Researchers’ Impact Day 2025: Review

This year’s Supergen Bioenergy Hub Researchers’ Impact Day took place in Southampton on Tuesday 13 May, bringing together our co-investigators, funded project leads and early career researchers to work on defining a clear pathway from project to impact.

The day was facilitated by led by Dr Jo North at The Big Bang Partnership, who kicked the day off with a speed networking session that prompted researchers to focus on what they are trying to achieve and why they want to do it. We then heard presentations and impact case studies from Geoff Baker, University of Southampton and former president of IMechE; Jason Hallett, Imperial College London, founder of a number of spin-out companies; Mirjam Roeder, Aston University, who underlined the importance of social engagement and co-designed solutions; and Gerard Davies, EPSRC, who spoke about the many different forms impact can take.

This was followed by a session on policy and stakeholder engagement with Patricia Thornley and Catriona Heaton and time exploring what a successful strategy looks like, influencing challenge holders and decision makers.

The afternoon saw a focus on impact through industry collaboration, with a case study presentation from Lindsay-Marie Armstrong, Solent Cluster Lead for the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC), and practical tips from Dr Jo North on establishing new collaborations.

Researchers then moved on to pitch presentations and developing impact plans with a clear idea of what action to take to move them forward.