Evaluation of the collaborative Enabling Innovation: Research to Application programme

Research Consulting was commissioned by the lead partner, The University of Essex, to deliver an evaluation of the Enabling Innovation: Research to Application (EIRA) programme.

The Enabling Innovation: Research to Application (EIRA) programme, was launched in April 2018, following £4.7m funding from Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund (CCF).

EIRA aimed to support businesses and technology sectors in the East of England with a focus on three themes: Digital Creative, Biotechnology, and Artificial Intelligence.
EIRA was a business building programme supporting innovative businesses and business clusters to engage in Knowledge Exchange (KE) activities. The bid was led by the three Eastern Arc partners (Essex, Kent, East Anglia), who completed monthly project reports, and each led one of the three themes. The wider EIRA network included four regional universities (University of Suffolk, Norwich University of the Arts, Writtle University College, and Harlow College). The aims of the EIRA programme were:
• Creating a step change in how universities can increase KE activities;
• Building capacity for commercialisation;
• Supporting business and cluster growth across the East of England.

Research Consulting was commissioned to support EIRA in an evaluation of the programme 3 years after launching. The evaluation methodology included reviews of programme data, primary interviews with the programme delivery team and with a range of beneficiaries, including businesses, students and academics.