Centre for Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Enterprise

Staff Profile

Dr Neil Alderman

Senior Lecturer

Background

Background

My background is as a geographer.

I spent 19 years as a contract researcher in the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies, before joining the Business School as senior lecturer.

Roles and Responsibilities

Chair of Board of Examiners (Pre-experience PG programmes) 2005-2024 

Qualifications

BSc (in social sciences) in Geography, University of Bristol.

Ph.D, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Memberships

Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers)

Languages

Tourist's French

Informal Interests

Bird watching

Practical conservation

Running

Google scholar: Click here.

Teaching

Undergraduate Teaching

BUS2017 Introduction to innovation and technology management (ML)
BUS3027 Innovation and creativity (ML)
(ML) = module leader


Postgraduate Teaching

NBS8032/8132 Managing complex projects (MBA) (not currently taught)
NBS8213 Managing Design and Product Development (ML) (not currently taught)

NBS8035 Understanding and Managing Creativity (not currently taught)

Research

Research Interests

Innovation and technology management.

Creativity and design.

Product development in engineering, with particular reference to engineer-to-order companies.

Innovation in large-scale projects.

Management of complex projects.

Other Expertise

Industrial survey design, implementation and analysis.

Technology diffusion.

Project management.

Experience of a wide range of research methodologies.

Current Work

Co-investigator on UKRI/ESRC Agile Covid response funded project: ‘Influencing policy and practice through examining UK small business understanding of and response to COVID-19 regulation and guidance’. March 2021 - March 2022.

Project now in the dissemination phase with the preparation of academic articles.

Currently writing and publishing material on innovation and complexity in major projects, based on the findings of previous research into long-term complex engineering projects.

Postgraduate Supervision

Amongst others, I have supervised two ESRC Case students in the areas of R&D in small firms and Supply Chain Management in the offshore industry who have both been awarded their Ph.ds.

I have acted as internal examiner of several Ph.D theses.

Esteem Indicators

Founder member and treasurer of the Innovation Special Interest Group of the British Academy of Management

Member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the Masters in Territorial Marketing, Universita Cattolica, Piacenza, Italy.

Visiting Fellow - ESRC Business Process Resource Centre 1996-2000.

Consultant to European Commission DGXIII SPRINT/EIMS.

Member of editorial board of International Journal of Project Organisation and Management

Funding

I have been principal investigator on Research Council projects to the value of £272,000 and co-investigator on Research Council projects to the value of £152,000 (both ESRC and EPSRC).

I have also led projects for the European Commission and Eurostat.

Industrial Relevance

Collaborative research with ALSTOM Transport Ltd, Northumbrian Water Ltd and Clarke Chapman Ltd on long-term projects, including supply chain workshops.

Consultancy research for Sage plc on the manufacturing sector.

My research on the engineering design process and complex project supply chains has also contributed to training workshops and focus group activities aimed at local companies.

Publications