CATALISI webinar: Public engagement and outreach

This session highlighted the challenges and best practices in fostering public engagement and effective stakeholder collaboration, particularly through the lens of ‘Living Labs’ methodologies.

 

Ciara O’Halloran | University College Cork: Engaging for Societal Impact

Ciara O’Halloran, a Programme Officer from University College Cork (UCC), shared insights from UCC’s work with the “UNIC: European University Alliance”, and its “Centre for City Futures.” This centre focuses on participation, engagement, and collaboration to address societal challenges and find impactful solutions through engaged research and learning.

  • The Quintuple Helix Model: Moving beyond the traditional triple (academia, government, industry) and quadruple (including public/civil society) helix, UCC embraces a quintuple helix, recognising the environment as a key actor in societal and ecological transitions.
  • Shifting from Dissemination to Co-production: Kira emphasised the importance of moving from simply disseminating information to genuinely co-producing solutions with all actors, fostering mutual value and shared decision-making.
  • The Power of Futures Thinking: UCC utilises “futures thinking” methods, inviting participants to imagine preferred futures (e.g., headlines for their city in 2050). This empowering approach, rooted in the idea that the future isn’t predetermined, encourages collaborative action towards desirable outcomes.
  • Practical Engagement – The Cork City Council Example: UCC partnered with Cork City Council on their Local Economic Community Plan (LACP). They developed a toolkit to build more dialogue and co-creation into the consultation process and ran dedicated co-creation sessions, which have been recognised as best practice nationally.
  • Overcoming Engagement Challenges: The most time-consuming yet crucial part of engagement is the initial “stakeholder mapping”. This requires significant time, leveraging existing networks (like those of the city council), and meeting people where they are, addressing barriers such as childcare or accessibility. It’s vital that engagement is relevant to participants, showing them a clear stake in the process.

Enoll’s Approach to Stakeholder Engagement

Miriam Chakron from Enoll (European Network of Living Labs) outlined their systematic approach to stakeholder engagement, crucial for co-creation and fostering innovation. She highlighted the importance of a flexible approach to engagement and a continuous learning process.

Key steps in Enoll’s methodology include:

  • Identifying and Engaging Stakeholders: This involves creating a comprehensive list of all affected stakeholders, documenting their influence and interest, and digging deeper into their motivations and needs.
  • Defining Goals and Responsibilities: Clearly outlining what you want to achieve together and who is responsible for engagement.
  • Tailored Communication: Understanding motivations and adapting communication strategies to avoid jargon and make information accessible to diverse groups.
  • Building Trust: Addressing potential obstacles such as stakeholder fatigue, ensuring transparency, and demonstrating how input will influence future decisions.
  • Co-creating Solutions: Based on identified needs, actively involving stakeholders in developing solutions, often through workshops and local activities.
  • Continuous Monitoring and Feedback: Regularly checking in with stakeholders and providing updates on progress to maintain engagement and ensure their contributions are valued.

The discussions highlighted that institutional transformation is a long-term process and that overcoming challenges requires learning, adaptability, and a shift in mentality within HEIs. The “small acts” of engagement, when multiplied, can lead to significant transformative change within communities and institutions.

Webinar: CoARA: a unique opportunity for a better [Open] research assessment

A recent webinar, organized within the context of the CATALISI project, focused on actionable strategies for the transformational pathway of higher education institutions, specifically addressing open science practices and the reform of research assessment. 

Laura Mentini from APRE introduced the CATALISI project, highlighting its goal of assisting universities in their institutional transformation within research and innovation governance. The project operates through four facilitators providing acceleration services and seven higher education institutions implementing and testing these changes. Key transformation topics include research careers and talent support (addressing lifelong learning, gender equality, and research assessment), research modus operandi (mainstreaming open science and public engagement), and financial sustainability. The webinar falls under one of the seven acceleration services: reinforcing human capital, capacity building, and outreach.

Dr. Elena Giglia, Head of the Open Science Unit at the University of Turin, presented on the crucial initiative of reforming research assessment in alignment with open science principles. She began by highlighting the problematic aspects of the current evaluation system, dominated by journal impact factors and the commercial exploitation of open access through high article processing charges (APCs). A short video illustrated the absurdity of the high costs associated with publishing open access in prestigious journals, questioning the true openness and accessibility of such a system.

Dr. Elena Giglia introduced COARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment), an initiative launched in 2022 with over 700 signatories, including major research funders, universities, and other organizations. COARA’s main commitment is to move away from the inappropriate use of journal impact factors and rankings in research assessment. The presentation emphasized that the current research assessment criteria often lead to negative consequences, including a hyper-focus on publications in high-impact factor journals, potentially at the expense of research quality, integrity, and trust. 

Key principles and commitments of COARA include:

  • Recognizing the diversity of research activities and outputs: Moving beyond solely evaluating publications to include software, code, datasets, methodologies, and other research contributions.
  • Valuing quality over quantity: Emphasizing the rigor, reproducibility, and impact of research, not just the number of publications.
  • Promoting open science practices: Recognizing and rewarding researchers for engaging in open access, open data, open peer review, and other open science activities.
  • Fostering collaboration and engagement: Valuing teamwork, interdisciplinary research, and engagement with society.
  • Ensuring transparency and fairness: Promoting transparent assessment criteria and processes, and addressing potential biases.

Dr. Giglia showcased examples of how different countries and institutions are already implementing changes in research assessment, such as the Netherlands banning the impact factor and Horizon Europe discouraging its mention in project proposals. She stressed that COARA is not just another declaration but an agreement with concrete commitments and a timeline for action plans.

You can watch the full video and have access to the materials in the Learning Hub

Mobilization and Mutual Learning at Luiss: Exploring the Third Mission in the Framework of Open Science

Reframing the Role of Universities Through Participation and Openness

According to the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science, “collaboration, participation, and inclusion” are part of the foundational principles of Open Science, the open approach to conducting, disseminating, and evaluating scientific research. A University that makes Open Research one of its core values must, in fact, experiment with participatory practices within its institutional processes. The Mobilization and Mutual Learning (MML) Event, organized in synergy with APRE and hosted by Luiss on October 17, 2024, witnessed this openness to experimentation and innovation of processes. With the idea of collaboration, members of the academic community, facilitators, and external stakeholders gathered with a common goal: raising awareness about the Third Mission and investigating related activities by exchanging of knowledge, skills, and best practices.

CATALISI operates, with the support of process facilitators, within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with the goal of their institutional transformation: specifically, the acceleration to be pursued over these three years in the fields of Research and Innovation will span multiple universities, strengthening collaboration and alliance between EU institutions. Aware of the importance of this synergistic journey, Luiss, as a partner of CATALISI, has chosen three thematic areas to focus on: supporting talent mobility, promoting Open Science and the digitalization of research, public impact, and attention to social challenges. Within the third thematic focus, Luiss dedicated the MML Event in October to the Third Mission—with a particular emphasis on research valorization and societal engagement—and chose to concentrate on identifying shared criteria to measure the effectiveness and impact of Third Mission activities in a European academic context.

Highlights of the Luiss MML Event

The event’s structure was designed to serve both as a moment of institutional reflection and international exchange. Its twofold objective was, on the one hand, to open a space for dialogue with European peers academies in order to position Luiss as a proactive agent of change; on the other hand, to strengthen internal coordination and mutual understanding among departments. The focus remained firmly on activities at the intersection of research and public engagement.

After an initial plenary session and institutional greetings, participants engaged in a series of collaborative workshops. The first was the “Alphabet Icebreaker,” in which three groups were tasked with associating a term linked to the Third Mission to each letter of the alphabet—creating, in effect, a shared lexicon to guide the day’s discussions. This activity set the tone for deeper engagement, establishing a common language around complex concept.

Next, an “Incremental Knowledge” session invited participants to analyze three central domains—Communication of Research, Commissioned Engaged Research, and Public Engagement Projects and Events—by reflecting on the impact they generate, how that impact can be measured, and the challenges inherent in doing so. Each group built upon the insights of the previous one in a cumulative process, creating a dynamic and coherent knowledge base. These participatory dynamics culminated in a final plenary feedback moment, where key findings were shared and contextualized.

Throughout the day, the active involvement of Luiss structures—such as the Research & Third Mission Office, the Library, the ESG Office, and the Lectures & Seminars Office—helped show how deeply the Third Mission is embedded in the university’s identity. This institutional commitment is not only strategic but also operational: from supporting Open Science to incentivizing outreach, and from coordinating research dissemination via social media to curating the Research & Third Mission Newsbook, Luiss has consolidated an integrated and outward-looking approach to research impact.

From Workshop to Strategic Action

Beyond knowledge sharing, the MML event also served as a springboard for institutional development. Insights gathered during the day will inform the creation of a new impact assessment framework at Luiss, incorporating key performance indicators to better track and evaluate Third Mission outcomes. Moreover, the event’s success has sparked interest in replicating the MML methodology in future contexts, extending its use beyond the CATALISI project to address other strategic priorities within the university.

Ultimately, the Luiss MML Event demonstrated how open, collaborative formats can play a critical role in rethinking the role of universities in society. By fostering shared language, shared challenges, and shared solutions, Luiss reinforced its vision of a university that listens, learns, and leads in shaping the future of responsible research and innovation.

“This event was a meaningful opportunity to showcase how deeply the Third Mission is embedded in the identity of Luiss; today, the social impact of research stands as a testament to the strength and maturity of this institutional sensitivity.”

2nd CATALISI CoP MML Workshop: Preparing for the Future: Key Skills for Research Careers – Outcomes and Results

On March 5th 2025, the CATALISI project successfully hosted the 2nd Community of Practice Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) workshop, titled “Preparing for the Future: Key Skills for Research Careers”. Organized and facilitated by APRE with the support of EY, the workshop achieved significant results in terms of engagement and knowledge-sharing. In fact, the online event brought together members of the CATALISI Community of Practice together with more than 80 participants from over 50 organizations around Europe, representing mainly academia but also the whole quadruple helix (industry, public sector, civil society).  

Starting from the assumption that the labour market landscape is continuing to evolve and that researchers need to enhance their transversal skillset to meet the labour market needs and to improve their competitiveness, the event has been the occasion to share knowledge on the transversal skills most critical and most required by the employers and to reflect on potential actions to help Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in rethinking their investments in education and training to better prepare researchers for future challenges and opportunities. 

Insights from the Predictive Study on Transversal Skills

Following an introduction to the CATALISI project made by the coordinator APRE (Laura Mentini & Stefania Laneve), the workshop featured a presentation by Suhida Dermani, Senior Consultant at EY. Key findings were shared from the recent Predictive Study on Transversal Skills Development, conducted within the CATALISI project. Starting from the competences mapped by the ResearchComp, this study, designed to accelerate universities’ efforts in reshaping researcher training to align with future labour market needs, highlighted both the strengths and gaps in current transversal skills. Through a forecasting analysis, the study identified the key competencies researchers will need over the next five years: 

  • Digital & AI literacy – Mastery of AI-driven research tools, big data, and automation. 
  • Entrepreneurial & innovation skills – Competence in securing funding, research commercialization, and technology transfer. 
  • Interdisciplinary & cross-sectoral collaboration – Ability to work across disciplines and industries. 
  • Policy and public engagement – Active participation in science policy discussions, Open Science, and public dissemination. 

 

Showcasing Good Practices and key insights from other EU Projects

The second part of the workshop featured inspiring initiatives from other Horizon Europe projects, specifically CARDEA and PATTERN. These projects provide valuable examples of how EU-funded initiatives are working to enhance researcher career development beyond academia and bridge existing gaps in transversal skills training. 

  • PATTERN Project: Alessio Livio Spera, Project Coordinator, and Kristian Nielsen, Associate Professor at Aarhus University, introduced ongoing efforts to develop training opportunities in transferable skills. The speakers  also shared key findings from a mapping exercise on open learning opportunities in Open Responsible Research and Innovation (Open RRI), identifying strengths and weaknesses in training delivery, content, and target audiences. 
Co-Creating Policy recommendations for Future Skills Development

The final part of the workshop featured a policy co-creation exercise, where participants engaged in group discussions to identify future researchers’ skills requiring further investment from HEIs. The discussions particularly emphasized the need to still enhance researchers’ capacity to: 

  • Manage projects effectively; 
  • Conduct interdisciplinary research; 
  • Perform research with societal impact; 
  • Improve digital and AI literacy; 
  • Work collaboratively in teams; 
  • Develop critical thinking skills. 

Participants also identified key challenges for HEIs in skills development related to: 

  1. Organizational and cultural barriers (e.g. lack of understanding of transferable skills; challenges in interdisciplinary collaboration and language barriers; retaining research talent and managing research roles), 
  2. Financial constraints (g. Insufficient funding for skill development and open-access research; Universities struggle to secure independent financial resources; Precarity of research careers and lack of sustainable funding sources), 
  3. Infrastructural and policy limitations (g. lack of digital competency among PhD supervisors; limited resources, trainers, and structural support for research; policy and regulatory constraints dictated by higher management and government decisions). 

The co-creation session concluded with a set of concrete actions to overcome these challenges, ensuring that HEIs can continue to invest in the development of critical transversal skills for researchers: 

  1. Improved Training & Resources (e.g. centralized collection of available EU-funded training; Individualized training plans for researchers; Increased financial support from national and EU authorities)
  2. Structural & Institutional Support (e.g. Strategic research funding within universities; more stakeholder engagement and clear role definitions; enhancing recognition and accreditation of skills acquired outside HEIs).
  3. Sustainable Financial Strategies (e.g. Shift towards institutional funding for long-term sustainability; core-funded research careers and support for researcher retention).
  4. Cultural & Policy Adaptation (e.g. Encouraging collaboration across disciplines; prioritizing quality over quantity in research publications; strengthening networking between universities to share resources). 

With its strong engagement and valuable outcomes, the second CoP MML workshop  marked another successful step for the CATALISI project in supporting the transformation of research careers and higher education systems across Europe.  

 

Research Careers and Talent Retention: Insights from the Webinar

Last week, a panel of three distinguished speakers shared insights into the challenges and strategies related to research careers, talent attraction, and retention in Europe. The discussion focused on institutional approaches to supporting researchers at different career stages, with particular attention given to regional initiatives. Below is a summary of the key points presented by each speaker. 

First Speaker: Dario Pellizzon, Head of Research & Libraries, Ca' Foscari University of Venice

Dario explored the critical issue of international researcher mobility and the efforts undertaken by Ca’ Foscari University in Venice to attract and retain top research talent. Despite being globally recognised as a tourist destination rather than a research hub, the university has implemented long-term policies to strengthen its position in the international academic landscape.  

Europe faces a significant challenge in researcher mobility, with many highly skilled individuals leaving for the United States, as well as countries like Canada, Australia, and Japan. Ca’ Foscari University has embedded talent attraction and retention into its core institutional strategies. To establish itself as a research destination, Ca’ Foscari University has: 

  • HR Excellence in Research certification: a prestigious recognition from the European Commission that ensures high-quality research conditions and fair treatment of researchers.  
  • ERC Grants: Since securing its first European Research Council (ERC) Grant in 2010, Ca’ Foscari has seen a steady increase in successful applicants, with 30 ERC grantees currently affiliated with the institution.  
  • Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowships: welcoming over 200 researchers under this programme.  
  • Increased Research Funding: The success in securing ERC, MSCA, and Horizon Europe grants has led to a sharp rise in external funding. The university’s research income has more than doubled, reaching an average of over €15 million annually in recent years. 
  • Active member of the EUTOPIA European Universities Alliance, a collaboration designed to enhance research excellence and mobility across European institutions 

They emphasised the importance of structured career development paths and highlighted various funding mechanisms available for postdoctoral researchers and tenure-track candidates. The discussion underscored the need for increased funding opportunities and cross-border collaborations to enhance researcher mobility and career stability. 

Second Speaker: Dr. Ignasi Salvado-Estivill, Director of OPERA, Alianza 4 Universidades

The second speaker discussed strategies for integrating researchers into industry and bridging the gap between academia and the private sector. They stressed the importance of transferable skills and industry partnerships, which allow researchers to diversify their career prospects beyond traditional academic roles. Additionally, they explored initiatives aimed at fostering innovation through collaborative projects between universities and companies, ensuring that research has practical applications in real-world settings. 

Key data were shared about the success of these universities in Horizon Europe, particularly within Pillar 1. The statistics highlighted a strong performance in securing ERC grants and Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions, demonstrating their research excellence and international competitiveness. 

A major focus of the presentation was Manuel Heitor’s report for the European Commission, which analyses past and present EU research programmes and introduces the “Choose Europe” concept. This initiative aims to attract and retain talent within Europe, particularly by capitalising on shifts in the global research landscape, such as changes in the United States. 

The discussion also covered mobility trends, with data confirming ongoing brain drain from Southern and Eastern Europe towards Northern and Western Europe. Specific European regions, including Catalonia, were identified as strong attractors of talent, suggesting that their institutions might serve as models for best practices in research recruitment and retention. 

Third Speaker: Francisco Javier Rubio Pomar, Director, ARAID

The third speaker introduced ARAID, a non-profit foundation established in 2005 by the government of Aragón. AR functions as an umbrella institution with a primary mission of attracting researchers to the region. While the foundation also engages in science communication, its core activity is launching annual calls for research positions. 

Currently, ARAID has an open international call for candidates with a consolidated track record, accepting applications until mid-March. Research fields covered include medical technologies, industrial decarbonisation, biotechnology, quantum technologies, and computer sciences. 

CATALISI Partner UCC Providing Global Leadership on Impact Assessment

University College Cork (UCC) is one of eleven partner organizations in the Horizon Europe funded project CATALISI – Catalysation of institutional transformations of Higher Education Institutions. The project seeks to accelerate change in Research Capacity in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) through acceleration services and targeted transformation pathways and interventions.

UCC is leading the CATALISI evaluation and impact assessment, supporting the participating HEI’s with a Theory of Change approach to evaluate their interventions and indeed their overall impact. UCC is a global leader on impact oriented research and innovation, and was placed 8th globally in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in 2021.

UCC recently published (December 2024) an Economic and Societal Impact Report UCCEconomicandSocietalImpact2024.pdf, which is an assessment of the impact of UCC’s activities in its region, nationally and internationally. This peer reviewed report and the methodologies its uses, intersects and aligns well with the impact focus at the core of the CATALISI initiative.

The analysis reflects best practice applied in other impact studies of universities and higher education institutions in Ireland, and more broadly including the UK. The results confirm the significant and growing social and economic impacts of UCC locally, nationally and globally.

Professor Mike Danson, Professor Emeritus of Enterprise Policy, Heriot-Watt University and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (External Reviewer)

The UCC Report offers a high-level framework or exemplar for others across the CATALISI Network, European University Alliances and HEI’s submitting to the Times Higher Education World University Impact Rankings, on how to capture the economic and societal impact of their higher education institutions. 

On behalf of the UCC Catalisi Team including Dr. Martin Galvin, Dr. David O’Connell, Ciara O’Halloran, Matteo Pallocca.

For more information, please contact: david.hogan@ucc.ie
David Hogan
UCC Data & Institutional Research Officer, UCC Strategic Planning & Institutional Research

Catalysing Innovation: Twinning & MML Exchange at University College Cork

On November 13th and 14th, University College Cork (UCC) hosted Twinning & Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) Exchange as part of the CATALISI project. This gathering brought together CATALISI HEIs: Kaunas University of Technology, Amsterdam School of Medical Sciences, and Universitat Jaume I as well as internal and external stakeholders of University College Cork who have been engaging on UCC’s CATALISI journey over the past two years.

MML Workshop: Learning about Financial Sustainability in Research

CATALISI MML workshops aims to share knowledge among representatives from different universities. The UCC team is committed to addressing “Sustainability in Finance” within CATALISI’s intervention areas and presented their plan for accelerating change at UCC. Feedback was obtained from the other HEIs and university stakeholders. The UCC Team see research, education, and policy influence as interconnected elements that can drive societal progress and economic growth. Their aim is to transform HEIs towards a more financially sustainable research and innovation ecosystem.

Main takeaways

  • Explore the topic of financial sustainability in research. 
  • Identified potential income streams and funding opportunities for UCC and other partners. 
  • Shared strategies for attracting and retaining research talent. 

  • Analysed diverse financial and policy landscapes to inform sustainable strategies.

Exploring Twinning: Building a Culture of Co-Creation and Engagement

The Twinning event is about sharing experiences, best practices and innovative ideas between CATALISI universities in the topics of: 

  • Open Science: It aims to make scientific research, data, and outputs accessible to everyone—whether researchers, policymakers, businesses, or citizens. 
  • Third Mission: This mission focuses on universities fostering interactions between education, industry, and society to create positive social, economic, and cultural impacts. 
  • Societal Engagement: The active participation of universities and research institutions with society to address real social challenges 
  • Integrity and Ethics: principles and practices that ensure honesty, accountability, and fairness in academic and scientific research. 

Highlights from the Twinning Event 

  • Dialogue sessions addressed Open Science, Societal Engagement, and Integrity & Ethics. 
  • Potential collaborations emerged, such as creating shared surveys on research integrity and exploring joint initiatives to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
  • Participants identified opportunities to leverage Erasmus+ for cross-institutional knowledge exchange and foster transnational themes from local action plans.

Transforming Higher Education Institutions with CATALISI

These events are organized in the context of the CATALISI Capacity building and outreach Acceleration service and are designed to support HEIs with the skills and strategies needed to develop transformative approaches aligned with Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) principles. 

It was a successful event and will contribute positively to UCC’s change journey and to the delivery of the overall mission of CATALISI in 2025 and beyond

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Open Living Lab Days 2024- CATALISI Side Event  Opening universities to Stakeholders through Living Labs for Institutional transformation 

Open Living Lab Days 2024- CATALISI Side Event  Opening universities to Stakeholders through Living Labs for Institutional transformation 

Introduction

The Open Living Lab Days 2024 hosted a CATALISI side event titled “Opening Universities to Stakeholders through Living Labs for Institutional Transformation”, held on September 24th, 2024, in Timișoara, Romania. This workshop was organized in response to the growing challenges that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) face in engaging with external stakeholders. The session aimed to co-develop strategies to foster stakeholder collaboration and enhance the accessibility of universities, aiming to support mutually beneficial transformations within academic institutions across Europe. 

Workshop Description

Following presentations on the CATALISI project and the Acting Living Lab, one of the acceleration services embraced by the project, the workshop focused on exploring innovative approaches to open universities to external stakeholders and facilitate institutional transformation, particularly within the CATALISI context. Building on the accessibility challenges identified within HEIs, the session aimed to foster collaboration through Living Lab methodologies. 

Participants engaged in discussions to share insights on effective stakeholder engagement strategies. Through an interactive exercise, they examined challenges and developed actionable recommendations for enhancing HEIs’ accessibility and stakeholder engagement. 

The workshop also provided an opportunity for the UVT Green and Mobility Living Lab, hosted by the University of Timișoara, co-host of the Living Lab Days in Timișoara, to share its best practices and successful engagement strategies. This local living lab example, hosted by the university of Timisoara, offers valuable and applicable insights for the CATALISI project as universities adopt the living lab approach in their institutional transformations. 

Workshop key outcomes: Strategy for External Stakeholder Engagement 

The key outcomes of this strategy were co-developed by participants to address the three main challenges related to external stakeholder engagement, as identified by CATALISI Higher Education Institutions during the CATALISI project. These challenges centered around communication, alignment on priorities, and resource utilization. The following strategy provides a structured framework to overcome these obstacles, enabling HEIs to engage more effectively with external stakeholders and foster mutually beneficial collaborations. 

  1. Communication
  • Stakeholder Mapping and Analysis: Begin by identifying relevant stakeholders, including students, faculty, industry partners, policymakers, community members, and NGOs. Categorize stakeholders based on influence and interest using a prioritization matrix, ensuring targeted and effective engagement. 
  • Effective Communication Strategy: Develop a tailored communication plan for each stakeholder group, using accessible language that aligns with stakeholders’ cultural and professional contexts. Avoid jargon and ensure clarity in all messaging. 
  • Address Translation and Language Barriers: To foster inclusivity, provide translations or use simplified language when necessary. This ensures that language differences do not hinder engagement, especially with community-based or international stakeholders. 
  • Build Trust through Active Listening: Foster open, transparent communication by listening attentively to stakeholders’ feedback, demonstrating empathy, and responding to their needs. Regular updates and open dialogue reinforce trust and credibility over time. 
  • Feedback Loops for Continuous Improvement: Create structured feedback loops that allow stakeholders to share their input regularly. This continuous communication enables iterative improvements in engagement approaches, keeping efforts aligned with stakeholders’ evolving needs. 
  1. Alignment on Priorities
  • Clarify Mutual Goals and Value Propositions: Start each engagement by establishing a shared understanding of mutual goals and the unique value each stakeholder and the university bring to the collaboration. Use insights from stakeholder mapping to align on priorities. 
  • Collaborative Problem Definition: Engage stakeholders in defining core challenges or problems collaboratively. This participatory approach ensures that projects are grounded in real needs, fostering commitment to common objectives. 
  • Regular Needs Assessment and Priority Setting: Conduct focus groups, surveys, and interviews to continuously assess stakeholder needs and priorities. Update this information regularly to ensure ongoing alignment and relevance. 
  • Iterative Approach for Continuous Alignment: Use an iterative process to validate progress and ensure alignment at each stage. Regular check-ins and dialogue allow for adaptive changes in goals and approaches, keeping the project relevant and responsive to stakeholder input. 
  1. Resource Utilization
  • Leverage University as a Living Lab: Treat the university as a dynamic living lab by identifying and mobilizing internal resources, such as departmental expertise and infrastructure, that can enhance stakeholder engagement efforts. This approach fosters a collaborative environment and provides a foundation for innovation. 
  • Optimize Resource Allocation through Stakeholder Prioritization: Use insights from the stakeholder mapping to prioritize resources for high-impact groups. For lower-priority stakeholders, consider lighter engagement methods (e.g., periodic updates) to balance resource distribution effectively. 
  • Promote Technology Transfer and Open Science: Facilitate technology transfer and encourage open science practices, using the university’s research and innovations to build collaborative partnerships with stakeholders. 
  • Internal Training Programs: Develop training programs focused on open science, stakeholder engagement, and technology transfer to empower university departments to engage more effectively. 
  • Technology Transfer: Share research advancements and technological innovations with stakeholders to support their needs and foster a knowledge-based collaboration. 
  • Cross-Departmental Learning and Cross-Fertilization of Ideas: Encourage interdepartmental collaboration to create a network of support for engagement activities. Cross-departmental learning fosters innovation and enables departments to adopt best practices without additional resources. 
  • Evaluate and Optimize Resource Allocation: Conduct regular evaluations of engagement activities and resource use, using both quantitative and qualitative metrics. Refine resource allocation based on findings, ensuring that efforts remain cost-effective and impactful. 

Conclusion

The workshop provided a collaborative space for developing this comprehensive strategy, addressing the primary challenges of external stakeholder engagement identified by HEIs during the CATALISI project. By focusing on effective communication, alignment on shared priorities, and strategic resource utilization, participants co-created an adaptive approach to enhance engagement practices within universities. Through shared insights on stakeholder mapping, continuous needs assessment, trust-building, and iterative improvement, the workshop empowered participants to build stronger, more collaborative partnerships. These outcomes support universities in enhancing accessibility, fostering mutual understanding, and ensuring sustainable engagement with external stakeholders. 

Redefining Research Excellence: Predictive study on future transversal skills for researchers

Redefining Research Excellence: Predictive study on future transversal skills for researchers

In today’s world, where the demands on researchers are constantly evolving, the skills they acquire during their academic journey are becoming more essential than ever. It’s no longer enough to be an expert in a specific field; success now centers on a broader set of competencies, such as communication, collaboration, effective project management, and societal impact. Traditional academic training has long focused on specialized knowledge, often overlooking the broader skills needed in today’s job market. As researchers find themselves working across disciplines and engaging with sectors beyond academia, there’s a pressing need to equip them with skills that extend beyond their immediate field of study.

Recognizing these shifting expectations, the CATALISI project, through one of its Acceleration Services, conducted a predictive study on skills anticipation. The goal was to evaluate how well Europe’s young researchers are being equipped for the future and to identify critical areas where further development is needed, helping Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) better prepare their students and young researchers for successful careers in a variety of fields.

Methodology and Key Findings

The study, led by the EY Advisory team in collaboration with a consortium of European universities and research institutions, utilized a comprehensive methodology, reaching over 1,700 young researchers (R1 and R2) with more than 820 respondents from across Europe who participated in detailed surveys to assess their own transversal skills and competencies. To gain deeper insights, the study also included interviews with more than 50 academic leaders, such as vice rectors and research supervisors, who provided valuable perspectives on the strengths and shortcomings of current training programs. Additionally, the study analyzed job postings through advanced text mining techniques to identify the most trend skills in the job market and evaluate how well these align with the training that young researchers receive during their doctoral studies.

To guide and shape our study and recommendations for this study we utilized the European Competence Framework for Researchers, (ResearchComp). ResearchComp provides a comprehensive structure for identifying and nurturing the essential transversal competencies required during a researcher’s career. The framework categorizes these transversal competencies into seven key areas: cognitive abilities, self-management, teamwork, research execution, research management, research tool management, and impact creation. By focusing on these areas, the study aimed to ensure that researchers are well-equipped to contribute effectively to both academic and non-academic sectors. This approach allowed us to identify specific gaps and opportunities for enhancing researcher training and professional growth.

Significant Insights from the Study

The predictive study revealed several important findings that gave important insights on both the strengths and weaknesses of young researchers in Europe:

  • Strengths in Cognitive and Technical Skills: Young researchers typically display strong cognitive abilities, such as critical thinking and analytical reasoning, which are foundational to their research roles. These skills are essential for conducting rigorous research and advancing knowledge in their fields.
 
  • Gaps in Interpersonal and Project Management Skills: Despite their technical expertise, many researchers struggle with interpersonal skills. Areas like teamwork, effective communication, and project management are often underdeveloped, even though these skills are increasingly valued in both academic and non-academic settings. The study found that these gaps can impact the researchers’ ability to collaborate effectively, manage multidisciplinary projects, and communicate their findings to non-specialist audiences.
 
  • Digital Literacy and Entrepreneurial Thinking: The study highlighted a growing demand for digital literacy and entrepreneurial skills. As digital tools and technologies become more important to research, proficiency in data analytics, digital communication, and online collaboration platforms is essential. Moreover, the ability to think entrepreneurially, whether it’s about commercializing research findings or applying innovative solutions to real-world problems, is increasingly seen as a critical competency. However, many young researchers are not receiving sufficient training in these areas, putting them at a disadvantage in a competitive job market.
 
  • Mismatch Between Academic Training and Employer Expectations: One of the most important findings of the study was the mismatch between the skills emphasized in doctoral programs and those expected by employers, particularly in non-academic sectors. Employers are looking for candidates who can not only conduct high-quality research but also manage projects, engage with policy frameworks, and work effectively across disciplines. Unfortunately, these competencies are not always prioritized in current academic training programs.

Recommendations for Higher Education Institutions

Based on the study’s findings, several key recommendations were made for HEIs, with the main focus:

  • Integrate Comprehensive Digital Skills Training: As digital tools become central to research, it is important for HEIs to include advanced digital skills training into their doctoral programs. This should go beyond basic computer literacy, including training in data analytics, digital communication, and the use of digital platforms for research collaboration and dissemination.

  • Promote Entrepreneurial Mindsets: HEIs should encourage entrepreneurial thinking by providing opportunities for researchers to learn about innovation management, intellectual property rights, and the commercialization of research. This can be achieved through workshops, mentoring programs, and partnerships with industry.

  • Foster Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Given the complexity of today’s global challenges, it is essential for researchers to be able to work across disciplines. HEIs should create more opportunities for interdisciplinary projects and collaborations, fostering a holistic approach to problem-solving that is crucial for addressing multifaceted societal issues.

  • Enhance Training in Project Management and Communication: To bridge the gap between academic training and the demands of the job market, HEIs should place a stronger focus on developing interpersonal and project management skills. This includes training in leadership, team dynamics, and effective communication strategies that enable researchers to convey their ideas clearly and persuasively to a wide range of audiences.

  • Align Academic Programs with Market Needs: Finally, HEIs must ensure that their training programs are aligned with the evolving needs of the job market. This can be achieved through ongoing dialogue with industry stakeholders, regular reviews of curriculum content, and the integration of skills assessments that mirror those used in the hiring processes of non-academic employers.

By implementing these recommendations, Higher Education Institutions can better prepare the next generation of researchers for the dynamic and evolving landscape of the global job market. Equipping young researchers with a broad range of transversal competencies will not only enhance their career prospects but also ensure that they can contribute meaningfully to addressing the complex challenges of our time. The future of research excellence lies in adaptability, collaboration, and the ability to translate knowledge into impactful solutions, and it starts with a comprehensive rethinking of how we train and support our researchers today.