1. Working with Industry/External Organisations for Researchers
David Kirk
Head of Corporate Partnerships
TU Dublin – City Campus
Early Career Researcher Development Programme Workshops
Wednesday 12th March 2019
FOCAS Institute

2. Engagement: An Overview
What is It?
Who do we engage with?
Why Bother?
TU Dublin context
Model of engagement
Points of contact

3. What Do We Mean By Engagement?
“…concerned with the generation, use, application and exploitation of knowledge and other university capabilities outside academic environments” (Molas-Gallart et al. 2002)
Engagement
University
Teaching
Research
..a wide range of research approaches and methods that share a common interest in collaborative engagement with the community and aim to improve, understand, investigate an issue of public interest or concern, including societal challenges.
Engaged research

4. Creating Impact

5. Engagement Pyramid Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Relationship Development
Guest Lecturing
Facilitating Student/Class Visits
Attendance at TU Dublin organised Events
Contributing to university surveys
Student prizes/ awards
Letters of support
Attendance on TU Dublin programmes
Programmatic Reviews Committees
Student Placement
Custom Training
Scholarships
Event Sponsorship
Research Collaboration
Accreditation
Advisory Board
Career Days/Open days/School Visits
Philanthropy
Community Support
Level 4
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 5
Relationship
Development

6. Who Are Our Stakeholders?
Public Sector
General Public
Civil Society
Industry
Potential Stakeholders and Engaged Research Partners
Communities of place
Communities of Interested
Community orgs and societies
Voluntary orgs and charities
Social enterprises
Businesses/ SMEs
Local authorities, strategic bodies
Regional /national government
Health and wellbeing agencies
Cultural and leisure services
Schools colleges and life long learning
Industry association
Philanthropic organisations
Media
Based on NCCPE Stakeholders Guide

7. Why Is Engagement Important?
Researcher
Stakeholder
University
Recognition
Validation
Research profile and reputation
Opportunity to build capacity
Leverage funding
Delivering impact
Furthering research career
Increasing capacity
Accessing resources
New product development
New business development
Decision making
Building a talent pipeline
Sharing knowledge
Strategic Imperative – connected to stakeholders
Increased competition and funding pressure
Increasing emphasis on ROI and societal impact
National Policy - role in national and regional innovation , economic and societal ecosystems

8. Stakeholder Engagement Policy Context

9. Sustainable Engagement
Engagement - A TU Dublin Perspective
Strong linkages and reputation
Broad range of engagement
Goodwill – Enterprise, Community, Alumni
Discipline Diversity
Shifting HE/stakeholder landscape
Core Strengths
Different cultures
Engagement primarily activity driven and short term
Individually led and tacit
Complex and multifaceted
Often intangible outputs
Coordination Issues
Shifting HE/stakeholder landscape
Challenges
Sustainable Engagement
Integral part of local, regional and national economic, social and innovation ecosystems
Boundary spanning
From transactional focus towards relationship focus
Shared understanding of challenges and co creation of solutions
Sustainable IC management

10. Engagement Evolution
Ad Hoc
Isolated
Short Term
Proactive
Anticipating
Regular
Relationship Driven
Co Creation
Long Term and Strategic
Progressive
Managed
Reactive
Towards managing the relationship and not just the transaction

11. Model Of Engagement Organisation Level Project Level Strategic Focus
Enterprise Access Point
Strategic Focus
Relationship Driven
Long Term
Operation Focus
Activity Driven
Short Term
Building Awareness
Facilitating
Influencing
Contributing
Regional Engagement
Strategy and Management Planning
Strategy development
Policy and process development
Relationship Development and Stewardship
Organisational level
Long Term and Sustainable
Management
and analysis
Data Capture & Analysis
Management Development
Business Intelligence
Engagement Coordination
Information sharing Internal networks
Communities of Practice
Identifying and Defining Engagement Opportunities
Project definition, organisation and implementation
Project agreements and contracts
Project and Relationship Management
Organisation Level
Project Level

12. Supporting Research Engagement at TU Dublin
Access and Civic Engagement Office
Research, Enterprise and Innovation Services
Hothouse ( Knowledge Transfer):
Office of Business and Industry:
LINC Centre:
Corporate Partnerships
http: //