Major societal challenges such as biodiversity loss, poverty reduction, water scarcity, the energy transition, and the development and implementation of AI require vast amounts of scientific knowledge and support. While this knowledge is increasingly available, it does not always find its way into practice. Getting the right knowledge to the right policymakers and translating it into practical action—supported by trusted formats—remains a challenge.
We believe that valorisation, and the degree to which it is effectively coordinated, will play an increasingly vital role in accelerating the transitions and addressing the societal challenges of our time. Our conviction: across all sciences, there is evidence that can provide answers to today’s urgent societal questions.
What is valorisation?
Valorisation refers to the translation of scientific knowledge into practice and policy—and vice versa. Definitions vary, but we align with the EU’s definition: “The process of creating social and economic value from knowledge by linking different disciplines and sectors, and by transforming data, knowledge, and research results into sustainable products, services, solutions, and knowledge-based policies that benefit society.”
We add to this that valorisation is about finding the right application: one that fits the context while also aligning with the qualities and talents of the individual researcher(s).
Valorisation as a process, impact as a result
Impact is the positive effect you have on something or someone. In a societal context, this impact flows from valorisation. By translating scientific knowledge into practice, impact can be created across a wide range of themes.
Take poverty reduction as an example—a complex problem with multiple underlying causes. Rising energy prices, food insecurity, and economic and political fluctuations all play a role. Social sciences contribute insights into societal behavior and mindsets, economics can help alleviate financial pressure on vulnerable groups, and agricultural sciences can shape the future of food production while tackling affordability and climate challenges. Addressing poverty requires the combined knowledge of all these disciplines—and translating that knowledge into practice is essential.
The state of valorisation
That sounds promising, but why is valorisation still not being fully realized at present? In short, there are several reasons. First, there is only limited room to engage in valorisation, often on a very small scale. In addition, there are few financial resources available for valorisation, and there is a lack of consensus about the broader value it creates. In fact, the term valorisation has incorrectly become synonymous with the commercialization of science. While we are not opposed to this, it represents only a small part of what valorisation should encompass. Moreover, in many places there is insufficient training in valorisation skills, meaning that impact is currently generated mainly by those who happen to have the aptitude and time for it. Conversely, governments and socially driven businesses often struggle to find their way to the academic world. These barriers within our valorisation system result in suboptimal valorisation. With some exceptions, we are missing opportunities on a large scale to enable science to contribute directly to solving complex societal challenges.
Building a facilitating system: how to go about?
We need a system in which valorisation happens continuously. THRIVE is committed to this. At the system level, we see the need for more knowledge, recognition, and room for researchers to valorise. This would allow far more science to flow into effective policies, impactful start-ups, and scalable innovations that directly contribute to solving complex societal challenges.
We believe this requires several concrete actions, to which we are directly committed:
Clarify the routes to valorisation.
Valorisation is most effective when the right people take the right actions at the right time. While no single roadmap exists, we know a lot about approaches with the highest chances of success. We research best practices, support researchers in their valorisation activities, and build knowledge about how science can offer optimal value to society.
Enable researchers to learn valorisation skills.
If you want to make an impact, you need to learn how. That’s why we provide education and practical training in valorisation skills at scale, helping researchers to apply valorisation in real-world contexts.
Facilitate researchers who want to make an impact.
When researchers want to valorise, the right facilities must be available. Beyond education, practice shows that physical spaces are crucial—places where science and practice can meet and co-create in real time. This benefits professionals (who gain access to the latest insights) and scientists (who receive direct feedback from society).
Value knowledge brokers.
Knowledge brokers help synthesise multidisciplinary knowledge and translate it into societal applications. They bring stakeholders together, assess contexts, think pragmatically, and advise policymakers. Involving policymakers and stakeholders in jointly defining and sometimes co-producing knowledge ensures it is useful and applied. THRIVE has researched the profile of knowledge brokers and now trains them, laying the foundation for this role in the Netherlands.
Raise societal awareness.
Valorisation is not a one-way process of scientists sending knowledge into the world and hoping it lands. The power lies in interaction between science and practice to find the best applications together. Greater awareness of valorisation’s potential is needed across society.
In short: by increasing access to and use of research, its results can serve society. When science is directed more explicitly toward societal impact, knowledge becomes a source of solutions to today’s problems and challenges.
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