Colleagues in the Information Systems and Operations Group at Newcastle University Business School are undertaking research at the intersection of digital innovation, supply chain transformation and sustainability, responding to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Transitioning to NetZero

Professor Savvas Papagiannidis, Dr Davit Marikyan and Dr Dinara Davlembayeva are developing an interactive digital twin platform that supports the adoption of user-centred energy technologies. With support from the ESRC Strategic Fund, the National Edge AI Hub and NGN, the project connects academic research with industry to encourage trust and behaviour change. This work contributes to a more inclusive transition to Net Zero and offers wider implications for how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are assessed and adopted in practice.

Professor Ying Yang, Dr Yan Jiang and Dr Jiayao Hu are exploring sustainable models for electric vehicle battery recycling. Their project focuses on collaborative supply chain practices and digital solutions that support battery reuse and recovery. The team is working with organisations across sectors and geographies, including policy makers, manufacturers and researchers in China and the UK, to promote circular economy practices and advance international knowledge sharing.

Digital innovation

Beyond these initiatives, the group is actively contributing to wider discussions around digital transformation, operations and supply chain management. For instance, the group is organising special issues in journals such as Operations Management Research and Technovation. Dr Haiyan Lu is also involved in co-organising the LRN China 2025 conference, where group members will be contributing to the conversation on sustainability and digital futures.

In April, the Business School hosted UKAIS2025: Shaping the Future of Academia: The Impact of AI on Teaching, Research, and Scholarship conference. The conference was chaired by Professor Savvas Papagiannidis alongside colleagues from Northumbria University and University of Sheffield.

The conference featured several sessions covering topics from AI technologies to sustainability, the importance of academic work having practical impact and ethical implications of AI.

Latest research

Find out more about the group’s latest research:

• Jiaqi Luo, Ying Yang and Yan Jiang: 'Assessing the Antecedents, Processes, and Consequences of Sustainable Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling' 
• Dr Haiyan Lu, Professor Savvas Papagiannidis, Professor Ying Yang, and co-authors: 'Digital Transformation in Operations and Supply Chain Management: A Socio-technical Perspective for Enhancing Societal Impacts'
• Professor Savvas Papagiannidis , Dr Davit Marikyan, Dr Dinara Davlembayeva and other guest editors for the special issue: 'Socially Responsible AI Ecosystems: Exploring the Design, Applications, and Implications of AI Innovation'
• He Zhu, Jiayao Hu and Ying Yan’s publication: 'Towards a circular supply chain for retired electric vehicle batteries' 

 

You can also learn more about our colleague achievements on our social channels or through our regular updates on the news section of our website.