Research take-up and impact
11/08/2026
We place great importance on moving RSSB’s research findings into active use, so that industry reaps the benefits. Planning for adoption begins right at the start, as we scope new research. Activities to support industry in taking up the findings continue during and after research is completed, sometimes for many years.
We identify who will use research outputs, when they need them, how they will apply them, and what benefits they will gain. Implementation is the ‘team game’ to get to adoption. It needs expert stakeholders to guide projects, targeted users to help shape and trial the outputs early, and RSSB’s research team to continue work with industry to widen adoption and demonstrate impact.
By the very nature of research, not all projects deliver findings that are possible or worth adopting. Those that do (which we call ‘significant’), we monitor throughout the implementation journey:
- Planning for take-up and use
- Initial adoption by first users
- Advanced adoption across multiple organisations
- Full integration into business-as-usual practice across industry
The 2025/26 annual review of implementation shows good progress.
- During the financial year, 29% (27) of significant findings moved on by one or more implementation stages.
- Since 2013-2014 more than half of all research findings have been classed as ‘significant’, meaning their adoption is supported and monitored. Around a quarter of these now fully embedded in industry (57 in total). Approximately 70% of these findings have progressed to at least initial take up.
Below we highlight some case studies showing how research is making a real-world difference.
