King’s College London commits to strengthening knowledge exchange through the Knowledge Exchange Concordat

King’s College London has formally signed the Knowledge Exchange Concordat (KEC) in partnership with Knowledge Exchange UK (KEUK), reinforcing its commitment to embedding knowledge exchange at the heart of the university’s mission, as evidenced by the newly launched university-wide Strategy 2030.

As a university rooted in London with a global reach, King’s has a long‑standing track record of working in partnership with businesses, the public sector, communities and civil society to address complex societal challenges. Signing the KE Concordat signals a renewed, institution‑wide focus on strengthening these relationships, supporting staff and students, and maximising the impact of King’s research, education and innovation.

King’s knowledge exchange activity spans a wide range of disciplines and forms, from long‑standing civic and cultural partnerships in London, to global health and policy collaborations, to enterprise, innovation and skills development. Flagship initiatives such as the London Institute for Healthcare Engineering demonstrate how King’s brings together universities, the NHS, industry and communities to address shared challenges through collaboration. This is complemented by support for the social sciences, arts and humanities through initiatives such as the SPARK Innovation Fund, alongside the introduction of a SHAPE Industry Research Partnerships Manager to strengthen collaboration and impact in these disciplines.

King’s adoption of the KEC supports the university’s newly launched Strategy 2030, which places impact, engagement and service to society at its core. Through its commitment to the Knowledge Exchange Concordat, King’s College London will continue to monitor progress, evaluate success and share learning, ensuring that knowledge exchange remains a core institutional strength and a key contributor to its mission and impact.

Professor Sir Bashir M. Al-Hashimi CBE FREng FRS, Vice President (Research & Innovation), King’s College London, said:

“Knowledge exchange is fundamental to King’s role as a civic, research-intensive university contributing to economic growth, innovation and societal resilience. It is how we connect world‑leading research and education with business, government and communities to deliver tangible benefit for the UK economy and beyond. By signing the Knowledge Exchange Concordat, we are strengthening our commitment to embedding this activity consistently and at scale across the university.

This commitment is firmly aligned with King’s Strategy 2030, which places impact, engagement and service to society at the heart of the university’s mission. The Concordat provides a robust framework to support deeper collaboration with industry and the public sector, accelerate the translation of knowledge into practice, and ensure our policies and ways of working enable effective external engagement.

It also reinforces our responsibility to work transparently and ethically, recognising the role universities play in driving productivity, skills and innovation. Through the Concordat, King’s will continue to build capability, recognise and reward engagement, and commit to continuous improvement – ensuring our knowledge exchange activity delivers real value for partners, the economy and society.”

Professor Sebastien Ourselin FREng FMedSci, Assistant Principal – Innovation, King’s College London, said:

“King’s commitment to becoming a Knowledge Exchange Concordat member signals our commitment to high standards in translating research into innovations with real-world impact. Through our membership, we now have a clear framework to strengthen our collaboration with industry, government and communities that can support our knowledge exchange activity. It also enhances our relationships with partners and funders, helps to align our King’s 2030 innovation strategy with national innovation priorities and enables us to share good practice, ultimately increasing the impact of our research on economic growth and societal outcomes.”

Tamsin Mann, Associate Director and KEC lead at Knowledge Exchange UK said:

“We’re delighted that King’s has adopted the KE Concordat and the eight principles that will underpin their commitment to knowledge exchange. In discussions with King’s, their commitment to knowledge exchange is clear, and I look forward to hearing how their flagship initiatives strengthen collaboration and impact with partners locally and globally.”

The KEC was launched in 2020 by a sector consortium led by Universities UK and funded by Research England. 126 universities signed up to the principles at its launch. Knowledge Exchange UK has been the home of the KEC since April 2024. You can find out more about the KEC at https://ke.org.uk/ke-concordat/.