| Communications
We continue to focus on clear and timely communications with other academics, industry and the wider public. Telling our stories through the media In 2019, we issued a series of seventeen press releases to academic and scientific media outlets, announcing our latest research developments and events in our national leadership programme of activity.
Image courtesy of Christopher Pledger, The Telegraph.
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We were approached by The Telegraph’s Technology News Editor, Ellie Zolfagharifard in August to provide expert opinion for an article on UK hotspots for technology innovation. ‘Why Southampton has what it takes to lead the UK’s tech revolution’ featured interviews with Professor Sir David Payne, Professor Dave Richardson and Professor Graham Reed on pioneering tech start-ups such as Southampton spinout and Hub collaborator SPI Lasers. The piece, which was published both online and in print, also highlighted the cutting-edge capabilities of the University’s multi-million-pound cleanrooms.
Raising our profile through our internationally renowned research team Hub Co-Investigators have continued to receive recognition for their outstanding contributions to photonics research and industry innovation. Professor Graham Reed won the PIC Individual Contributor Award, voted for by industry peers and influencers at the 2019 Silicon Photonics PIC International Conference in Brussels. Professor Nikolay Zheludev featured in the Clarivate Analytics’ Highly-Cited Researchers. This esteemed accolade recognises researchers whose publications are in the global top 1% of citations, reflecting the significant influence of Professor Zheludev’s career over the past two decades. In October, Nikolay was also recognised by the United States National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for his leadership and technical contributions to optical materials and nanophotonics, becoming only the 43rd UK-based engineer to be named as a member.
Professor Dave Richardson and Professor Zheludev were both elected as Royal Society fellows in 2019. These prestigious accolades recognise individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathematics, engineering science and medical science. Amplifying messages through digital media We sent a regular electronic newsletter to our subscribers throughout the year, keeping them informed of the latest news, events, funding opportunities and expert opinion pieces. The publication’s open and click-through rates continued to be more than double those of manufacturing sector benchmarks for email communications, with average open rates of 42% and click-through rates of more than 12%. The @ PhotonicsHub Twitter account continues to actively engage a growing following as we work to use the channel to share news and participate in the vibrant, diverse online community.
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