Loughborough University London delivers the first-ever ‘Collaborate Sprint’
Loughborough University London was alive with innovation for the first-ever Collaborate Sprint delivered in partnership with Europe’s largest health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett.
Held at the end of June, Collaborate Sprint was an opportunity for Loughborough undergraduates to experience the Loughborough University London student experience. Academic staff from across the seven Institutes worked with members of the Future Space team to deliver a condensed version of the Collaborative Project.
Students were tasked with the challenge of looking at ways to improve global health through the utilisation of Holland & Barrett supply chains. They were given two days to build a team, research the challenge and come up with sustainable solutions.
Professor Tony Edwards, Dean of Loughborough University London said: “Bringing an international, interdisciplinary and innovative lens onto the world’s challenges is a real mainstay of the Loughborough University London experience. There was a great buzz during the workshops and it was wonderful to see how students studying in the East Midlands can benefit from the opportunities in London. Thanks must go to Holland & Barrett, colleagues involved and the Future Space team for making this all possible.”
Fiona Sweny, Holland and Barrett’s Journeys Science Lead commented: “Being part of Loughborough University London’s Collaborative Sprint was a real opportunity for us at Holland & Barrett. It gave us the chance to meet talented students and gain new ideas about the challenges we face. Having an impact on global health requires diversity of thought and thinking - Collaborate Sprint really gave us that. It was amazing to see what the student teams came up with in such a short amount of time.”
Students took part in fun and interactive sessions that gave them skills in ideation, design thinking, analysis and pitching and presenting. They networked with staff from across the London campus, Holland & Barrett staff, and each other. They were also able to tour the local area, including Europe’s largest Innovation Centre (Plexal), as well as the BT Sports studios and the creative art scene in Hackney Wick.
Learning Partnerships Manager, Ashley Gray, added: “Interdisciplinary collaboration is at the heart of the Loughborough University London experience. It was great to share the way our teams work with companies and students to create new solutions to real-world problems.”
Collaborate Sprint will return in early 2023. If you are interested in signing up, please e-mail futurespace@lboro.ac.uk.
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.
Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.
The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.