Reader in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Finance, University of St Andrews
My main thematic areas of research are entrepreneurship, innovation and public policy. My career has included periods in industry, consultancy and over a decade in public policy. During this time I have undertaken and managed a number of major research projects for the Economic and Social Research Council, the Scottish Government, the Anglo-German Foundation, the OECD and the Institute for Chartered Accountants Scotland. I have also acted as an expert adviser to the European Commission, Scottish Enterprise, Action Canada and the LEED programme within the OECD. My current research has been examining high growth entrepreneurship, funding for growth-oriented SMEs, innovation policy, employee ownership, the economic impact of Brexit on SMEs and public policy to support entrepreneurship. This has resulted in an extensive range of publications in journals such as Journal of Economic Geography, Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy & Society, Regional Studies, Small Business Economics and International Small Business Journal.
Scottish National Investment Bank looks hardwired for failure – here's why
Feb 16, 2020 09:00 am UTC| Insights & Views Economy
Scotland is a step closer to launching the UKs first national investment bank after the Scottish parliament passed plans to create this new source of funding for Scottish businesses. The bank, due to open in late 2020, is...
More than a million UK small businesses see Brexit as major obstacle to success
Apr 01, 2019 17:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Business
When it comes to how Brexit will affect business, much of the debate in the UK has focused on large firms, particularly international ones such as Honda and Nissan. The CBI, which mainly represents big business, has been...
There’s an extra $1 billion on the table for NT schools. This could change lives if spent well