A highlight of last week's AEngD annual conference in London was the presentation of initial findings from a pilot study looking at the impacts of EngD research.
The study, funded jointly by the AEngD and the EPSRC, was undertaken by a team from Manchester Business School, led by Dr Fumi Kitagawa, and the interim summary identified five main areas of impact:
There was also an interesting discussion about retention of EngD graduates by their industry sponsors (the study suggested that only about a quarter of EngDs remained with their sponsor upon completion of their research project). Fumi suggested some employers regarded the research as a fixed-term project; it was also evident that some employers didn't make competitive offers of employment to their EngD graduates with the result that they moved to other employers.
The study, funded jointly by the AEngD and the EPSRC, was undertaken by a team from Manchester Business School, led by Dr Fumi Kitagawa, and the interim summary identified five main areas of impact:
- generation of new knowledge - "increased in-house knowledge and research outcomes in the short/mid-term, as well as a long-term approach to technology problem solution and business change."
- innovation-related outputs and outcomes - these included licensing of patents, formation of spin-out companies, new product/service development, new market entry, business process improvements and faster time to market.
- pan-industry knowledge networks and collaboration - "Knowledge generated by one firm often diffuses into the industry as a whole through collaborative relationships, through supply chains or through movement of human capital."
- human capital and skills development - EngD research enhanced REs career paths, industrial partners' skills and the pool of talented future leaders across a sector
- economic benefits - Examples include EngD researchers identifying annual cost savings for sponsors of £2.4m and £3.0m. A patented therapy eventually valued at £20 billion. For every pound invested by EPSRC, one centre identified a further £1.77 industry investment in EngD research.
#AEngD2013 One EngD researcher (with an environmental bent) reduced their sponsor's operating costs by £5,000,000. Wow.
— Bengt Cousins-Jenvey (@BengtCJ) November 26, 2013
There were also direct economic benefits to the EngD researchers themselves. During her conference presentation, Fumi highlighted that EngD candidates were more likely to command higher salaries than researchers who had undertaken CASE PhDs: 33% of EngD graduates earn over £35,000 per annum compared to c. 13% of CASE PhDs.There was also an interesting discussion about retention of EngD graduates by their industry sponsors (the study suggested that only about a quarter of EngDs remained with their sponsor upon completion of their research project). Fumi suggested some employers regarded the research as a fixed-term project; it was also evident that some employers didn't make competitive offers of employment to their EngD graduates with the result that they moved to other employers.
