Research that starts from a different place
Because we believe that great ideas can come from anywhere, our diverse research community brings a wealth of perspectives to tackling the biggest real-world challenges.
With impact in our DNA, we pioneer new ways of working across disciplines and sectors, creating agile, mission-driven innovation spaces for collaboration between our researchers and other experts. Partnership and knowledge exchange are embedded in our research process, with dedicated teams working alongside our researchers across commercial innovation, licensing, technology transfer, public engagement and many other specialisms.
Our approach means that Queen Mary is an extremely efficient place to turn research into positive impact: for every £1 spent here we generate £7 in the economy.
Deeply rooted in the UK’s most diverse communities, our research capacity is uniquely adapted to tackling the problems of tomorrow. From AI for climate resilience to personalised health to next-generation technology workforce training, we are bringing transformative change from Whitechapel to the world.
- Research and innovation excellence by numbers
- University Research Institutes
- A cluster of innovation in Whitechapel
Research and innovation excellence by numbers
- 31st in the world for quality of research (THE World Rankings 2026).
- In the 2025 Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF5) results, we maintained the highest possible score for the categories 'IP and commercialisation, 'research partnerships' and 'public and community engagement'.
- 92 per cent of research assessed as internationally excellent or world-leading (REF2021) .
- 42 per cent increase in research income between 2019-2024, one of the largest increases of any UK research-intensive university (HESA data).
- Queen Mary spinout companies raised £36m in investment in 2023/24 and have raised over £115m since 2019/20. We committed £1.1m of investment into six spinouts in 2023/24.
- We have around 30 active spinouts and create four new spinouts each year.
- 400 IP agreements returning over £20m.
University Research Institutes
Our University Research Institutes are agile, impact-driven research and innovation spaces where experts of all kinds have the freedom to reimagine what is possible.
- The Digital Environment Research Institute brings together world-leading researchers to drive new multi-disciplinary data science research and create innovative applications using digital technologies.
- Precision Health University Research Institute unites multi-disciplinary research to drive personalised healthcare from East London, addressing unmet health needs and improving the lives of our local communities and across the world.
Find out about our Research Highways – our impact themes that describe how we’re working across boundaries to respond to the world’s most urgent challenges.
A cluster of innovation in Whitechapel
- Queen Mary’s agreement with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to acquire significant land in Whitechapel adjacent to its existing campus paves the way for the development of significant life sciences capacity in East London.
- This acquisition and subsequent development will drive economic growth, attract inward investment to the local area and help drive better health outcomes for local people and for communities across the globe.
Page last updated on 22/10/25.
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