Impact needs to become part of our DNA

180 participants from 18 different countries, 55 different organizations and 50 educational institutions. On 27 and 28 March, the University of Groningen hosted the ENLIGHT IMPACT Conference where researchers, policy makers and industry came together to look at how to create meaningful impact and break down the walls between science and society.

Education, governance and business sector

After welcoming remarks by our rector Jacquelien Scherpen and ENLIGHT president Philippe Moretto of the University of Bordeaux, Jacob Klompien, the special envoy for Groningen's Economic Agenda, emphasized the importance of collaboration between educational institutions, governance and business - the triple helix: "We need to be more adaptive than ever before. Science alone is not enough. Laws and plans alone are not enough. We have to work together.'

Generating Impact

How do you recognize and value impact? How do you plan for impact and how can we promote knowledge and impact around impact? How can we support stakeholder engagement? And how can you use storytelling to create a compelling Impact story? Participants tackled these topics in workshops and group discussions.

Keynote speakers Marthe Walvoort (RUG), Thomas Alslev Christensen (Nordisk Foundation, Denmark) and Igor Campillo (ENLIGHT Impact Task Force, Basque Country) emphasized the importance of embedding impact in research, business and policy. IMPACT is not just an add-on - it is the basis for long-term success. It must be built into every decision and should never be an afterthought.

Impact Awards

A special part of the conference are the ENLIGHT IIMPACT pitches and awards. These awards give visibility to initiatives in planning and realizing societal impact within the ENLIGHT universities. Nominated on behalf of the RUG were This Abled City, the team of Bettina van Hoven, URin Control, the team of Anne Loohuis and Transdisciplinary Development Teams of the Scholierenacademie. Unfortunately we did not win this time, but we warmly congratulate Basque Country, Bordeaux, Ghent and Galway on their new IMPACT ambassadors.

Across borders

Bringing together such a diverse international community in Groningen - from different institutions, countries and backgrounds - strengthens our education and stimulates innovation. Especially with the current budget cuts, we must remain committed to international collaboration. Real impact occurs when we collaborate across borders and disciplines.

Curious to see what ENLIGHT can do for you? Please go to: rug.nl/enlight