I am an Associate Professor of Innovation, Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Edinburgh Business School. I am also a Visiting Research Fellow at Cambridge Judge Business School ([email protected]). I have a strong international academic background across continents, with my PhD completed in Innovation Management and Strategy at Copenhagen Business School (CBS-INO Department of Innovation and Organisational Economics) and Stanford University (under Tuborg Prize). I obtained my MSc and MBA education at Ohio State University (Fisher College of Business) and Asian Institute of Technology. I also previously held academic position at Copenhagen Business School (INT) and was a visiting professor at FPT University- Business School- Vietnam (2016-2019). 

My research is within the areas of Innovation, Strategy and International Entrepreneurship (IE-IB). I look at Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Strategic Management perspective. (1) My innovation research focuses on how firms organise for innovation, including innovation capability development; transitional business model innovation for decarbonisation, green energy sectors, for transformational digitalisation, for embracing AI enabled Technology and commercialisation of University generated technology. (2) My entrepreneurship research focuses on knowledge repatriation and recontextualisation capability of mobile entrepreneurs including returnee entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, international entrepreneurs and in emerging market context. 

My theoretical areas:  Dynamic capability, organisational economics, theories of firms,  knowledge transfer and recontextualisation, organisational learning, ambidexterity, innovation intermediaries, head-quarter and subsidiary knowledge management, commercialisation of University technology, design driven vs user-driven innovation, collaborative innovation,  international entrepreneurship,  entrepreneurial mobility, digital internationalisation process, emerging markets.

Methodologies: I am doing both qualitative and quantitative methods. My particular strength is theory building via process study and variance study (multiple case study). I was trained by Prof. Kathy Eisenhardt while doing PhD at Stanford (2007-2009) on theory building with multiple case study. I am currently working with my PhD students on designing simulated transitional business model using System Dynamics. 

My research output is world-class award winning (AOM) -  Best Paper Award of the Organisational Development and Change Division (ODC) of the Academy of Management, and a nomination for the William H. Newman award at the Academy of Management Conference, USA, Chicago. My PhD on "Organizing Innovation in Turbulent Markets: Four papers on How Firms Create and Appropriate Innovation Value" was selected as the finalist for the BPS Outstanding Dissertation Award by the Business Policy and Strategy Division, one of the most competitive divisions of the Academy of Management Conference, Montreal, 2010. I am also an active member of the Academy of Management (AoM) with BPS, TIM and ODC divisions (USA) and AIB (Academy of International Business)

My work has been published in well regarded journals in Innovation and International Business (IB) (from ABS 3*) such as R&D Management, Industry and Innovation, Management Organisational Review (MOR), Management International Review (MIR), Long Range Planning (LRP), Thunderbird International Business Review, International Business Review (IBR),  Industry Marketing Management (IMM) and the Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings (USA) (representing less than 10% of best accepted papers for presentation).

Research Grant and Knowledge Exchange

Business Model Innovation, Sustainablity and Technology Commercialisation

2025: Develop tailored Cold Chain business model for SPOKE (the specialised outreach and knowledge establishment), using Rwanda as a template £ 157K (with Birmingham University, Heriot Watt University with Melissa Marques-McEwan, Florian Scheuring, Toby Peters, Edward Sweeney)- RFP Number3100006239, United Nation Funding. 

2024 Co-I: TransIT (Decarbonisation of Transport System using Digital Twin technology- (total grant £46mil, including industrial partners), I am Co-I for WP5  for  Digital Twin for Business Model Innovation and Policy Implication. I am developing with colleagues Transitional Business Model for Decorbonisation to optimise resources, synergise capabilities for efficiency while incorporating economic viablity, environment compliance and social responsiveness  

2024 PI:  Commercialisation of University generated Technology via Spinouts in Medical Devices: a Comparative Study of Developed (UK) and Emerging markets (China/Vietnam) - IRG  Heriot Watt Seed Funding (£2500) 

2008: Design-driven, Stytistic Innovation in Creative Industry "Fashion in Danish Experience Economy: Challenges for Growth – In “Culture, Competence and Competitiveness” project to promote creative industries in Denmark. 

International Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Knowledge Repatriation, Knowledge Mobility and Recontexualisation in high tech sectors in emerging markets

2017: Knowledge repatriation and recontextualisatoin via entrepreneurial mobility: the study of returnee, former MNCs employee and local entrepreneurs in Vietnam. IRG (internal Research Fund ) (£2500) (with Loughborough University additional research fund). The research explores the impact of international forces in promoting entrepreneurship in emerging economies through knowledge spillover in entrepreneurship mobility. 

The sub-projects are conducted by a group of researchers and PhD students from Heriot Watt University, University of Birmingham, Auckland Business School, VNUK Danang University in collaboration with WISE-Mekong Business Initiative (MBI), SIHUB (Saigon Innovation Hub), Danang Incubator, Circo Working Space, and VN-UK Research Institute for both quantitative and qualitative data collection. 

Impact Case: Enhancing competitive positions of startups in Vietnam: a comparative study between returnee entrepreneurs and local entrepreneurs.”  This is a survey-based study on 250 entrepreneurs who are either returnees from abroad or local entrepreneurs to identify their co-competition in building the entrepreneurial and innovation eco-system of the country. The white report was disseminated among industry partners (SIHUB)

Knowledge Exchange and University Governance

2017: PI -  “Erasmus+ 2017 Key Action 107, Student and staff mobility between Programme and Partner Countries”- £128K Erasmus. The project has facilitated the research and study exchange between Heriot Watt University and Danang Economic University (20 staff has been exchanged to deliver research seminars, teaching and different research collaboration has been initiated)

2017: “Laying the right building blocks to achieve the effectiveness and sustainability of university governance”  – Danang Economic University - £30K from British Council.

Completed PhD/DBA students

1.Anh Truong (2015-2020) Unpacking the Process of Overseas Knowledge Recontextualisation in Returnee Entrepreneurship - A Learning Perspective: A study of returnee entrepreneurs in Vietnam – Finalist and Won the runner up for Adam Smith Best Dissertation Award - AIB I UK chapter conference 2021.

2. Nhan Nguyen (2019-2023) The impact of engaging in international activities on the innovation performance of SMEs and start-ups in emerging markets – Finalist for Palvo Dimitratos Best Dissertation Award - AIB I UK chapter conference 2024 (previously Adam Smith). Passed with no correction.

3. Mark Ogilvie Parker (2019-2022). CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT, PATH DEPENDENCY AND DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES: An Interdependent Co-evolution: The longitudinal case of the Steel industry.

4. Silvia Sanders (2020-2024). Addressing the paradoxical tension of servitization offerings: The value-based pricing approach – Won 2 awards: Best Dissertation Paper – Evolving Research Group - Servitization Spring Conference 2023 Helsinki, Best Paper Award-  Servitization Spring Conference 2024, Amsterdam

5. Sandeep Kumar (2021-2025). Towards an Integrated Digital Transformation
Framework for Industry 5.0: Enablers, Barriers, and the Ambidexterity Solution

6. Davindran Harikirishanan (2020-2024). An Impetus to Strengthen Industry-Driven Partnerships between Industries and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Institutions in Malaysia and the Moderating Effect of Heutagogy.

Current PhD/DBA students

1. Zahra Ghorbani. (Jan 2024--). Sustainable Business Model Innovation: Addressing the Triple Bottom Line Paradox - The Dynamic Capability and Stakeholder Perspectives

2. Hung Dang. (Nov 2024---). Sustaining Frugal Innovation: the Dynamic Capability Perspective

3. Gavin Leonard (2022--). University Industry - Technology commercialisation of Medical Devices: The role of TTO as Innovation Intermediary

4. Imdad Huma (2024--). Towards an Efficient University Ecosystem: a Strategic Analysis of Incubators and Accelerators.

5. Felix Kagura (2024--). Investigating the Interaction of Strategy, Innovation and Technology in a developing country context using Standard Bank Group as a case study

6. Bo Dahl (2025--). Innovation Leadership in a Government Organization – A Case Study on the Innovative Organizational Culture of the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr)

7. Ngoc Nguyen (Aug 2022--) International entrepreneurial mobility in the emerging markets: The role of embeddedness on innovation capability development and performance.

8. Imran Huma (2021--). CYBERSECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT IN OIL AND GAS PROJECTS: A SOCIOTECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN FACTOR.

Teaching

• Innovation Management (Executive Education)
• Strategic Innovation Management (PG) 
• International Entrepreneurship (4th year-Honour Year)
• Strategic Change (PG)
• Research Methodology (PhD seminars)

University Collaboration

With my unique network and expertise, I have facilitated the University education collaboration between UK- Vietnam via articulation programs and exchange programs, to support the University's Internationalisation. 

Affliation and External Roles

I am the Vice Chair of Vietnamese Intellectual Society in the UK and Ireland (VIS)

I am the Chair of Vietnam Network Scotland 

Industry Collaboration

I have actively consulted start-ups and MNCs in the area of change management (post-integration, resistance management, cultural integration), knowledge management, venture creation, internationalisation process, and e-internationalisation strategy.