Impact and Knowledge Valorisation

Therefore, research should have an impact beyond science: it should bring benefits to the economy, society, culture, public policies or services, health, the environment and the quality of life of society. This change is complex, evolves over time and takes different paths depending on discipline, sector and time frame. The benefits may be instrumental (e.g. by influencing the development of a policy or practice or through behavior change), conceptual (e.g. by promoting new awareness or understanding) or capacity building (e.g. by developing skills).

Why should you plan impact?

In order to have a social impact, formal and informal relationships with various social actors play a crucial role: research alone does not produce an impact. Only when actors outside of academia, such as government agencies, companies or civil society organizations, absorb scientific findings and put them into practice does value for society arise. Therefore, Open Innovation in Science (OIS) – the early involvement of social actors, collaboration with citizens and stakeholders outside of research, and the joint development of research – becomes an important aspect of impact. OIS practices make it possible to align research with actual societal needs and increase the willingness of partners to take up research results. Social impact can in turn impact research activities by leading to increased funding opportunities, further research projects and collaboration interests, or new external contributions to knowledge.