Summary of the impact

According to the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), co-ops provide 100 million jobs globally, and there are 6000 in the UK with an annual turnover of £37 bn. Research into what constituted the distinctive features of co-operative management practice within membership based co-operative and mutual businesses helped to establish a changed development agenda for the international co-operative movements. This work supported the International Co-operative Alliance Statement of Co-operative identity and demonstrated that co-operatives should be recognised as different from other forms of small business. Dr Peter Davis's work in the Unit for Membership Based Organisations at Leicester's School of Management led to policy and educational initiatives that have been globally adopted, cited and emulated.

Summary of the impact

The work of Birchall and Simmons on the potential of co-operatives, and their comparative advantage when compared to other organisational types, has had a strong impact on the attitudes and policies of all the major international agencies concerned with poverty reduction in low-income countries. It has helped shape new programmes of work in promoting and strengthening co- operative businesses worldwide. It led directly to the UN's declaration of 2012 as the International Year of Co-operatives. The Year was regarded as an outstanding success, with almost all the member countries contributing programmes of events and reviewing and developing policies towards co-operatives.

Summary of the impact

Molly Scott Cato's ongoing research in the field of Sustainability Transitions has had an international influence on reframing global debates on green policy in three interlinked areas. First, she has made a major contribution to conceptualising the 'green economy' in work that can be demonstrated to have global reach through gathering formal evidence or informing policy advice. Secondly, Cato's work on relocalising and reclaiming ownership of provisioning systems — conceptualised as the 'bioregional economy'— emphasises land as the key economic resource. These insights have led to policy changes in the UK and in Wales specifically. Thirdly, Cato's work in the field of co-operative studies has influenced economic development policy in Wales. Through this work Cato is influencing public discourse on a broad scale.

Summary of the impact

Historical research by UCLan staff has underpinned significant re-developments at the People's History Museum (PHM) and Co-operative College (CC), which have enhanced their out-reach across the region and beyond.

• The academic strength of proposals from the PHM and CC, derived from their connection with UCLan, was a key factor in their securing c.£15m worth of support for capital redevelopments.
• Historical research has been interpreted into new galleries on the history of democracy and the co-operative movement.
• Historical research has been translated into public lectures and conferences, and into workshops for co-operators, curators, archivists and librarians.