For What's Next
Strategy 2026–2031
Welcome to the University of Plymouth
At Plymouth, we have always believed the best way to understand and shape our world is to engage with it. Not from a distance, but directly. In the communities we serve, with the industries we support, and within the environments we see to understand and protect.
For What's Next is the strategy that will guide our work through to 2031. We have responded to a radically different – and continually changing – context with new thinking that will translate into tangible, positive impacts.
And it all starts here, with Plymouth as the springboard for us as a civic University with global reach. Our ambition is to use the power of place to create progress in the city, our region and around the world.
Introducing our strategy
The University of Plymouth's continuing mission is
Advancing knowledge and transforming lives.
And that informs our vision that
Together we shape extraordinary futures, creating knowledge, innovation and opportunity in Plymouth, our region and around the world.
Of the 18 words that make up our new vision, the most important is the first: together, because we know we cannot do this alone. For What’s Next captures our steadfast belief that better is always within reach; it embodies the confidence and energy of a new direction that’s at the heart of everything we do.
David Noyes, Chair of the University's Board of Governors, with Professor Richard Davies, Vice-Chancellor and CEO
The core strands of our strategy
Education and Student Experience
Plymouth will turn knowledge into action, develop ambitious, globally minded learners, and open more flexible routes into higher education, preparing our people to shape change, rather than simply respond to it.
People
People are at the heart of our success. Purposeful leadership will set our direction. Greater collaboration will turn ambition into action. And a culture grounded in inclusion, innovation and excellence will give everyone the confidence, support and opportunity to perform at their best – moving our university community forward together as one team.
Research and Innovation
We will build strategic partnerships and powerful networks that extend the reach of our research, amplify our strengths, and turn Plymouth's expertise into influence on the regional, national and global stage.
How we work together
These ways of working define the behaviours and culture that will help everyone at the University turn ambitions into actions, and successfully deliver our strategy.
- We care deeply and value the passion and purpose our people bring to making a difference.
- We work together with collegiality and connection at the heart of everything we do.
- We strive for excellence and are ambitious for ourselves, our university, and our partnerships, always seeking to improve and innovate.
- We act with integrity, building trust through our actions and by taking ownership and accountability for our contributions. We know that leadership is a shared endeavour and that the future is in our hands.
- We celebrate our communities and foster a culture of belonging for all because we know that diversity of thought and experience is the foundation for shaping extraordinary futures.
- We think sustainably by making choices that support success for our people, our institution and our planet.
We're here for what's next
But how will we know when our Strategy has been successful?
By 2031 we will be
- Supporting a diverse community of students in Plymouth, across the region and around the world.
- Well-known and respected for the range of our higher learning opportunities, working seamlessly with our school and college partners to support our learners' career ambitions and develop the workforce our local economy requires.
- Successful in achieving recognition for outstanding performance across key assessment measures used to evaluate higher education institutions in the UK – notably the Teaching and Research Excellence Frameworks (TEF and REF) plus the Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).
- Renowned internationally for a research portfolio focused on global excellence in the domains of Marine, Healthy Communities and Resilient Societies.
In addition, the University will play a key role in Plymouth's economic growth, such as by ensuring that the benefits of defence investment are felt by the whole community, including the health sector and creative industries.
Alongside this, we will be living within our means thanks to the imaginative and financially astute use of available resources. And we will have become a more confident and capable community that matches collegiality and inclusion with the high expectations we set for ourselves.
Our university's success will be felt in the lives of our students and the strength of our staff community. And you will see it in the prosperity of our city and region, together with our contributions to effecting changes, meeting challenges, and finding solutions that reach far beyond them.
And we will still be here for what's next.
