We are living through a period of mass crisis. The issues we face predate the pandemic, but have only been brought into sharper focus by Covid-19. In the light of these issues, at the recent launch for the National Centre for Cultural and Academic Exchange, I posed the question: ‘are our current models for research and knowledge exchange up to the job?’

In 2018 STEAMhouse opened its doors to a community of businesses, entrepreneurs, creatives and artists, and the academic world. Unsurprisingly there was great interest from many who saw the value in collaborating not only with the University, but also with people from a range of disciplines.