Funded by Research England, the bold and engaging Beyond Imagination project will put design research at Lancaster firmly on the global map. It will transform the University’s ImaginationLancaster design team with 30 new roles, significantly expanding its expertise and reach. 

The three-year project will provide fresh perspectives on real world challenges focusing on five key clusters: home and living; communities and the public sector; factory and workplaces; cities and urban; and, population and policy. Four themes cut across these clusters: sustainability, health, international and prosperity. 

Beyond Imagination will identify and address current and emerging global challenges such as Ageing Society, Artificial Intelligence and Data, Clean Growth, Health and Wellbeing.The expansion of ImaginationLancaster will mean that all areas of design, including architectural design, are developed. Therefore feeding into Lancaster’s new school of architecture as well as design.

Expanding Excellence in England (E3) investment will create a critical mass of new researchers, who will be inducted into the culture of research excellence in ImaginationLancaster.