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An atomistic modelling program developed at Exeter University has been used to make a significant, recognised contribution to the strong business performance of the De Beers Group, the world's leading diamond company. It gave De Beers the confidence to fund the successful development of new methods to identify synthetic and treated diamonds, which the company says has minimised the impact of fraudulent behaviour on consumer confidence, supported jobs in the global diamond trade, contributed to sales of $7.4bn in one year alone and was a factor in its decision to invest £20m in new research facilities in the UK.
The social enterprise Mapping for Change (MfC) was established to make use of participatory mapping knowledge and software created through research at UCL. Since 2009, MfC has secured more than 20 contracts worth in excess of £435,000, and has delivered over 30 projects in many communities, directly engaging more than 5,000 people and reaching far more online and indirectly. Its projects have increased community engagement in the local environment, led to new environmental monitoring by local authorities and stimulated policy debate about noise and air pollution.
Members of the Work, Interaction and Technology (WIT) Research Centre, King's College London have had a significant impact on the ways in which a number of global corporations and other major organisations design, deploy and evaluate advanced systems. They have developed innovative video research methods that have provided critical resources for organisations, including Hitachi, Xerox, BT, Microsoft, and London Underground, to undertake fine-grained analysis of work, communication and technology in complex organisational environments. Their methods and approach have formed the foundation to a range of more applied `interventions' in areas that include health care, transport, education, markets and the cultural industries.
The research underpinning this case study focuses on understanding the nature of school-based bullying and the effectiveness of systems to address it. Through practitioner-orientated books, training schemes and websites, this research has been widely used in a range of government and NGO publications and resources. In addition, through the research focus on bullying as a systemic problem and understanding how peer support schemes can combat it, Cowie has contributed to bringing about change in the way schools in the UK deal with bullying. This is evidenced by the widespread use of peer mentoring, peer mediation and advocacy schemes, which can be seen on school websites and in government reports.