The Royal College of Art’s Knowledge Exchange Strategy Commended by HEFCE

Knowledge Exchange at the RCA is underpinned by the College’s rich tradition of interdisciplinary working and innovation. Design and creativity are at the core of activities, which span design applications ranging from object and service design, vehicle and urban design, experience and anthropology design, to design interactions and fashion design. Through sharing state-of-the-art multidisciplinary research with external companies and institutions Knowledge Exchange at the RCA creates impact, fosters global economic performance, boosts the effectiveness of public services and policy, and enhances quality of life, health and creative output.

Through Knowledge Exchange, the College’s academic experts collaborate closely with small businesses, multinational corporations and enterprises as well as governments and charities. Previous partners have included Tata Consultancy Services, Hyundai and Intel, with outcomes of collaborations including a redesign of the emergency ambulance that was nominated for the Design Museum Designs of the Year in 2012.

The commendation from HEFCE recognises the RCA’s expertise in translating the institution’s knowledge for industry. It strengthens the College’s reputation for collaborations that offer benefits to businesses and partner organisations through bringing design, creativity and critical thinking to their day-to-day businesses and developing their innovation capabilities.

Recent partners include Huawei, a global leader in information and communications technology solutions. Informed creative thinking and design innovation from the Schools of Communication and Design enabled Huawei to develop a forward-looking design strategy that anticipates and responds to rapidly changing social and cultural environments.

Through the RCA’s Knowledge Exchange, representatives from Visa were introduced to the concepts of design thinking, co-creation and inclusive design – all hallmarks of the College’s expertise in design thinking, research and developing innovative solutions based on a user-centred approach. At the College they took part in a Design Jam in which they put to use new skills in visualisation and rapid-prototyping techniques. Teams worked together to create a prototype design for a contactless payment device for charitable giving.

The RCA’s Knowledge Exchange vision for the next five years is to continue promoting the enabling role of design and creativity in driving innovation, productivity, economic growth and national competitiveness. The RCA also aims to show how good design can help improve quality of life and achieve social benefits for individuals and communities. Knowledge Exchange will build on the RCA’s leading position, continue developing an enabling and experimental organisational culture and promoting the RCA’s knowledge in art and design through a wide range of outreach activities and public engagement.