Nikos Adamidis is Head of Policy and Impacts, Road Safety Division at National Highways. In 2025, he took part in the Institute for Policy Research's Policy Fellowship Programme, connecting and engaging with University of Bath academics across disciplines.
What is your role and area of expertise?
"I am currently the Head of Policy and Impacts in the National Highways' Road Safety Division. At National Highways, I provide strategic and policy advice to the Executive team, Board and key stakeholders, such as the Department for Transport, Office of Rail and Road and No. 10.
"I have previously held Non-Executive Director and advisory roles, influencing public policy, helping businesses to improve wellbeing and deliver social value. This has included roles at the What Works Centre for Wellbeing, where I shaped wellbeing policies and evidence, and at Alliance Manchester Business School, working with leaders in the private and public sector to explore how the energy industry can better shape low-carbon policies and legislation."
Which areas of policy do you work on?
"At the moment, I oversee and shape National Highways’ position across the ‘Safe System’ and set the company’s strategic policy direction to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the strategic road network.
"This means balancing ambitious safety policies with real delivery and impact, creating an evidence-based culture of transparency and integrity, transforming the business to deliver more with less, and working across sectors and internationally to deliver safety and value for people and communities across England."
What value has the IPR Policy Fellowship Programme (PFP) brought to you in your professional role?
"I was welcomed by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) as part of its Policy Fellowship Programme (PFP) with the purpose of:
- Setting out what best-practice evidence looks like to understand the mental health and wellbeing impacts of road collisions.
- Understanding the impact of traumatic events on the mental health and wellbeing of people who have either experienced such an event, their carers, family members and close friends.
- Exploring what support can be provided to all of these people and what mechanisms need to be in place to make this a reality.
- Assessing how such road collisions could be avoided in the first place.
"The PFP enabled me to question available evidence, explore ideas, understand what good practice looks like globally and test policy, delivery and operational solutions."
Can you describe your experience of taking part in the PFP?
"In a full-day series of deep dive sessions – incredibly efficiently organised the PFP team and perfectly coordinated on the day by IPR staff – I had the pleasure of discussing with many inspiring academics.
"Following the initial engagement, the PFP team has facilitated further meetings with a wider academic network, enabled me to address both deeper and broader questions, and provided access to the University’s valuable library resources."
How has taking part in the PFP impacted your policy work?
"Following my PFP experience, I immediately started putting some evidence into practice, having discussions with my teams and partners for future improvements and thinking about other questions and issues we need to address going forward."
How did you hear about the PFP?
"I was looking for opportunities to explore some of the areas mentioned above in a very efficient way without creating huge or lengthy projects and came upon the IPR's programme as one of the unique opportunities to do this."
What advice would you give to others – both policymakers and academics?
"Spending a day with experts clearly could not make me an expert but it did open up lots of opportunities to turn evidence into policy and practice. Working closely with brilliant academics turning globally-leading evidence into action is how positive change happens and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to accelerate and amplify the impact of their work."
Would you recommend the IPR PFP to colleagues?
"Absolutely."