Professor Mike Weed and Abbie Kempe explain how universities can deliver more than degrees, and support local and national economic growth.  

The UK is at a crossroads. Productivity remains stubbornly low, regional inequalities persist, and global competition in science, technology and skills is intensifying. The message from government is clear: universities must not just support growth — they must lead it. 

The Science and Technology Framework (DSIT, 2023) places local innovation ecosystems at the heart of national competitiveness, while Universities UK (2023) reports that 64% of the workforce in priority growth sectors already holds higher education qualifications, with demand set to rise sharply by 2035. The National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB, 2024) further warn that without stronger, more collaborative regional innovation systems, world-class research will struggle to translate into productivity and prosperity. 

Against this backdrop, Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is showing what it means to be a university of action. In the latest Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF5), CCCU ranked in the top 20% of English universities for research partnerships and for public and community engagement, clear evidence that a distinctive, place-based model of higher education can deliver both regional impact and national value. 

Kent and Medway: a region of scale and potential 

Kent and Medway are not a peripheral region; it is one of the UK’s most strategically important. With a population approaching 1.9 million, and generating annual Gross Value Added (GVA) of around £44 billion, the region represents a large and complex economy. It has also grown rapidly, expanding by more than 14% over the past decade, well above both the South East and national averages. Medway alone is home to 14,000 businesses and a £5.9 billion economy. 

The working-age population is projected to increase by 6% between 2018 and 2030 — double the UK rate of growth. That demographic shift will expand the labour market, increase economic activity, and enhance the region’s significance in the national economy. Yet the challenge is to ensure that growth is sustainable, requiring parallel investment in infrastructure, innovation, and skills. 

Skills gaps remain a pressing concern: in nine of Kent and Medway’s 13 local authority areas, the percentage of the workforce qualified to Levels 3 and 4 is below the UK average, with particularly low attainment in Swale and Thanet. This constrains both individual opportunity and the ability of employers and investors to secure the workforce they need. 

On conventional measures of innovation, the region also underperforms. Business research and development (R&D) spending per firm is around 64% of the UK average; private non-profit R&D is limited, and Kent and Medway attract a smaller share of Innovate UK funding than its neighbouring counties. Yet, these challenges underline the opportunity: to build on the county’s academic and commercial strengths, especially in areas of distinctive capability such as life sciences, agri-tech, and creative industries, and to develop a stronger innovation ecosystem that enables businesses of all sizes to thrive. 

These dynamics make Kent and Medway a testbed for inclusive growth: a region where the opportunity is not just to recognise potential, but to unlock it. The UK’s Industrial Strategy calls for stronger places, skilled people and innovation-driven industries. Kent and Medway embody all three: a region where universities, business and government can turn scale into competitiveness, and local strength into national advantage. 

From triple to quadruple helix: innovation with purpose 

But innovation does not happen in silos. The Quadruple Helix model — universities, industry, government and civil society working together is now widely recognised as the blueprint for regional development. CCCU has embraced it fully, ensuring our partnerships extend beyond business and government to include schools, further education, NHS trusts, charities and community groups. 

At CCCU, innovation is not confined to laboratories or lecture theatres. It is embedded in real-world partnerships that reflect the needs of our region: 

• co-designing healthcare solutions with patients and practitioners 

• creating training pathways with employers to build a workforce ready for future industries 

• working with local schools and colleges to raise aspirations and tackle inequalities that hold back growth. 

This work builds on our civic mission and is underpinned by our long-standing commitment to public services. Between 2021 and 2024, we produced nearly 14,000 graduates in key worker professions, with over 75% staying in Kent and Medway — a pipeline of talent that continues to strengthen the region’s schools, hospitals and frontline services.  This embeddedness in areas such as health, education and policing is central to our role as a civic anchor.  

By convening all four helices, CCCU ensures innovation is both commercially viable and socially inclusive. And this matters in Kent and Medway, a region of immense economic potential but also pressing challenges, from coastal deprivation to critical skills shortages. 

Why distinctiveness matters now 

Every university contributes to growth. But in a fragile economy, with widening inequalities and urgent skills gaps, generic strategies are not enough. What counts is distinctiveness. 

Peter Kyle, until recently Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, has challenged universities to stop being “bit-players in many” areas and instead become recognised authorities in their distinctive fields. CCCU has taken that challenge to heart. While others talk about scale, we demonstrate strength, collaboration and impact where it matters most, driving innovation rooted in local need and national opportunity. 

For CCCU distinctiveness means: 

• Being rooted in Kent and Medway — our region is not peripheral to our mission, it is central. 

• Focusing on our strengths — health innovation, education, and professional development are signature domains where we add unique value. 

• Placing people and partners at the centre — our work is co-designed and co-delivered with those it is meant to benefit. 

This aligns directly with the UK’s Industrial Strategy, which emphasises the need for stronger places, skilled people, and innovation-led industries. In Kent and Medway, these priorities converge: a region of scale and potential where the challenge is to unlock growth that is both commercially competitive and socially inclusive. 

One example is CoLab, launched in 2024 as a partnership between CCCU and Discovery Park. This innovative shared laboratory model offers flexible, affordable lab space and specialist equipment for emerging life science companies, while enabling collaboration between academia and industry. In its first year, CoLab supported around 25 projects, with CCCU students contributing to nearly half. A model that not only helps early-stage ventures overcome barriers to growth, but also drives local regeneration and skills development. 

Distinctiveness also comes through cultural innovation. In 2024, CCCU partnered with Curzon Canterbury Westgate to launch the first university-led film club of its kind in England. The fortnightly programme combines film screenings with academic-led talks and discussions, transforming a cinema into a genuine community hub. By connecting higher education with public culture in this way, the initiative brings knowledge, debate and engagement into the heart of Canterbury’s civic life. 

This is what makes CCCU an essential civic anchor, convening, connecting and catalysing for regional and national prosperity. 

An invitation to collaborate 

Our KEF results show that CCCU is exceeding national benchmarks in research partnerships and public and community engagement. But more importantly, they show what is possible when universities and partners work hand-in-hand. 

Whether it is developing skills pipelines, co-designing research and innovation, or addressing regional inequalities, we welcome partners to work with us in turning potential into impact. Together, we can strengthen Kent, Medway, and the UK’s innovation and economic capacity. 

Professor Mile Weed is Senior Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research, Enterprise and Business Development) and Abbie Kempe is Director of Research, Enterprise and Innovation Services. 

Find out more about how CCU works with local businesses on our Business Services webpages.