Definitions of Knowledge Exchange
‘Knowledge Exchange’ can be interpreted in many different ways. To clarify ways that Universities and Research Councils engage with Knowledge Exchange we include two definitions here.
1. A discussion and overview of the literature on the economic impact of knowledge transfer. Report prepared for Universities UK, August 2007, Ursula Kelly
“While the DTI definition above may seem straightforward enough, in practice both of the terms: 'economic impact' and 'knowledge transfer’, can mean very different things to different people.
...earlier preoccupations had been with ‘technology transfer ‘(with the technology in question being the tangible and potentially commercially valuable embodiment of knowledge) and this had tended to be conceptualised as a predominantly linear process of research and development. The term ‘technology transfer’ in its original usage excluded wide areas of activity; the transfer of ‘technology’ in the form of knowledge embodied in graduates, for example, was not paid a great deal of attention. ‘
Knowledge transfer’ is now used more frequently than ‘technology transfer’ – but ‘knowledge transfer’ is, in turn, beginning to be superseded by the term ‘knowledge exchange’. The latter is often used to try to reflect a belief that the processes involved may be two-way. However there are a very wide range of additional associated terms being used, e.g. knowledge transfer, knowledge exchange, knowledge exploitation.” (my emphasis)
2. Definition of Knowledge Transfer agreed by the Research Councils UK (RCUK), Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS, previously OSI) and the Research Councils:
“The UK Research Councils seek to accelerate the two-way flow of people and ideas between the research environment and wider economy, and thereby contribute to national prosperity, the quality of life of UK citizens, and cultural enrichment of our society. Knowledge Transfer encompasses the systems and processes by which knowledge, expertise and skilled people transfer between the research environment (universities, centres and institutes) and its user communities in industry, commerce, public and service sectors.” (Comment: we would call this Knowledge Exchange)
2a. The Science and Technology Facilities Council is committed to the following vision for its own Knowledge Exchange programme:
“KE will become a distinctive strength of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, second only to the mission of supporting and conducting excellent scientific and engineering research. This will allow the Science and Technology Facilities Council to deliver a strong national KE programme which will increase economic growth in the UK.”
2b. Knowledge Exchange defined and applied to research by National Environment Research Council
