In December 2020 we launched our first three Global Academies, collaborative, interdisciplinary centres which bring together our research, innovation and teaching strengths to address challenging global priorities. The three are: Food Science, Safety and Security; Health and Human Performance; and Human Centred Design. All have foundations in long-established research excellence with significant contributions to society. For example, the Zero2Five Food Industry Centre in the Food Science, Safety and Security GA has delivered a direct economic impact of £190 million to the Welsh economy and created or safeguarded over 3,000 jobs. Meanwhile, Bio Scientists in the Health and Human Performance GA have conducted antibody trials contributing to our understanding of Covid-19, while academics in health, wellbeing and psychology have informed public policy through research into public experiences of the pandemic.
Since April 2020, our 'one-stop-shop' Doctoral Academy has supported research students with resources and support mechanisms, clocking up 1,000 unique views and 41,000 visits. Among other things, it promotes the 150 training courses we've delivered to research students this year, while a new Wellbeing page for doctoral students provides direct access to key guidance, and a decision tree to direct them to appropriate support.
Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
Every six or seven years the UK Government conducts a major exercise called the Research Excellence Framework (REF). REF measures the quality of research outputs, research environment and the impact of research outside of academia. This REF was our largest ever. At 1.8 million words, it included four times as many staff as were submitted to REF 2014, 353 research outputs - from over 2000 in the publication period - and 15 case studies evidencing our researchers' impacts globally. These included saving thousands of lives in Mauritius, helping teachers across Wales to become creative enquirers and protecting cricket and rugby players across the world from head injury.
Innovation
It's also been an exciting year for innovation. For example, we've seen our International Centre for Design and Research (PDR) ranked Number 1 in the iF World Design Guide Index for 2021 from amongst 10,000 entries from 55 countries. Meanwhile, our FovoLab researchers' world-leading research at the interface between fine art, vision science, computer technologies and advanced mathematics has secured seven international patents. Their trademarked company, Fovo Technology Ltd, now has a partnership agreement with 'Unity', one of the world's leading 3D software companies. Staff from our School of Technologies have also been active, for example, they helped Welsh tech start-up 'Business Butler' to create one of the UK's first intelligent business chatbots, doubling the size of the company along the way. Last but not least, the Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre in the Cardiff School of Management continues to significantly improve business outcomes in small-to-medium sized enterprises in Wales. In the last seven years, two of its programmes alone have supported growth in excess of £155m, across 900 businesses, safe-guarding and creating over 2,000 jobs and creating 25 new businesses.