National Innovation Strategy: Scorecard (2024 Update)

4. Academic Income from Business and Community Interactions

4.1 Ecosystem

• Concept

4.2 Performance Assessment

• Performance Worsening

4.3 Description

• Academic Income from Business and Community Interactions (in cash terms) is monitored as an indicator of the level of innovation activity occurring between higher education and business. A total of 7 types of academic incomes are captured this monitor, categorised as contract or other income:

Contract* income includes:

1) Consultancy contracts,

2) Contract research

3) Facilities and equipment related services

Other** income includes:

4) Collaborative research involving public funding

5) CPD and Continuing Education courses

6) Intellectual Property (incl. sale of shares in spin-offs)

7) Regeneration and development programmes

4.4 Time Series

• Academic income from business community interactions has grown by 44% in cash terms over the past 5 years. Over the same period, contract income grew by 62% while other incomes are up by 29%.

4.5 Current Performance

• Total income in 2022/23 was £685m, up 2% in nominal terms, but down 4% in real terms compared to 2021/22.
• The value of contracts held in 2022/23 was £340m, up 11% in cash terms and 4% in real terms compared to 2021/22.
• Other income is £345 million.

4.6 Previous Year Performance

• Nominal ‘Total’ and ‘Other’ incomes peaked 2020/21.

4.7 UK Regional Benchmark

• Scotland ranks 1^st for Total, 1^st for Contracts and 4^th for Other as percentages of GDP.

4.8 International Benchmark

• There are no readily available international comparisons.

4.9 About the Data

• Current Dataset: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA): Income from business and community interactions 2014/15 to 2022/23 (Released April 2024)
• Next Release: April 2025