In my June newsletter: the QS World University Rankings, the UK’s Global R&D and Science Investment Summit, the new Loughborough Venture Investment Network, our end-of-year degree shows, and this year’s LEN Impact Awards. 

Our highest ever place in the QS rankings

The QS World University Rankings are one of the most well-respected global league tables, and I am delighted that we have risen 22 places to 203 in this year’s rankings – our highest-ever position. This is a significant result, and an important step forward towards our strategic ambition to break into the world top 200 universities. 

The QS rankings assess universities across six areas: academic reputation, citations, employer reputation, faculty-to-student ratio, global engagement and sustainability. While rankings are only one measure of success, this year’s improvement is a reflection of the work happening across the whole University, in research and teaching, professional services, and our external partnerships and engagement – work that many of you have contributed to directly. 

This significant rise reflects the collective effort across the University and the momentum we are building. But it is not the finish line. The global top 200 is now within touching distance, and our ambition is stronger than ever. Every high-quality research paper, every successful graduate, every international partnership, every employer collaboration and every opportunity to showcase our expertise strengthens Loughborough’s reputation and contributes to our future success. 

Thank you for all that you do to support all aspects of our operation across the University which has led to this fantastic result. 

Event showcases how research and innovation drives growth 

Loughborough took centre stage at the UK’s Global R&D and Science Investment Summit, held at the Royal Society this month as part of London Tech Week. Bringing together leaders from government, industry, academia and the investment community, the event explored how research and innovation can drive economic growth while addressing global challenges. 

As host of the Invest in UK University R&D – Midlands Campaign, which featured prominently at the Summit, the University is helping to position the region as a powerhouse for research, innovation and commercialisation, showcasing the strength of our collective ecosystem and the opportunities it offers to investors and partners. 

I was invited to speak at the event, alongside senior figures from across the UK science landscape, including Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, to ensure our voice was heard at the highest level of debate on the future of research and innovation. 

Five of our spinouts – Myomaker Bio, LectomeBio, TriboDENS, Figura Analytics and TransHumanity – were on hand to present their technologies to investors and industry leaders, highlighting the breadth and quality of innovation emerging from across the University. 

This Summit built on the success of initiatives such as Forging Ahead, one of the largest university collaborations in the UK. Forging Ahead aims to enable more commercialisation opportunities, joint ventures and spinout businesses to grow here in the region, which in turn create jobs, attract investment and drive economic growth across the Midlands. Our involvement in partnerships such as this underscores the vital role universities play in driving innovation-led growth and delivering benefits beyond the laboratory. 

Loughborough Venture Investment Network launched 

This month we launched the Loughborough Venture Investment Network (LVIN), a new initiative designed to connect promising founders from across the University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem with external investors. The network aims to strengthen opportunities for startups and spinouts to access investment and support as they grow and scale.  

LVIN focuses on attracting and leveraging funding from outside the University, helping founders access the capital, expertise and networks they need to accelerate their development. By bringing together investors with innovative ventures emerging from our community, the initiative supports entrepreneurship and innovation while drawing additional investment into the wider Loughborough ecosystem.  

Colleagues at the University work with a wide range of businesses to help them launch, grow and succeed: BidScript, for instance, uses AI technology to help businesses with bids and tenders for public and private sector contracts. And Moti Me, a physiotherapy-focused product, is helping children with learning and movement disabilities. 

The launch of LVIN is a strong example of successful collaboration across the University. The initiative has been developed through close working between Student Services, the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) and Philanthropy, Alumni and Supporter Engagement (PASE), and with valuable support from the Finance, Legal and Marketing teams. 

By combining expertise from across these areas, LVIN demonstrates how collaborative working can create new opportunities for founders, strengthen support for innovation, and help unlock external resources that benefit both entrepreneurs and the University community. 

Degree shows celebrate our students’ creativity 

The Design and Creative Arts Degree Show, our students’ annual showcase of their final year projects, and the Architecture students’ end of year show were held earlier this month. We also held the 10th annual Collaborative Project Show at our London campus. All are a fantastic showcase of the hard work, innovation and creativity of our students.  

The Design and Creative Arts show provides those graduating soon with the chance to share their work with the public and also, crucially, with those who work in the design and creative industries. It’s a great way for the students to show potential employers the breadth of their talents and what they could contribute to their company. Projects on display this year ranged from alien-inspired tableware to environmentally responsible Hindu urns, as well as the work of the first cohort of Fashion Design and Technology students to graduate from Loughborough. 

This year’s Architecture show demonstrated the creativity of students at every stage of their course, based on themes; second years, for instance, were asked to design a library and community centre for the city of Hartlepool under the ‘Exclusion/Inclusion in the City’ theme. 

The Collaborative Project Show saw more than 100 students from across the London Institutes showcase projects, created in collaboration with partner organisations such as UNICEF, Sainsbury’s and the West Ham Foundation, that tackle real-world challenges.

Every year I am amazed by the talent and vision of our students, who will be our next generation of artists, designers and creators. And this year was no exception. I very much hope you were able to go along to see our students’ outstanding work. 

LEN Impact Awards recognise entrepreneurial vision 

It’s always incredibly rewarding to be able to recognise entrepreneurship at the annual LEN (Loughborough Enterprise Network) Impact Awards. The evening allows us to bring together all those who are part of our entrepreneurial ecosystem – students, graduates, academic colleagues, alumni, friends and supporters – to celebrate the vision and creativity of our business founders.  

The standard of nominations for the 2026 awards, held this month, was so high that in the main award category we presented a highly commended award and an overall winner.  

Highly commended went to Zak Marks for Kitt Medical.  Zak took his final year project and created a life-changing business. Since graduating, he has developed a product that has literally saved lives. His wall-mounted anaphylaxis kits are now located in over 2,000 locations across the UK, with more than 17,000 staff trained to use the equipment. Zak secured investment for his invention on the Dragon’s Den television programme and was recognised on The Times Young Power List.   

The overall Impact Award winner was the Aftrak project, which combines solar microgrids and tailored tractors to empower smallholder farmers, with the aim of significantly increasing crop yields and incomes and providing rural communities with access to clean, green electricity. The project, which emerged from Loughborough University research, has already demonstrated a significant impact, with their innovative approach not only boosting smallholder farmers’ incomes but also contributing to broader economic growth and sustainability goals across the continent. 

 My congratulations go to all the nominees and the winners. 

Loughborough Experience Awards

Loughborough Students’ Union (LSU) has held its 2026 Loughborough Experience Awards to recognise the efforts of students and staff who go above and beyond to make life at Loughborough the best it can be.

SafeZone app

Over the summer we’ll be rolling out the introduction of SafeZone, a personal safety and security app designed to support staff and students across our campus. 

Santander Grant 

Applications are now open for the Santander University Staff Development Grant to support university staff across the UK to invest in their professional development. 100 grants of £500 are available, which can be used to support a wide range of career-enhancing opportunities.