From Research to Impact: ATU Research-Informed, Industry-Linked Policy Brief Series - Academic Year 2025/2026

Atlantic Technological University (ATU) is pleased to present the inaugural compilation of the ATU Research-Informed, Industry-Linked Policy Brief Series for the academic year 2025/2026, a university-wide initiative initiated and developed by the Research Coordinator Team under RISE@ATU.

This series emerged directly from the findings of the ATU Researcher Engagement Campaign (2025), a bottom-up consultation undertaken by the ATU Research Coordinator Team involving over 25% of ATU’s research-active community across all nine campuses. The campaign highlighted the need for stronger institutional mechanisms to support research visibility, recognition, interdisciplinary awareness and the communication of academic knowledge in formats accessible beyond traditional scholarly audiences. In response, the ATU Policy Brief Series was established as a structured platform for translating peer-reviewed research into concise, outward-facing summaries aimed at policymakers, industry partners, practitioners and community stakeholders. Published monthly through Zenodo, the European Commission-supported open research repository, each brief is assigned a unique DOI, providing researchers with formal recognition, measurable visibility and enhanced dissemination opportunities.

The series reflects a growing international and European emphasis on research impact, knowledge mobilisation and evidence-informed policymaking. This is increasingly reflected in initiatives led by the European Research Executive Agency (REA), including the development of practical guidance to support the communication, dissemination and exploitation of scientific results for policymakers, industry stakeholders and wider society. It also aligns with the Government of Ireland’s Three Pillars of Policy Development framework, which emphasises the integration of evidence, implementation and legitimacy in policymaking. In an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world, publicly funded research is now expected not only to generate knowledge, but also to contribute meaningfully to societal, economic and policy development through effective communication and stakeholder engagement.

The policy briefs included within this booklet, synthesising peer-reviewed journal articles, span all four ATU faculties and represent the breadth, interdisciplinarity and societal relevance of research taking place across the university. Collectively, they showcase the diversity of expertise and applied research activity emerging across ATU, covering topics such as sustainability, tourism, digital transformation, health, sport and exercise science, agri-food innovation, entrepreneurship, creative industries, engineering, artificial intelligence, education, and community wellbeing. The series also demonstrates strong alignment with the seven sectoral strengths and potential opportunities for the North-West Region outlined in Ireland’s Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3), while contributing to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including health and wellbeing, sustainable communities, quality education, responsible consumption, climate action, innovation, and reduced inequalities.

Importantly, this initiative has also been driven by the strong engagement and enthusiasm of the ATU research community, including research staff and PhD researchers. Since its launch in December 2025, the series has resulted in the publication of 23 policy briefs, highlighting a clear appetite across faculties and campuses for accessible, impactful and publicly engaged research communication.

The ATU Research Coordinator Team would like to sincerely thank all contributing authors for their willingness to engage with this initiative and for their continued commitment to ensuring that ATU research reaches audiences beyond academia. We hope this compilation serves not only as a showcase of the quality and diversity of research taking place across ATU, but also as a reflection of the university’s growing emphasis on research impact, external engagement and knowledge mobilisation in practice.

Dr Shane Conway, Editorial Coordinator, ATU Policy Brief Series