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Our work on measuring UCL's impact in London.
Public First
In 2025, Public First analysed the growth potential of the London life science and technology district, spanning a 1.5 km² radius of UCL's campus in Euston and Kings Cross.
Key headlines:
- The area generates over £8bn in annual GVA and employs 12,000 life science workers.
- Increasing the density of innovative life science and tech jobs to match Boston’s Kendall Square, the area could unlock £3.5bn in GVA.
- This innovation-led growth wouldn’t just benefit London - it could boost productivity across key clusters in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the South East.
Prof Alan Thompson, Pro Provost London, adds: "International evidence shows that world-leading innovation districts emerge organically; yet to thrive, they require coordinated decisions on planning density, transport connectivity, anchor institutions, and investment frameworks. We have a once-in-a generation opportunity to accelerate this district, to become a genuine rival to Kendall Square".
The London Office are working with our partners across the London Borough of Camden to help realise these opportunities, benefitting the economy in London and beyond.
Public First Analysis for UCL on London Life Science Innovation at the heart of Euston and Kings Cross
Elsevier Study
In 2024, University College London contacted Elsevier to ask for support in the provision of an analytical report assessing the research and innovation performance of London's Knowledge Quarter (KQ).
Key highlights:
- KQ and UCL recorded very strong performances in collaborative, research culture and impact dimensions.
- KQ and UCL frequently took the top ranking for collaboration with NGOs, with lower-middle income countries, and intra-district collaboration.
- In terms of research culture, KQ and UCL ranked first for OA availability of their publications, thematic relevance to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), gender equality in publication authorship, and quality of the mentorship of early-career researchers.
- Finally, UCL and KQ also frequently ranked at the top for the specific dimensions of policy-related impacts and health impacts investigated.
UCL's Innovation & Enterprise team have also worked with Beauhurst to produce an Industrial Innovation Dashboard to help external organisations and UCL staff explore industrial innovation across London's Knowledge Quarter. See more here.
Elsevier study assessing the research and innovation performance of London's Knowledge Quarter
Deltapoll Research
In Spring 2022, the London Office commissioned Deltapoll to undertake qualitative and quantitative in-depth interviews with core partners in London, as well as with Londoners themselves, to understand perceptions of UCL in London.
Core themes of the research included:
- How stakeholders understand the university and what it offers to individuals, organisations and the community;
- What impact does UCL have in and around London;
- Awareness and understanding of UCL in London to Londoners.
Deltapoll research on perceptions of UCL in London
