University of Liverpool KEF6 Results Show UK Leadership 2026

Key Points

• University of Liverpool KEF6 results put the university in the top performance category in three assessed areas.
• The University ranked in Quintile 5 in the areas of Research Partnerships, IP and Commercialisation, and Working with the Public and Third Sector.
• Quintile 4 was awarded for Working with Business, Local Growth & Regeneration, and Public & Community Engagement.
• The University increased performance in CPD & Graduate Start-ups.
• The sixth Knowledge Exchange Framework results were announced by Research England on 7 October 2026.
• The results reflect the University’s collaboration with business, public organizations, charitable organizations, cultural organizations and communities.
• Some of the collaborations that the University highlighted are those with Unilever, Baker Hughes, and National Museums Liverpool.
• Its knowledge exchange activities include patents, Innovate UK funded programs, spin-out companies, and community engagement projects.
• The university says that these activities are contributing to the translation of research into impact.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) October 07, 2026 -University of Liverpool announced that it had maintained its sector-leading performance in Research England’s sixth Knowledge Exchange Framework results. The findings highlight the university’s continued work with businesses, organisations and communities beyond academia.

The KEF6 results assess how universities engage with external partners and how effectively they apply research, expertise and skills to real-world challenges. The University of Liverpool said the latest results recognised strengths across a broad range of knowledge exchange activities, including research collaboration, innovation, commercialisation, public engagement and professional learning.

The university maintained very high or high engagement in six of the seven perspectives measured in the framework. It achieved the highest performance band, Quintile 5, in three areas: Research Partnerships, IP and Commercialisation, and Working with the Public and Third Sector.

It also achieved Quintile 4, described as high engagement, in Working with Business, Local Growth & Regeneration, and Public & Community Engagement. The institution further reported improved performance in CPD & Graduate Start-ups, which it linked to the continued development of its professional learning offer.

The results place the university among the UK institutions demonstrating sustained engagement beyond traditional academic activity. They also underline the range of organisations involved in its partnerships, including companies, public-sector bodies, charities, community organisations and cultural institutions.

Which areas received the highest KEF6 rating?

The University of Liverpool achieved Quintile 5 in three KEF6 perspectives.

Research Partnerships

The highest rating for Research Partnerships reflects the university’s work with external organisations on research and innovation. These partnerships can involve the development of new knowledge, the application of existing expertise and joint activity designed to address economic or societal challenges.

The university pointed to its long-standing relationship with Unilever as one example. According to the university, the partnership has lasted for a century and contributed to 350 patent filings between 2015 and 2024.

The institution said the example demonstrates how sustained collaboration between universities and industry can support innovation over an extended period. It also forms part of the university’s wider approach to developing relationships with research users and commercial partners.

IP and Commercialisation

The University of Liverpool also reached Quintile 5 for IP and Commercialisation. This category covers activity connected with intellectual property, licensing, business creation and the translation of university research into products, services or companies.

The university said its Enterprise Team supports the commercialisation of research through licensing and spin-outs. It added that four new spin-out companies had been created with support from the team, while the wider spin-out portfolio received record levels of external investment.

Spin-out companies are businesses formed to develop and commercialise research or intellectual property originating within a university. Their progress can provide a route for academic discoveries to reach the market and can contribute to investment, employment and economic development.

Working with the Public and Third Sector

The third Quintile 5 result was recorded for Working with the Public and Third Sector. This reflects the university’s engagement with public bodies, charities, community groups and other organisations outside the commercial sector.

The university said its work in this area includes partnerships intended to widen participation, support communities and apply academic knowledge to public challenges. National Museums Liverpool is among the organisations cited as a long-standing partner.

The university also highlighted community-facing activity connected with the British Science Festival. It said the festival was co-hosted in Liverpool and engaged 17,441 people through 114 events across the city.

Where did the university record high engagement?

The University of Liverpool achieved Quintile 4 in three additional perspectives: Working with Business, Local Growth & Regeneration, and Public & Community Engagement.

These results indicate a high level of activity, although they are one performance band below the highest rating. Together, they cover the university’s relationships with companies, regional organisations and members of the public.

The university said its work with businesses ranges from research partnerships and innovation projects to commercialisation and professional learning. Its regional activity includes programmes intended to support innovation, employment and economic growth across Liverpool and the wider region.

The institution cited more than £23.7 million of UK Research and Innovation investment in the university-led AIM-HI and NBIC-LIVE programmes. It said the programmes are designed to drive regional innovation and growth.

The university also referred to Novel, which is led by the University’s Virtual Engineering Centre as part of the wider Horizons initiative. According to the university, the initiative supports 257 new jobs and £42.9 million in gross value added across the region.

Gross value added, or GVA, is a measure used to assess the contribution of an activity or sector to the economy. The figure presented by the university is intended to show the wider economic effect associated with the initiative.

How is the university supporting professional learning and start-ups?

The university reported improved performance in CPD & Graduate Start-ups. It attributed the progress to the continued development of its professional learning offer.

Continuing professional development, commonly known as CPD, allows workers and professionals to develop their skills after completing their initial education or training. University-led CPD can include short courses, specialist programmes, executive education and training designed in partnership with employers.

The CPD and graduate start-up category also relates to entrepreneurial activity among graduates. Support for graduate businesses can include advice, mentoring, access to networks and assistance with developing a commercial idea.

The university did not provide a new specific numerical figure for the improvement in this category in the information released. However, it said the result reflected continued development of its offer in professional learning and its broader support for enterprise.

What did University of Liverpool leaders say?

Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Liverpool, said the results demonstrated sustained excellence in working with businesses, public bodies and communities.

“These latest results demonstrate our sustained excellence in working with businesses, public bodies and communities to turn world-leading research and expertise into real-world impact,” Professor Jones said.

He referred to the university’s century-long partnership with Unilever, new investment through the Local Innovation Partnership Fund, its growing spin-out portfolio and public engagement work.

Professor Jones said these activities were helping accelerate innovation, create opportunities and generate economic and societal impact locally, nationally and internationally.

His statement linked the KEF results to the university’s wider strategy of applying academic knowledge beyond campus. It also presented the findings as evidence of activity across several areas rather than as a result based on one partnership or programme.

Ian Derbyshire, Engineering & Technology Director at Baker Hughes, congratulated the university on its KEF results. He said strong partnerships between universities and industry were important for translating research and expertise into real-world innovation.

Derbyshire added that Baker Hughes was proud to work with the University of Liverpool to support this process. His comments provide an industry perspective on the role of university-business collaboration in developing practical applications for research.

Laura Pye, Director of National Museums Liverpool, also welcomed the results. She said the findings recognised the university’s wider strength in research partnerships and knowledge exchange.

Pye described the relationship between National Museums Liverpool and the university as a long-standing partnership. She said it brings together academic expertise, collections, people and places to broaden participation, engage diverse audiences and create lasting cultural and social impact.

The comments from Baker Hughes and National Museums Liverpool show that the university’s knowledge exchange activity extends beyond conventional commercial research. It also includes engineering innovation, public participation, cultural engagement and community-focused work.

What examples support the KEF6 results?

The University of Liverpool’s KEF webpages contain examples of projects and partnerships connected with its knowledge exchange activity.

One example is the relationship with Unilever, which the university describes as a century-long partnership. The university said this collaboration contributed to 350 patent filings between 2015 and 2024.

Another example is the AIM-HI and NBIC-LIVE programmes. The university said they received more than £23.7 million in UKRI investment and were established to support regional innovation and growth.

The university also highlighted Novel, led by its Virtual Engineering Centre. The project forms part of the wider Horizons initiative and, according to the university, supports 257 new jobs and £42.9 million in GVA across the region.

The institution’s spin-out activity is another part of its commercialisation work. It said its Enterprise Team supported the creation of four new spin-out companies and that the overall portfolio attracted record levels of external investment.

Public engagement forms a further part of the university’s knowledge exchange activity. The British Science Festival was cited as an example, with the university reporting that 17,441 people took part in 114 events across Liverpool.

The university also mentioned Your Home, Your Team, a project using football, photography and personal stories to engage new audiences with research. The project illustrates how research communication can use familiar cultural activities and personal experiences to reach people who may not regularly participate in academic events.

Where can the KEF6 results be viewed?

Research England has released interactive KEF6 dashboards containing the framework results. The dashboards allow users to view performance across the assessed perspectives and compare participating higher education institutions.

The University of Liverpool has also published information about its KEF results and examples of knowledge exchange activity on its website. Its showcase pages describe partnerships and projects involving industry, public organisations, cultural institutions and communities.

The university said knowledge exchange is supported internally by Research, Partnerships and Innovation. It also provides resources such as a Research Partnering Toolkit to help staff develop collaborations and achieve successful outcomes.

The Enterprise Team supports the commercialisation of intellectual property through licensing and spin-outs. The university said these activities are intended to maximise the impact of its research.

What is the background to KEF6?

The Knowledge Exchange Framework is a Research England initiative that examines how higher education providers work with external organisations and communities. It covers activity such as research partnerships, business engagement, intellectual property, commercialisation, professional learning, local growth and public engagement.

The sixth iteration, known as KEF6, was announced on 7 October 2026. The University of Liverpool said the results build on its previous KEF performance and show continued very high or high engagement in six of the seven assessed perspectives.

Knowledge exchange is broader than the publication of academic research. It includes the movement of knowledge, skills and expertise between universities and businesses, public bodies, charities, cultural organisations and the public.

For universities, the framework provides a way to demonstrate how academic activity contributes to wider society and the economy. For external partners, it offers information about an institution’s experience in collaboration, commercialisation, skills development and public engagement.

The University of Liverpool’s results reflect activity across several linked areas. These include research collaboration with businesses, the creation and development of spin-out companies, support for regional economic growth, professional learning and engagement with communities.

The university’s cited examples also show that knowledge exchange can produce different types of outcomes. These include patent filings and external investment, but also jobs, economic value, public participation and cultural engagement.

How could the KEF6 results affect students, businesses and communities?

The University of Liverpool KEF6 results are likely to strengthen the university’s profile among potential business, public-sector and community partners. Strong ratings may help demonstrate that the institution has established experience in managing partnerships and applying research outside academia.

For students, the results could support access to more opportunities connected with employers, professional learning, entrepreneurship and applied research. Partnerships may create routes into placements, projects, graduate employment, enterprise support and skills development, although the KEF results themselves do not guarantee specific opportunities for individual students.

Businesses may view the university as a stronger potential partner for research, innovation, specialist expertise and commercialisation. The Quintile 5 result for Research Partnerships and IP and Commercialisation could be particularly relevant to companies seeking support with developing or applying new technologies.

Public-sector organisations and charities may benefit from the university’s high performance in Working with the Public and Third Sector. Projects involving public engagement and community participation could help these organisations access academic expertise and reach new audiences.

The Liverpool City Region may also benefit if the university’s innovation and regional growth programmes continue to generate jobs, investment and economic activity. The university’s reported figures for Novel, AIM-HI and NBIC-LIVE suggest that its partnerships are connected with wider regional development.

The longer-term effect will depend on whether the university can sustain its current performance and convert partnerships into measurable outcomes. Continued investment, effective collaboration and meaningful engagement with communities will determine whether the KEF6 results lead to further innovation, employment, business growth and public benefit.