Collaborators and partners
At the Thomas Ashton Institute for Risk and Regulatory Research, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do.
Our success is built on strong partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including government bodies, industry leaders, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies. By working together, we harness a wealth of expertise and resources to address complex challenges in regulatory science and occupational health and safety.
Our collaborators and partners play a crucial role in our mission to drive transformational change. Through joint research projects, knowledge exchange, and co-production of innovative solutions, we ensure that our work is grounded in real-world needs and delivers tangible benefits.
We are proud to work with some of the most respected organisations in the field, and we continually seek to expand our network to include new voices and perspectives. Together, we are making a significant impact on policy making and contributing to a safer, healthier society.
Both partners have strong ties to UK and global governments that have already seen two projects delivered and more being proposed.
The Thomas Ashton Institute has successfully delivered its first two projects to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), based in both the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury of UK Government. These projects focussed on:
- Behavioural Change within Transformational Projects
- ICT Legacy within Transformational Projects
Working with various government departments, each team interviewed civil servants at a variety of levels and conducted a desk based review of published literature and internal government reviews. The resulting presentations, papers and toolkits were delivered to the Chief Executive of the IPA during June 2017.
Project X is an ESRC funded research collaboration between government, academia and industry representatives. Led by Thomas Ashton Institute theme lead Dr Richard Kirkham, and others, its aim is to generate unique insights into the performance of major projects and programmes in Government, insights that can be used to drive continuous improvement in performance and delivery confidence.
The Association for Project Management (APM) and Project X have published a new report, which explores the current global landscape of project studies research and makes recommendations for future scholarship and practice in the field. The report is sponsored by the APM and authored by colleagues at The University of Bath, The University of Hull and University of Manchester.
- Read the report online: Project and programme research centres: Lessons for scholarship, policy and practice
Lloyd's Register Foundation is an independent global charity that supports research, innovation, and education to make the world a safer place.
The Thomas Ashton Institute was a leading contributor to the Discovery Safety Programme which aims to substantially improve health and safety and ultimately save lives, particularly in poorer or developing nations.
Researchers worked with industry, trade groups, international networks, governments, academia and other stakeholders to identify health and safety challenges and opportunities where deeper insights from data could make a significant impact. Important questions emerging from this work include 'How can we learn more about the root causes of product safety failures?' and 'What are the causes and circumstances leading to loss of containment accidents in high hazard industrial sites?'
These and other questions were explored in a multi-disciplinary effort to develop new techniques to aggregate and analyse health and safety data from sources around the world.
The work increased understanding around how to access and use the data available and apply leading expertise in data science, data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Much of the work was underpinned by advances in areas such as text mining and language processing, which are expected to have important spin-off benefits.
The opportunity presented by this work and its ability to make a difference in real world environments is the reason the Institute exists.
- Discover more about the Discovery Safety Programme
The Thomas Ashton Institute is dedicated to advancing safety and regulatory research through strategic partnerships with key stakeholders. One of our significant collaborations is with the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the UK's independent nuclear regulator. This partnership aims to enhance the safety culture within the nuclear industry, ensuring that nuclear operations are conducted with the highest standards of safety and security.
In collaboration with the ONR, the Thomas Ashton Institute has developed a comprehensive safety culture model tailored specifically for the UK's nuclear industry. This model allows nuclear dutyholders to evaluate their safety practices, compare their performance with industry benchmarks, and adopt best practices. By fostering a robust safety culture, the Thomas Ashton Institute and the ONR are working together to mitigate risks and enhance the resilience of nuclear operations.
The Thomas Ashton Institute continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing risk and regulatory research. By leveraging its expertise and working closely with key stakeholders like the ONR, the Institute is driving positive change and ensuring a safer future for the nuclear industry.
- Discover more about our work with ONR: AMBS completes major study of nuclear industry regulator