Innovation and Translation

Exploring how science, technology and innovation can be translated responsibly and sustainably into collective benefits for society

Research, commentary, and events

Project
The use of public engagement for technological innovation
29 Jan 2021

Because different public engagement techniques may be more or less effective in promoting selected outcomes, researchers found that a diverse range of techniques should be used to engage the public in technological innovation.
Commentary
What Influences Quality Improvement Processes in Health Care?
10 Nov 2020

Periods of rapid change offer both opportunities and challenges for health care quality improvement. Understanding the building blocks that need to be in place to support improvement processes may help those seeking to embed improvement capabilities and capacity into their organisations, both as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Commentary
Before Redesigning the REF, a New Survey Could Help in Understanding What Is and Isn’t Working
06 Oct 2020

September's call for more sustainable and agile research funding signaled a renewed push by research-intensive universities in the UK for a funding and assessment system with a lighter touch. Before embarking on a further round of changes, it is important to listen and learn from researchers and managers about what has and has not worked well.
Project
Understanding the performance of the oncology healthcare system
27 Aug 2020

Researchers identified a number of key indicators that can be used to analyse elements of the oncology health system from different perspectives, and then used these indicators to create an overarching scorecard for oncology ecosystem performance.
Project
Evaluating the development of the Q initiative from 2016-2020
13 Jul 2020

The Q initiative has established itself as an important resource for quality improvement in health and care, supporting members with skills, new relationships and self-confidence. However, to deliver change at scale there is a need to build on these achievements.
Project
Assessing the impacts of digital government transformation in the EU
26 Jun 2020

A case study on the use of body worn cameras by police forces in the UK offers an example of how governments can potentially take advantage of emerging digital technologies to address systemic challenges.
Project
The benefits and drawbacks of remote voting solutions
25 Jun 2020

RAND Europe and Open Evidence examined the extent to which remote voting solutions—particularly internet voting—are employed in the European member states. The research identified the costs, risks and challenges associated with seven remote voting options.
Commentary
How to Harness Technologies in the Fight Against COVID-19
02 Jun 2020

The pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis. But the response from science, technology, and innovation communities has been remarkable. It proves that innovation and learning, interdisciplinary methods and collaboration, information and data sharing, and adaptability are more important than ever.
Commentary
How to best enable pharma innovation beyond the COVID-19 crisis
26 May 2020

Innovating in response to public health challenges like COVID-19 does not always align well with pharmaceutical industry commercial models or shareholder expectations. More sustainable and scalable ways of incentivising innovation in response to infectious disease threats are needed.
Commentary
The Future of Research Outputs
12 May 2020

The changing nature of research outputs has the potential to affect a wide range of organizations and people. A proactive stance could help drive research towards better practices in information storage, sharing and communication, but requires early action and shared goals at a sector level.
Commentary
Leading with the Proper Use of Scientific Evidence Is Better Than Hiding Behind It
05 May 2020

Evidence only has scientific meaning when it is part of a body of disciplinary knowledge produced by a community of scientists. Leading with scientific evidence, coupled with a wider values framework, may result in better outcomes for all.
Commentary
The Pandemic Has Sparked Innovation, Offering Lessons We Must Not Forget
01 Apr 2020

COVID-19 has shocked the world and caught most countries unprepared, forcing them to improvise. But amid all the confusion and fear, the power of individuals, organizations, and communities to think differently and to innovate shows what can be achieved when people are united by common, clear priorities and necessity.
Project
Examining innovation in citizen science
17 Feb 2020

Advances in technologies, together with new opportunities for integrating diverse data sources, are enabling innovative methods of data collection in citizen science projects, but new risks have also emerged as the field evolves.
Project
Supporting the Observatory on the Online Platform Economy
14 Jan 2020

In support of the Observatory on the Online Platform Economy, researchers are examining various aspects of the relationships between platforms and their business users: terms and conditions, ranking of search engine results by algorithms, pricing, access to data by platforms, and more.
Project
Using foresight to examine the global food system
18 Nov 2019

Based on a series of foresight exercises for the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), researchers developed a global food systems map, a map of systemic interdependencies, and a framework for future action to help the FSA achieve its goals.