digital platforms.
• Delivering public engagement activities, exhibitions and outreach events.

The bigger picture 

The three pathways of research valorisation are complementary rather than mutually exclusive. A single research project may generate commercial opportunities, involve extensive collaboration with external partners, and contribute evidence that informs policy, professional practice or public understanding. Rather than following just a single route, research can also create value through a combination of commercialisation, engagement, and advisory and communication activities.

Importantly, research impact does not always follow a linear pathway from discovery to market. While some projects create value through patents, licensing or spin-outs, others make their greatest contribution by shaping professional practice, informing public policy, strengthening community capacity, supporting education and training, or improving public understanding. These contributions may be less visible than commercial outcomes, but they are equally important to how universities create value for society.

While the three pathways provide a consistent way of understanding how research creates value, the outputs they generate and the stakeholders they involve vary considerably across disciplines and research contexts. Together, these pathways enable research to create economic, social, cultural, environmental and public value in different ways. This perspective reflects the diversity of research across disciplines and recognises that value creation is shaped not only by the pathway through which knowledge is translated, but also by the nature of research, intended impact and outputs produced and the stakeholders involved.

For researchers, this broader perspective makes valorisation more accessible. It shows that creating value from research begins by considering who might benefit from the knowledge, engaging relevant stakeholders throughout the research process, communicating findings effectively, and identifying opportunities for research to be translated into practice. Not every research project will involve all three pathways, but every project has the potential to create value through one or more of them. Recognising these different pathways helps researchers identify opportunities to maximise the societal, economic and public value of their work.

References 

• European Commission. (2024). Knowledge Valorisation Platform. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/eu-valorisation-policy/knowledge-valorisation-platform
• European Commission. (2022). Council Recommendation on the Guiding Principles for Knowledge Valorisation (2022/C 414/01). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022H2414
• Davey, T. (2017). Extracting greater value from European Universities, An analysis of the third mission frameworks disrupting the traditional role of the university, Int. J. of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 15(1), 65-96.
• REVALORISE+ (2021). REVALORISE+ Synthesis Report 2021. Amsterdam, The Netherlands https://revalorise.eu/mission/investigation/
• Van Geenhuizen, M. (2010). Valorisation of knowledge: preliminary results on valorisation paths and obstacles in bringing university knowledge to market.
• Van Der Sijde, P., Wakkee, I., Stam, E., and Leloux, M. (2013). The university as an entrepreneur: The ingredients for valorization and valorization strategies. In New Technology Based Firms in the New Millennium (pp. 213-224). (New Technology Based Firms in the New Millennium; Vol. 10). Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.

Balzhan Orazbayeva (author) is the Director of Research and Training at UIIN.