Entrepreneurship & Innovation

The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group is a world class entrepreneurship group at the heart of a world class business school. We believe in the power of entrepreneurship to change the world for the better. We are recognized for our outstanding research that spans disciplinary boundaries and is published in top journals. We employ exceptional faculty that challenge convention. We embrace diversity, pluralism and different perspectives.

Our vision is to be Europe’s leading Entrepreneurship and Innovation department.

Our vision is guided by our four-fold mission:

1. To conduct world-class multidisciplinary research in entrepreneurship, innovation and health.
2. To provide a superlative educational experience that is research-led, practical and pedagogically innovative.
3. To influence practice and policy making for the benefit of society.
4. To influence our students’ current and future engagement in entrepreneurial activities.

Current areas of research in the group include:

• The cognition and decision making of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial teams
• Individual and team creativity
• Characteristics of entrepreneurs
• Healthcare leadership and management
• Public policy as it relates to entrepreneurship and innovation
• Entrepreneurial finance
• Health innovation
• SME growth and performance
• Biology of entrepreneurship
• Big data, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship

Our culture is underpinned by the following values:

• We are committed to producing ground-breaking research that pushes the boundaries of the field. We celebrate and reward academic achievements.
• We maintain an environment that is respectful and promotes diversity, inclusivity and mutual respect, and we encourage a healthy work-life balance.
• We encourage blue-sky research and support risky and innovative ideas that have the potential to generate paradigmatic changes in the field.
• We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience that is research-led and pedagogically innovative.

The group is home to the Enterprise Research Centre (ERC), the UK’s leading centre of excellence for research into the growth, innovation and productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The ERC’s research helps shape better policies and practices that enable SMEs to thrive.

If you are interested in our work, please contact Professor Nicos Nicolaou (Head of Group) or Miranda Darko (Group Administrator) via ei@wbs.ac.uk.