Collaboration in a Competitive Sector

With eight universities and 15,000 students based at Republic, Trilogy has a front-row view of how higher education institutions navigate shared space, civic responsibility and strategic growth. Republic’s universities are co-located alongside businesses, public sector organisations, retailers and charities. This shared campus model offers a unique lens on how collaboration works in practice - and where its limits lie.

As the government calls on universities to play a greater civic and economic role, we’ve seen that collaboration thrives in certain areas: shared events, social impact programmes and employer partnerships. But other domains, such as student recruitment, research funding, and league table performance, remain competitive.

At Trilogy, we don’t view this as a barrier. We support institutions at Republic to collaborate where there’s clear mutual value - such as during our recent Enterprise Showcase - while recognising the commercial realities of the HE sector. Our role is to create the right conditions (shared space, trusted relationships and a culture that enables innovation) without requiring alignment.

This approach supports the government’s HE reform agenda, and shows how thoughtful campus design can help unlock practical, place-based partnerships that deliver lasting value.