UKRI Board visit highlights North East England universities collaborative impact on regional progress and national innovation

The visit was an opportunity to demonstrate higher education’s collaborative contribution to UK research and innovation, work that is positively impacting the lives of people in the region and beyond.

Members of the Board visited several university campuses to hear from a cross-section of those active in the region’s research and innovation activity. That was followed by an evening reception at Northumbria University, hosted by UKRI, which brought together researchers, innovators, university staff and governors and business leaders.

UKRI’s Board meeting then followed, at the University of Sunderland.

UKRI Board members, including CEO Professor Sir Ian Chapman, divided into smaller groups to hear about research and innovation work taking place in each institution, including;

• Herbie Newell CBE, Professor of Drug Development at the University of Sunderland, gave an overview of CF10, a drug developed in Sunderland to improve the treatment of patients with a rare, life-threatening genetic disease called cystinosis.
• Durham hosted several panels focusing on regional strengths aligned to the Industrial Strategy including developments for satellite and space technologies, the interface between materials science and biological chemistry, and defence and semiconductors. There was also a discussion about how SMES drive the regional economy and the role of digital humanities in heritage and museums and our work in commercialisation of industry research.  
• John-Paul Taylor, Clinical Professor of Translational Dementia Research at Newcastle University described the experience of patients with Lewy Body Dementia and how the North East is leading the way in research, developing treatments and improving care for people with the condition.  
• Clare Watt, Professor of Space Physics at Northumbria University outlined Northumbria’s leading work in the space sector, including an overview of STFC-funded research into space weather and its impacts on critical national infrastructure, such as satellites and powergrids. UKRI Board Members also received a tour of Northumbria’s soon-to-open £50 million North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST).
• Teesside University focused on its core research themes of Health & Wellbeing, Net Zero, and People & Place, to showcase how place‑based research in the Tees Valley and the North East is delivering scalable solutions to health inequalities, clean energy transitions and regional productivity; both here at home and internationally.

Find out more

- Learn more about the collective impact of North East England’s five universities.