Building the Bridge: Insights from the CEETNOVA Knowledge Valorisation Ambassadors Journey

In today’s rapidly changing world, knowledge is no longer seen as a static outcome of research but as a dynamic resource whose value grows only when it circulates, connects people, and fuels real‑world change. Across Europe, policymakers increasingly emphasize that research must not remain confined to academic publications but instead move into the hands of those who can use it to address societal needs - from developing greener technologies to informing better public policies (European Commission, 2026). This shift reflects a broader recognition that the true power of knowledge emerges not at the moment of discovery, but at the moment it starts shaping solutions, collaborations, and innovation pathways across sectors (Inspiring ERA, 2026).

Against this backdrop, the CEETNOVA project - an initiative designed to strengthen connections between European innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems - focuses on empowering institutions and individuals to turn research results into meaningful societal value. As part of this effort, CEETNOVA is training 100 Knowledge Valorisation Ambassadors across five countries (Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Italy and Spain), equipping them with targeted learning, practical tools, and cross‑sector collaboration skills to enhance knowledge uptake and foster impactful innovation.  

As the CEETNOVA’s Knowledge Valorisation Ambassador Training Programme moves through its various stages across partner universities, the initial reflections from the field highlight a vital truth: valorisation is an evolving, flexible pathway. This article presents insights from three ambassadors, offering a closer look at how the programme is shaping new approaches to valorisation across Europe.

Legitimising the Path: Donatella’s Journey Toward a Shared Culture

For Assoc. Prof. Dr. Donatella Puglisi, a senior researcher at Linköping University (LiU), the role of an ambassador is about legitimising, scaling, and sustaining this culture within the institutional fabric. Having spent 13 years at the Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (IFM), she recognizes that senior faculty must lead this shift. At this career stage, valorisation often means contributing as an expert advisor or a strategic collaborator rather than an entrepreneur.

Donatella is candid about the "mindset shift" required to move beyond a traditional non-profit research context. While universities encourage entrepreneurial activities, researchers often risk navigating this duality without proper training.

"Researchers are trained to work in a nonprofit context, and the idea of commercialisation does not come naturally. When universities encourage parallel entrepreneurial activities, researchers risk navigating this without proper training—which can lead to mistakes."

She views the Ambassador role as a "human interface" that connects the university’s visual identity to the actual values and professional integrity practiced in the labs. She emphasizes that innovation is not a one-size-fits-all concept: "Innovation is shaped by many different approaches, and there is no universal right or wrong way. But having shared principles and a coherent institutional identity helps."

Beyond ethics, Donatella highlights a critical institutional gap: the precariousness of the mid-career stage. She envisions a structured role for Ambassadors that bridges the Innovation Office and academic departments. This would allow the university to retain valuable internal knowledge while providing a stable platform for researchers to act as catalysts for institutional progress.

Exploring the Possibilities: Marta’s Impact Beyond the Paper

While senior researchers build the framework, Marta García Prats, a PhD candidate at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), represents the front line of exploration and discovery. For PhD candidates, the training is a journey to uncover the diverse pathways -policy, societal, and educational - through which their nascent research can touch society.

Working on biochar and waste management, Marta’s research is inherently practical, yet she found that the KV framework gave her existing efforts in science communication a unified purpose. She has come to realize that for research to have a "truthful impact", stakeholders and social actors must be involved from the very beginning.

"For scientific research to have a real and valuable impact on society, it's essential to involve social actors (stakeholders) in every stage of the process."

By mastering competencies like KV platforms, challenge-based learning, and the elevator pitch through her trainings at UAB, she is ensuring her environmental research informs municipal waste strategies. Her interest lies in learning "how to apply KV when creating research projects from the very beginning, to ensure that the results of the research have a truthful impact beyond papers and conferences."

Professionalising the Process: Lina’s Tools for Transformation

While researchers focus on the "what", Dr. Lina Abromaitienė at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) focuses on the "how". Representing the non‑academic staff, her role focuses on supporting, structuring, and helping to strengthen the institution’s valorisation processes.

Lina was already familiar with the theory of valorisation, but the progress of the training sessions suggests the programme has successfully transformed theory into an actionable framework.

"Before the training sessions I came across general principles, but I didn’t have a structured framework or concrete tools how to use valorisation practices systematically in the context of higher education. The training helped me to understand valorisation as an actionable process."

She has found immediate utility in practical tools for stakeholder mapping and narrative building. By professionalising these supports, staff ensure that valorisation isn't just a lucky byproduct of research, but a consistent output of the university. However, Lina is mindful of the cultural hurdle that remains. Many academics still view valorisation as an "add-on" rather than a core responsibility.

"Capacity is a challenge as well. Academic staff are already overloaded with teaching, research and administration activities. Developing these skills while respecting their results should be taken into account."

A Collective Path Forward: Prosperity through Knowledge

Knowledge valorisation is a holistic process, and as the CEETNOVA training progresses, the complementary nature of each ambassador’s contribution becomes increasingly evident. Early-career researchers bring curiosity and openness to explore emerging possibilities, non‑academic staff help build and support the structures that make valorisation practices workable, while senior researchers provide long‑term direction and reinforce the importance of embedding these practices within institutional culture. Together, they show that when different fields and sectors connect, knowledge valorisation becomes a powerful means of turning research into meaningful, sustainable value for society.

Looking Ahead: The Road to May and Beyond

The journey toward a more integrated and sustainable knowledge valorisation culture is steadily gaining momentum. The upcoming months will be pivotal for the ambassador community as the programme enters its next phase of high-impact engagement, beginning with the multiplier event at Linköping University in April 2026 and continuing through a series of digital workshops designed for the entire network.

The first digital workshop will take place from May 5th to 7th, followed by a second session in June (9th –11th), and a final session in early autumn (September 29th - October 1st). While these workshops will be organized according to specific target groups - early-career researchers, senior researchers, and non-academic staff - they will bring together participants from all five partner countries, fostering both role-specific depth and international peer exchange. This structure reflects a core principle of knowledge valorisation: impact is systemic, yet role-sensitive, requiring differentiated competencies within a shared European innovation framework.

European Commission. (2026). EU Valorisation Policy: Making research results work for society. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/research-area/industrial-research-and-innovation/eu-valorisation-policy_en  

Inspiring ERA. (2026). Knowledge Valorisation. https://www.inspiring-era.eu/knowledge-valorisation/