Showcasing success: HELIX publishes first Impact Report
Introducing the very first HELIX Impact Report, reflecting two and a half years of activity and achievements across the University's innovation hub.
Since its launch in 2023, HELIX has rapidly evolved into a vibrant community shaped by its users, with practitioners and innovators leading events and experiments. Built on trust, HELIX empowers users to shape the space – prioritising learning through curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration, challenging norms and lowering participation barriers.
The vision for HELIX was planted several years ago, and it is an absolute joy to see it now flourishing into a dynamic community – bringing together staff, students and the broader Leeds network. At its heart, HELIX is a result of interconnected people, ideas and disciplines, joined together to create something truly dynamic. It is a space to explore the art of the possible; to get comfortable in the discomfort zone and be stretched, challenged, and inspired.
Dr Margaret Korosec, Director of Digital Education and Learning Innovation
Read the HELIX Impact Report
The report draws on case studies, pulse surveys, event feedback, and booking data. It offers a glimpse into how people have benefited from HELIX’s resources and relationships, reflecting achievements and future potential.
Highlights include:
- 4,832 users registered to access HELIX facilities across 2023/24 and 2024/25.
- Hosted 535 inductions, tours and workshop events of its own, engaging over 3,358 participants.
- 87% agreed HELIX offers an inclusive atmosphere meeting diverse needs (May 2024-June 2025).
- 72% reported forming new connections they would not otherwise have made (May 2024-June 2025).
- Working with student societies such as the LUU Rocketry Association, Gryphon Arrows, and Leeds Extended Reality Society, and Leeds University Union, HELIX has sustained extra-curricular innovation for over 200 students.
- 2,391 events hosted in XR Classroom including workshops, design sessions, and demonstrations, and supported 957 taught sessions.
- 29 modules have been delivered wholly or in part within HELIX, reaching approximately 1,401 students.
It is a place where all university life comes together. For us bringing staff into a space where students will be around in a more creative way helps them have a different perspective. It is a great opportunity for staff to be away from their hot desks doing their day to day - I find it empowering as the space alone resets the mindset of staff away from the stresses of often busy work lives.
HELIX user
Looking ahead
HELIX continues to expand as a hub for experimentation, collaboration, and inclusive innovation, aligned with Curriculum Redefined, Student Education and Experience and our civic ambitions. The space increasingly supports exploration of creative and technological approaches to teaching and learning, with a growing focus on experiential learning, authentic assessment, and helping students develop transferable skills through hands-on activity.
During the 2026/27 academic year, HELIX will contribute to the delivery of SOUL (Structured, Open, Unbounded, Learner-led) modules and continue supporting approaches such as podcasting, digital storytelling, Extended Reality (XR), and prototyping within taught provision across multiple disciplines.
By deepening local partnerships, supporting community projects, and encouraging student entrepreneurship, HELIX aims to widen access to creativity, skills development, and new opportunities across the University and beyond.
For more information on the Impact Report or how HELIX can support you, contact Kerr Hunter [email protected]