Knowledge That Matters: Realising the Potential of Co-Production

This presentation reflects on the main findings and implications from a UK collaborative research programme: Knowledge That Matters: Realising The Potential of Co-production.  In the context of increasing focus within the academic research community and beyond as to how the findings of research can achieve greater impact, the research programme sought to explore how far closer and better working between academics and non-academics – the co-production of knowledge – could simultaneously yield richer academic insight and greater public benefit.  The findings of this programme provide a rare systematic review of the benefits and challenges of generating knowledge co-productively.  The presentation will concentrate on the practical lessons to be drawn from the programme findings and the implications and challenges for current research practices.  [The research programme was funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and involved the N8 Research Partnership of eight north of England research-intensive universities working with community, public and private sector partners across the region.]