What is research valorisation? A practical guide
Universities and researchers face growing expectations to translate academic research into real-world impact. The focus has expanded beyond publishing papers to addressing societal challenges, from informing public policy and improving healthcare to driving industry innovation and strengthening communities. Across Europe, policymakers have made knowledge valorisation a priority: a broad concept that captures the many ways research can create social, economic, cultural and environmental value beyond academia. Reflecting this shift, the European Commission’s 2022 Council Recommendation on knowledge valorisation encourages universities to strengthen connections between research and society, turning knowledge into new products, services, solutions and evidence-informed policies.
At UIIN, helping universities maximise the value of research has long been at the heart of what we do. Through research, advisory work and international collaborations with universities worldwide, we have worked alongside researchers, impact professionals and institutional leaders to strengthen research impact and build institutional capacity for valorisation. From our Impactful Researchers Training Program to research briefs, podcasts and practical resources, we continue to share insights, examples and approaches that help researchers create greater value from their work.
To bring these resources together, we’ve updated our collection of UIIN Insights on research valorisation. Whether you’re new to the topic or looking to deepen your approach, this curated collection brings together articles, practical guidance and real-world examples to help you better understand research valorisation and identify opportunities to create impact. Explore the resources below.
What is valorisation?
Research valorisation is the process of creating value from research by ensuring that knowledge, expertise and discoveries are shared, applied and translated into benefits for society. It is broader than commercialisation alone, as it also includes collaborating with external partners, informing policy and practice, engaging communities, delivering training, and communicating research so others can use it.
Despite becoming an increasingly important part of the research and innovation landscape, the term is still unfamiliar to many researchers. In practice, however, many academics are already undertaking valorisation activities without necessarily recognising them as such.
The infographic, based on UIIN’s work and our thinking on research valorisation, illustrates the three complementary pathways through which research creates value. Together, they demonstrate that research impact can be created in many different ways, helping researchers recognise and maximise the wider value of their work.
What is an example of valorisation?
Depending on the type of research and discipline, valorisation can take many different forms. While some researchers create value by developing new technologies or launching spin-outs, others do so by collaborating with external partners, creating social enterprises, informing public policy, delivering professional education and training, engaging communities, or providing expert advice to industry, government and non-profit organisations.
Importantly, valorisation is rarely a single activity. A research project may involve collaboration with external partners throughout its lifecycle, lead to new products or services, influence policy and practice, and improve public understanding. Together, these activities create value in different and often complementary ways.
Our podcast series explores these pathways in more depth. In this episode, we speak with Dr Emma Salgard Cunha (Commercialisation Manager, Cambridge Enterprise, University of Cambridge) and Sean Farran (Global Innovation Lead, London School of Economics) about how valorisation differs across disciplines, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, and the support mechanisms that help researchers maximise the impact of their work.
For a deep tech perspective, our brief Why Most Deep Tech Never Reaches the Market — and How Universities Can Change That explores why commercialisation is only one part of the journey. It highlights the importance of long-term collaboration between researchers, industry, investors and universities, and outlines how institutions can better support the translation of research into innovations that benefit society.
How can researchers maximise the value of their research?
Three questions provide a useful starting point:
- What impact do you want to create? Consider the societal, economic, cultural or environmental change your research could contribute to — not just the knowledge it will generate.
- Who could benefit from your research? Identifying potential users, partners and beneficiaries early can shape both the research itself and how findings are shared and applied.
- How will you create that value? Research can create impact in many ways — from informing policy and practice to collaborating with industry, engaging communities, delivering professional education or commercialising new discoveries.
By thinking strategically about these questions from the outset, researchers are better positioned to maximise the value of their work and identify opportunities for impact throughout the research lifecycle.
Researchers looking to build these capabilities can also benefit from dedicated training and peer learning. Through UIIN’s Impactful Researchers Training Program, participants develop practical approaches to planning for impact, engaging stakeholders and navigating different pathways to research valorisation. We also explore these ideas further in our short video.
What skills do researchers need for research valorisation?
Research excellence is the foundation of impact, but creating value beyond academia also requires a broader set of capabilities. As researchers increasingly work across disciplines and sectors, skills such as stakeholder engagement, communication, collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking become just as important as technical expertise.
Developing these capabilities is an important part of becoming an impactful researcher. In our podcast episode The impact realities for early career researchers, Wade Kelly (Deakin University) discusses the capabilities and mindsets researchers need to create meaningful impact throughout their careers, and how we can best support them. In another conversation, Marguerite Evans-Galea (Women in STEMM Australia), Jetty van Ginkel (Care for Impact) and Chris Fellingham (Oxford University Innovation) share practical insights into the skills researchers need to engage beyond academia.
For a complementary perspective, in our episode The Entrepreneurial PhD: A new paradigm for higher education, Hélène de Burgh-Woodman (University of Western Australia) explores how doctoral education can better equip researchers with the entrepreneurial mindset and transferable skills needed to navigate today’s research and innovation landscape.
What are the challenges of research valorisation?
Valorisation can be challenging for researchers for many reasons. Academic careers are often primarily assessed on publications, teaching and research grants, leaving little time or incentive to pursue activities beyond traditional research outputs. Researchers may also struggle to identify the practical applications of their work, connect with external stakeholders, or navigate the cultural differences between academia, industry, government and society. The process can feel uncertain, requiring skills, networks and knowledge that are outside a researcher’s usual training and expertise. As a result, promising opportunities to create societal or economic impact may go unrealised.
Recognising these challenges is the first step towards addressing them. With appropriate support, guidance and opportunities to engage with external partners, universities can help researchers integrate valorisation into their work more confidently and effectively, making impact creation a natural extension of the research process rather than an additional burden.
How can universities support research valorisation?
Researchers need the right conditions around them to create impact: Access to practical guidance, relevant networks, institutional incentives, and support teams that understand the different ways research can generate value beyond academia.
Our podcast conversations highlight how universities are building this support in different ways. The University of Edinburgh is rethinking academic career structures to recognise and reward impact and innovation more explicitly. The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary shows how entrepreneurial thinking helps researchers identify opportunities, build confidence and translate ideas into action. Wageningen University & Research brings a different perspective, demonstrating how co-creation with stakeholders shapes research and innovation.
Together, these examples show that supporting research valorisation is not about applying one fixed model. It is about creating the structures, capabilities and partnerships that allow researchers to pursue the pathways to impact that fit their work.
Continue your research valorisation journey
Research valorisation is an evolving field, and there is no single pathway to creating impact. Whether you are just beginning to explore the concept or looking to strengthen an existing approach, there are many opportunities to learn from the experiences of researchers, universities and innovation professionals around the world.
This collection brings together a range of UIIN Insights, including podcasts, report briefs and practical resources, to help you better understand research valorisation and the many ways research can create value beyond academia. Explore these resources to find your next step.
References
- 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
- UIIN (2023). Overcoming Valorisation Challenges in Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (Podcast episode). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2023/02/02/overcoming-valorisation-challenges-in-social-sciences-humanities-and-arts/
- UIIN (2025). Why Most Deep Tech Never Reaches the Market — and How Universities Can Change That (Research Brief). Available at:
- UIIN (2023). Research Valorisation (Video Resource). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2023/04/13/video-researchvalorisation/
- UIIN (2026). The Impact Realities for Early Career Researchers (Podcast episode). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2026/01/20/the-impact-realities-for-early-career-researchers/
- UIIN (2022). Supporting University Valorisation and Commercialisation (Podcast episode). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2022/11/03/supporting-university-valorisation-and-commercialisation/
- UIIN (2026). The Entrepreneurial PhD: A New Paradigm for Higher Education (Podcast episode). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2026/03/31/the-entrepreneurial-phd-a-new-paradigm-for-higher-education/
- UIIN (2026). Edinburgh’s Innovation Career Pathway: Building an Entrepreneurial Culture (Podcast episode). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2026/06/02/edinburgh-s-innovation-career-pathway-building-an-entrepreneurial-culture/
- UIIN (2025). From Research to Real-World Impact: Inside the Hunter Hub Model (Podcast episode). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2025/10/28/from-research-to-real-world-impact-inside-the-hunter-hub-model/
- UIIN (2026). How Wageningen Redefines Impact: From Patent to Purpose (Podcast episode). Available at: https://www.uiin.org/2026/03/24/how-wageningen-redefines-impact-from-patent-to-purpose/
Balzhan Orazbayeva (author) is the Director of Research and Training at UIIN.
Madeline Arkins (author) is a former Project Officer at UIIN.
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