UKRI celebrates 2025 Knowledge Exchange Award winners advancing research-industry innovation across the UK

KE Awards 2025 winners image. Credit: Knowledge Exchange UK

(IN BRIEF) UK Research and Innovation has announced the winners of the Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025, celebrating research-driven partnerships delivering benefits across the UK economy, public health, climate and innovation sectors. Projects recognised range from hydrogen economy development and large-scale nature restoration to cultural KE capacity building, cybersecurity collaboration, advanced materials commercialisation and global mpox research response. Award highlights include HyDEX accelerating hydrogen adoption in the Midlands, a strategic land-use partnership between the University of Exeter and the National Trust, Strathclyde’s Entropyst spin-out producing clean hydrogen, Queen Mary’s SHARE initiative influencing WHO mpox guidelines, UAL’s professional KE culture framework, a national mathematical sciences KE hub and the NW CyberCom cybersecurity collaboration. Dr Tony Soteriou of UKRI praised the winners for demonstrating the power of partnerships to drive impact for communities and the economy.

(PRESS RELEASE) SWINDON, 8-Dec-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The UK’s most outstanding research–industry collaborations have been honoured at the Knowledge Exchange (KE) Awards 2025, with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) celebrating this year’s winners for their achievements in innovation, partnership building and real-world impact. The awards were announced during the annual Knowledge Exchange UK ceremony, which recognises excellence across universities, industry, the public sector and research organisations nationwide.

As the event’s principal supporter, UKRI emphasised the central role of knowledge exchange in transforming high-quality research into social, economic and environmental outcomes. The organisation works with partners across the country to help accelerate solutions ranging from clean energy and health innovation to environmental recovery and cultural growth.

Dr Tony Soteriou, UKRI’s Director of Commercialisation, said the 2025 award winners represent the strongest examples of collaborative research driving tangible benefits. “Their achievements show how trusted partnerships, world-class research and entrepreneurial thinking can deliver real impact for people, communities, industries and our economy,” he said. “We are proud to support projects like these as they turn ideas into solutions that help the UK prosper.”

2025 KE Award Winners

Place-based Initiative Award
HyDEX: Kickstarting the Midlands’ Hydrogen Economy – Energy Research Accelerator, University of Nottingham
Supported by £4.99 million from Research England’s Development Fund, HyDEX brought together seven universities and 40+ industry partners to develop the region’s hydrogen sector, demonstrating new energy technologies, shaping policy, mobilising business engagement and laying foundations for long-term growth. Its momentum continues through East Midlands Hydrogen, Hydrogen Off-Road Network and upcoming hydrogen valley bids.

Strategic Partnership Award
Shaping Landscapes for People and Nature to Thrive – University of Exeter & National Trust
A long-term collaboration driving new approaches to land stewardship, heritage adaptation and nature restoration. The partnership has secured more than £28 million in funding, influenced national policy, created jobs and training opportunities, and advanced research in climate resilience. Funded through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund and NERC.

Commercialisation Initiative Award
Entropyst – University of Strathclyde
Spin-out commercialising HyWand, a breakthrough pyrolysis reactor producing clean hydrogen and high-value carbon nanotubes. With strong KE support and rising global interest, Entropyst is scaling rapidly, forming industrial partnerships and creating high-skilled jobs in clean energy and advanced materials.

Impact-Led Initiative Award
Advancing Health Together: SHARE Collaborative Response to Mpox – Queen Mary University of London
An international clinical and community-driven research effort across 21 countries. The initiative identified new mpox symptoms, informed WHO guidance, reshaped public-health responses, and pioneered co-produced models of equitable crisis research.

Advancing KE Culture Award
Improving KE Culture through Professional Development – University of the Arts London
A university-wide development programme engaging more than 680 staff across academic, professional and technical roles. With workshops, mentoring, secondments, awards and a KE Career Planner, UAL has embedded a sustainable, inclusive KE culture.

KE Team Award
UK Knowledge Exchange Hub for Mathematical Sciences – National distributed organisation hosted virtually by the Isaac Newton Institute, University of Cambridge
Bringing mathematics experts and industry together to solve challenges in areas including AI and logistics. Supported by EPSRC, the hub delivered collaborations, training, workshops and new networks, increasing KE capability at national scale.

Sector Collaboration Award
NW CyberCom: Accelerating Cyber Security Innovation through University Collaboration – Lancaster University, University of Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Manchester, University of Liverpool, University of Lancashire with Plexal and CRSI
Funded by the Connecting Capability Fund, the programme united six universities and specialist partners to accelerate cybersecurity innovation. Over 800 academics engaged, 32 proof-of-concept ideas generated, and three new spin-outs launched, strengthening the North West cyber innovation ecosystem.

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Email: press@ukri.org
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SOURCE: UKRI