About us

The innovation festival is supported by Sheffield Hallam University

We’re one of the leading new universities in the UK for research, with an international reputation in areas such as materials science, art and design, sports science and engineering, biomedicine, and economic and social research.

Each of our four research institutes supports several specialist centres, as well as research within specific academic departments.

The Culture & Creativity Research Institute (CCRI)

is the home of Arts and Humanities Research, Innovation and Enterprise. It hosts an extraordinary interdisciplinary community of established practitioners, world-leading academics, and dynamic research students.

Our research has evidenced significant impact within the domains of key global challenges and compelling contemporary debates, inlcuding:.

  • Climate Change & Sustainability
  • Human Rights and Conflict Studies
  • Aging, Health and Care
  • Post-colonialism, marginalisation and race
  • Digital Innovation
  • Archives, narrative construction and historialrepresentation.The Institute hosts a diverse community of academics from the College of Social Sciences & Arts SSA and provides support to colleagues within The Art & Design, Media, Art & Communications and Humanities departments.

MISSION To provide leadership for research that engages critically with contemporary societal and global challenges through the deployment of practice-led and theoretical cultural enquiries and methodologies.

VISION To foster and champion, outstanding critical and innovative research addressing compelling societal challenges. To advocate for, and recognise the value of, cultural engagement within communities, civil society, national governance and global collaboration.

Director : Professor David Cotterrell

The Industry and Innovation Research Institute (I2Ri)

draws on the talents, expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and collaborative networks across, and external to, the university.

Our innovations provide solutions to key global challenges in the 21st-century, including:

  • Covid-19 response
  • Secure and sustainable energy supply andmanagement
  • Smart, digital and low carbon technologies drivingclean growth
  • Climate change
  • Security of individuals, institutions, nations andinternational communities
  • Technologies meeting the needs at all stages of anageing society.

MISSION

To provide solutions to key global challenges in the 21st-century, through interdisciplinary collaboration in the region, nationally and internationally with industry, academia and other key stakeholders.

VISION

To be the leading provider of research excellence delivering applied materials, computing, science and engineering innovations meeting the development needs of current and future industries.

Director : Professor Andrew Alderson

The Health Research Institute (HRI)

acts as a nucleus for health and care research across Sheffield Hallam.

The institute brings together academics and professionals who collectively deliver research, innovation and knowledge exchange in health and wellbeing across the lifespan.

Our expertise includes:

  • Health and social care professionals
  • Sport science
  • Engineering
  • Nutrition
  • Physical activity and behaviour change
  • Biomolecular and biomedical science
  • Data modelling
  • Health policy
  • Economics
  • Art and Design

This inter-disciplinary community has collaborative external partners including the NHS (and private health), local authorities, industry, local communities and the third sector

MISSION

To transform the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities through high-quality, inter-disciplinary and cross sector research and knowledge exchange.

VISION

The HRI will be a vanguard for health transformation. Director : Professor Heidi Probst

The Social and Economic Research Institute (SERI)

carries out innovative research with impact to addresses key social, economic and environmental challenges, including:

  • Relationships between the state, civil society and individuals governance, human rights and social justice; voluntary and community sector; disadvantaged and marginalised groups.
  • The role and importance of place spatial development, investments and resources; place-based and whole systems approaches to infrastructure, governance and services.
  • Progressive public policy and services policy research. evaluation and change support within education, criminal justice, housing, welfare, employment, energy, regeneration and planning.
  • Climate, adaptation and sustainability the production, consumption, impacts and security of water, energy, food, clean transport, green and blue infrastructure.
  • Jobs, business and economy inclusive growth and sustainable economic development; low carbon and ‘green’ economies, the role of social enterprise and community business.

MISSION

To tackle local, national and global social, economic and environmental challenges through high-quality, inter- disciplinary research and knowledge exchange.

VISION

SERI is a world leading Institute for research and innovation which helps to improve society, reduce inequalities and care for the earth, its resources and its people.

Director : Professor Sarah Pearson

Contact us: innovationfestival@shu.ac.uk