University of Portsmouth:
Knowledge Services Strategy
2012–2017
Our vision for the Knowledge Services Strategy is:
The University will expand its provision of quality-assured knowledge services commissioned by
other organisations to improve their efficiency, effectiveness or profitability. These services are
underpinned by our excellence in teaching and research, contributing to and making use of the
high-level skills of our staff and our state-of-the-art facilities.
Scope
Knowledge services include:
• applied research projects;
• continuing professional development;
•consultancy;
• commercial use of specialist facilities;
• the exploitation of intellectual property;
• commissioned teaching paid for by public and private sector organisations.
The definition excludes:
• teaching funded by HEFCE and by students who may in turn be supported by, for example, the Student Loans Company or
their governments;
• research funded through QR by HEFCE, by research councils and charities to whom we make applications, where those providing
funding are not doing so to improve their own business performance.
Strategic position
The provision of knowledge services will complement our work in education and research, subject to many of the same quality assurance,
funding and governance arrangements.
The interaction of staff with other organisations through the provision of knowledge services will help to inform our Curriculum and
Employability Strategy by building partnerships in sectors of prime relevance to students’ courses and future careers.
The provision of knowledge services through accredited teaching is covered by the ambitions and principles espoused in our
Education Strategy.
The provision of the knowledge services that stem from research strengths will stimulate research activities that impact on the economy
and society. These will contribute directly to the delivery of our Research Strategy through publications, income and postgraduate
research support.
Strategic aims
The strategic aims of the Knowledge Services Strategy are to:
1. Develop in all parts of the University a culture of engagement with other organisations that leads to mutually beneficial relationships.
2. Increase our contribution to regeneration and the expansion of employment opportunities.
3. Support, celebrate and reward success in the provision of knowledge services.
4. Enable students and staff to be entrepreneurial in the exploitation of intellectual assets.
5. Develop quality assurance, financial and governance arrangements for all knowledge services.
6. Ensure that the University’s facilities and supporting services are appropriate to achieving our ambitions.
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
KNOWLEDGE SERVICES STRATEGY 2012–2017
1
Meeting these aims
Aim 1
Develop in all parts of the university a culture of engagement with other organisations that leads to mutually beneficial
relationships.
Our ambition is to increase significantly the volume of activity and income resulting from high-quality business and industrial collaborations
and contracts and increased numbers of strategic partnerships with industry and commerce.
We will do this by:
• encouraging and supporting the formation of multidisciplinary teams which draw upon expertise across the University, and engage
external partners;
• supporting and running industry or sector-focused events;
• increasing the number of our commercialisation awareness programmes in the areas of technology transfer, and the exploitation of
intellectual property;
• supporting staff in developing the curriculum and programmes of study in ways that will lead to engagement with other organisations;
• encouraging work with social enterprise and charities that provide volunteering and work-related opportunities for students.
Aim 2
Increase our contribution to regeneration and the expansion of employment opportunities.
Our ambition is to provide high-level skills, applied research and leadership to encourage inward investment to the region, and to promote
the sustainability and growth of existing enterprises.
We will do this by:
• developing a comprehensive portfolio of CPD programmes for the business, commercial and industrial communities in response to
regional demands and aligning our provision with developing workforce needs;
• expanding the number of knowledge transfer partnerships and other collaborative research programmes;
• helping to lead and shape collaborative bids for regeneration funding from government and elsewhere;
• expanding the range of specialist facilities available for commercial use;
• participating in local regeneration groups including the Local Enterprise Partnership and Shaping the Future of Portsmouth.
Aim 3
Support, celebrate and reward success in the provision of knowledge services.
Our ambition is to ensure that the provision of knowledge services is a core part of our business, and this will be reflected in career
development opportunities for staff.
We will do this by:
• providing specialist support for staff in the early stages of project development;
• supporting and promoting cross-faculty collaboration in programme development and delivery which enables less experienced staff to
draw upon the experience of others;
• incorporating the provision of knowledge services in promotion and reward criteria;
• ensuring that groups and departments share in the benefits of providing knowledge services through increased funding and the targeted
use of purse accounts;
• working with heads of department to ensure that staff workloads can accommodate and be responsive to opportunities to provide
knowledge services.
Aim 4
Enable students and staff to be entrepreneurial in the exploitation of intellectual assets.
Our ambition is to facilitate enterprise as a key component of our approach to enhancing students’ future career opportunities, through
direct support and the example of successful staff entrepreneurs.
We will do this by:
• providing practical advice and guidance for staff and students wishing to take forward entrepreneurial ideas;
• providing opportunities for staff to engage with innovation and enterprise, including access to workshops and seminars;
• working to secure financial and other resources to enable ideas and innovations to be brought to commercial success.
2
KNOWLEDGE SERVICES STRATEGY 2012–2017
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
Aim 5
Develop quality assurance, financial and governance arrangements for knowledge services.
Our ambition is to ensure that our commercial partners are highly satisfied with the services that we supply, that these activities make a
positive contribution to the University’s financial position, and that the principles of good governance espoused elsewhere in our Strategy
apply equally to the provision of knowledge services.
We will do this by:
• incorporating the provision of all accredited programmes within our framework for teaching quality assurance and enhancement;
• developing feedback systems and other quality assurance mechanisms for non-accredited programmes of professional development;
• supporting the increase in income through diversification of sponsorship;
• adopting competitive, realistic and cost-effective pricing methodologies, with provision below full cost only where there are demonstrable
non-financial benefits;
• requiring partners to respect the academic freedom and integrity of our staff, including the need for ethical approval and the right to the
publication of results.
Aim 6
Ensure that the University’s facilities and supporting services are appropriate to achieving our ambitions.
Our ambition is to have sector-leading support and facilities to enable the delivery of professional standard knowledge services.
We will do this by:
• ensuring highly visible, rapid and well co-ordinated responses to external enquiries;
• providing business support services focusing on gaining and managing grants and contracts and the exploitation of intellectual property;
• providing business incubator facilities within the University principally for students, and supporting access to external facilities;
• providing high quality spaces and services for the delivery of programmes of professional development and commercial use of facilities;
• providing support for the management of events and courses.
References
The University of Portsmouth Strategy 2012–2017 was approved by the Board of Governors at its meeting on 20 June 2012
(Minute 80.1 refers). The full Strategy can be found on the webpages at www.port.ac.uk/strategy.
The overarching Strategy is supported by three underpinning strategies, of which Knowledge Services is one. Links to the three
underpinning strategies are given below:
• Knowledge Services Strategy 2012–2017 is at www.port.ac.uk/knowledgestrategy
• Education Strategy 2012–2017 is at www.port.ac.uk/educationstrategy
• Research Strategy 2012–2017 is at www.port.ac.uk/researchstrategy.
niversity of Portsmouth
U
Directorate
University House
Winston Churchill Avenue
Portsmouth PO1 2UP
United Kingdom
MD7365 0912
T: +44 (0)23 9284 3195
F: +44 (0)23 9284 3319
E:university.secretary@port.ac.uk
W:www.port.ac.uk