Ask a university what it wants from industry engagement, and the answers will probably include collaborative funding, consultancy opportunities and research that makes a difference beyond academia. 

Ask a researcher what they need to get started, and the answer may be more immediate: someone to contact, something useful to say, and the confidence to press send. 

That gap between institutional ambition and individual action was a central theme of a recent Skillfluence Session webinar on accelerating impact through industry engagement. 

For knowledge exchange and researcher development teams, the challenge is familiar. Some researchers already have productive external relationships, while others are interested but unsure where to start. Helping that second group get started means making the first steps clearer and more manageable. 

What gets in the way of industry engagement? 

During our recent webinar, participants identified barriers including limited contacts, unfamiliar working practices, intellectual property concerns and the time needed to establish relationships. 

Researchers may also struggle to explain what they can offer an external organisation. Knowing a subject in considerable depth does not automatically make it easy to communicate its relevance to someone with different priorities. 

Meanwhile, professional services teams have finite capacity. They can identify opportunities and navigate institutional processes, but personally arranging every conversation is difficult. 

Equipping researchers to initiate useful discussions can help, provided they also know when and how to access specialist support. 

And lastly, the word “industry”. For some, it’s a clear name for their intended audience, but for others it’s a confusing term that adds a layer of complexity or the need to ask the “stupid” question (while being inherently reasonable). By reframing the language to reflect different disciplines (such as SHAPE or STEM), or sectors (such as public and third sector organisations), we’ve been able to quickly resonate with audiences. 

What could change because of your research? 

When researchers describe their work, it is natural to begin with the method, findings or technical advance. A potential partner needs to understand how that work connects with a challenge they recognise. 

The webinar proposed three questions to help researchers make that connection: 

• What problem could the research help solve? 

• Who experiences that problem? 

• Why does solving it matter? 

Consider a new method for detecting contamination. Describing its technical capabilities may interest a specialist. Explaining that it could help a manufacturer identify contamination earlier, reduce waste and avoid production delays gives a potential partner a clearer reason to explore it. 

A useful starting sentence is: "Someone struggling with X could use this research to do Y." 

The proposed benefit will need testing. But it gives the researcher and their support team something concrete to work with.  

"Industry" is too broad a target. 

Wanting to connect with industry offers little direction for an initial approach. Which sector? What kind of organisation? Who deals with the relevant problem? 

For example, a researcher interested in packaging could narrow their focus to food manufacturers facing a particular challenge. That makes it easier to identify appropriate contacts and prepare useful questions. 

It is also worth looking beyond the obvious application. Where else does the same problem occur? Could an approach developed in one setting have value in another? 

Professional services colleagues may know relevant university relationships or previous projects, especially when researchers can clearly explain what they want to explore. Specificity helps those colleagues. 

Start with a hypothesis, then listen. 

One barrier discussed in the webinar was the belief that researchers need all the answers before approaching an external organisation. 

That expectation can turn an introductory conversation into a high-stakes presentation. Researchers may delay contact while trying to perfect their explanation or anticipate every question. Thinking in terms of a hypothesis offers a more familiar approach.  

Researchers can begin with an informed view of where their work might help, then use conversations to test it. Does the organisation experience the problem as expected? How does it currently respond? What would make an alternative useful? 

The answers might confirm the original idea, suggest a different application, or reveal that the proposed benefit isn't a priority. Each provides information that can improve the next decision. 

This also gives the first meeting a realistic purpose. Understanding an organisation's needs and establishing common ground are worthwhile outcomes. An initial conversation can represent progress without producing an immediate partnership agreement. 

Give researchers time to put learning into practice. 

Understanding these principles is helpful. Making time to act on them is another challenge. 

Industry engagement training can address this by incorporating real outreach, with researchers applying tools to opportunities they are actively investigating. 

Skillfluence's "Connect to Collaborate" programme provides one example. Researchers and professional services staff participate together, combining training with opportunities to prepare approaches, hold external conversations, and consider next steps. 

The Connect to Collaborate programme, run in collaboration with Durham University in early 2026, had a cohort that made 84 new connections. Those connections were only an early indicator of activity, with more forming after the training wrapped up. 

Keep professional services involved. 

Bringing professional services staff into the process helps connect early activity with appropriate support. 

A researcher who returns with a clearer understanding of an organisation's needs can have a more focused discussion with a knowledge exchange colleague. Together, they can assess the opportunity and identify the expertise or institutional processes needed to take it further. 

Training should also reflect researchers' starting points. Someone exploring external engagement for the first time may need help identifying their potential contribution. Someone already holding meetings may benefit more from follow-up support. The examples and activities need to feel relevant to the people in the room. 

What happens after the training? 

Evaluating industry engagement training means looking beyond attendance and satisfaction. Who did researchers contact? What did they discover? Which opportunities need further support? 

Recording those insights gives professional services teams something useful to follow up. It also helps establish whether training changes how researchers approach external engagement. 

Universities will continue to pursue substantial partnerships and demonstrable impact. Supporting that ambition means paying attention to the smaller actions that make future collaboration possible. 

For a researcher wondering where to begin, a clear hypothesis and a relevant contact can make that first conversation feel achievable. 

Watch the Skillfluence webinar on accelerating impact through industry engagement for the full discussion and practical exercises. To explore industry engagement training for researchers from any discipline at your institution, get in touch with Skillfluence.