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Profile

Professor Savvas Papagiannidis

Professor of Information Systems, Digital Innovation & Transformation / Head of Information Systems & Operations

Background

Qualifications

  • Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) in E-business
  • PhD Theoretical Physics
  • MEd Practitioner Enquiry
  • MA International Studies
  • PG Certificate In Academic Practice
  • BSc Hons Theoretical Physics

Memberships

  • Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA)
  • Fellow of the British Academy of Management 
  • Fellow of the UK Academy of Information Systems (UKAIS)
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member of Institute of Physics (MInstP)

Current Roles

  • Head of Information Systems and Operations Subject Group

Past external roles

  • President of the UK Academy for Information Systems
  • Co-Vice Chair on the Executive responsible for SIGs, Tracks and Networks, British Academy of Management
  • Elected Council Member, British Academy of Management
  • Chair Ebusiness & Egovernment SIG & Track, British Academy of Management

Past internal roles

  • Head of the Marketing, Operations and Systems Subject Group
  • Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Ebusiness Group
  • Research Group Leader for Innovation Systems
  • Degree Programme Director of MSc Ebusiness (Emarketing and IS)
  • Member of the Alumni Consultative Group and vice-chairman of the NE NUBS Alumni Branch


Research

My research interests mainly revolve around electronic business and its various sub-domains and how digital technologies can transform organisations and societies alike. More specifically, my research aims to inform our understanding of how e-business technologies affect the social and business environment, organisational strategies and business models, and how these are implemented in terms of functional innovations (especially in emarketing and ecommerce). My work puts strong emphasis on innovation, new value creation and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities, within the context of different industries. Apart from the impact that the Internet and related technologies can have on businesses, I am also very much interested in the impact such technologies can have on individual users. 

I am an Associate Editor for Technological Forecasting and Social Change and one of the founding editors of the International Journal of Business Science & Applied Management. I have also been a an AE for International Journal of Information Management.

Research Interests

  • E-business / E-commerce
  • E-marketing / E-retailing
  • E-learning / Higher Education
  • Social/New media & Virtual Worlds
  • Information Systems Management & HCI
  • Adoption, Acceptance and Diffusion of Technologies
  • Digital innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Digital transformation



Research Impact


My work has had a significant impact across various domains, as evidenced by its citation in numerous policy documents from countries such as the USA, UK, Estonia, Germany, Canada, Spain, Turkey, and various intergovernmental organisations (IGOs). These citations span a range of sources, including think tanks, government reports, and IGO publications. Notable organisations that have cited my work include the Balti Uuringute Instituut, the British Academy, the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, Ithaka S+R, the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service, the OECD, the Publications Office of the European Union, the UK Parliament Select Committee Publications, and UNESCO. The themes discussed in these policy documents cover a wide range of topics. They include the integration of AI in labour economics, the governance of AI on a global scale, and the role of AI in education. My research has informed policy recommendations on the use of generative AI in various fields, highlighting its potential benefits and addressing the challenges it poses, discussions on digital transformation, innovation-friendly regulations, and the societal impacts of emerging digital technologies.



Research Funding

TOTAL INCOME GENERATED: £1.70M


National Edge AI Hub for Real Data: Edge Intelligence for Cyber-disturbances and Data Quality

Project: Research 

Dates: 02/2024 – 01/2029

Total Funding: £11,999,971

Role: Co-Investigator. 


2023

UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Arrow / Fit Training International

Project: Business Development

Dates: 12/2023 – 02/2024

Total Funding: £1,150

Role: Principal Investigator. 


European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Living Archives

Project: Business Development

Dates: 07/2022 – 09/2022

Total Funding: £4,078

Role: Principal Investigator.


2022

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Easibathe

Project: Business Development

Dates: 07/2022 – 09/2022

Total Funding: £3,983 

Role: Principal Investigator.


OFGEM - Strategic Innovation Fund

Project: Critical factors for the adoption of smart homes for energy efficiency: implications for consumers and providers

Dates: 03/2022-04/0222

Total Funding: £55,394

Role: Principal Investigator.


European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Mucckle

Project: Business Development

Dates: 01/2022 – 03/2022

Total Funding: £4,073

Role: Principal Investigator.


European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Audemic

Project: Business Development

Dates: 01/2022 – 03/2022

Total Funding: £4,000

Role: Principal Investigator.


European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): Grapesoftware

Project: Business Development

Dates: 01/2022 – 03/2022

Total Funding: £3,921

Role: Principal Investigator.


NIA / Northern Gas Network

Project: Customer Energy Village

Dates: 02/2022-08/2022

Total Funding: £293,026 

Role: co-Investigator.


OFWAT Innovation Fund

Project: FAIR WATER with Northumbrian Water Limited (lead), Northern Gas Networks, Procter & Gamble, Newcastle University and National Energy Action.

Dates: 01/2022-12/2025

Total Funding: £450k (total funding £3.8 million)

Role: co-Investigator.


2021


Smart cities in Jordan: A triple helix study

Smart cities opportunities and challenges

Funder: Government of Jordan

Duration: 01/2021 - 12/2021

Budget: £14,990


QR Strategic Priorities Fund

Mapping the digital sector in the North East of England using a novel big data / web mining approach

Funder: Research England (Faculty Allocation)

Duration: 01/2021 - 03/2021

Budget: £13,987


2020

Arrow: Scientistt

Business Development

Funder: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Duration: 07/2020 - 08/2020

Budget: £3,422


Arrow: PlayMaker Solutions

Business development

Funder: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Duration: 06/2020 - 07/2020

Budget: £6,756


Data-science workshops

Organise three data-science workshops for doctoral students with QMUL and Coventry University.

Funder: Society for the Advancement of Management Studies & BAM Ebusiness and Egovernment SIG

Duration: 03/2020 - 03/2021

Budget: £5,750


Theory Hub: Creating an online theory resource

Theories are formulated to explain, predict, and understand phenomena and, in many cases, to challenge and extend existing knowledge within the limits of critical bounding assumptions. In social sciences, theories are typically taught as part of modules or utilised in research dissertations. Still despite the opportunities that students have to engage with theories, their exposure is relatively narrow and confined to widely-used theories. Following experiences of teaching/supervision and interaction with PGR and PGT students, this project's aim is to create an online TheoryHub that covers a wide range of theories and act as a starting point for theory exploration in different research and T&L contexts.

People: Prof Savvas Papagiannidis (PI) (£3,450)

Funder: Newcastle University Business School

Duration: 01/2020 - 09/2020

Budget: £3,450


2019


Mapping and Facilitating the IoT Ecosystem 

The aim of this project is to extend a national IoT database, study the adoption barriers for IoT growth and support companies in the region by facilitating interactions among them. 

Funder: Research England 

Duration: 06/2019 - 02/2021 

Budget: £54,589


Big Data-based Identification and Mapping of Temporal Dynamics of Industrial Clusters. 

This research will develop an evidence based empirical framework for the identification and detection of evolution of industrial clusters over time. 

Funder: Office of National Statistics 

Duration: 04/2019 - 12/2019 

Budget: £4,425


Arrow: ActivCare 

Assessing commercial opportunity / market research 

Funder: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 

Duration: 01/2019 - 03/2019 

Budget: £3,238


2018


Privacy-Aware Cloud Ecosystems (PACE) 

Many people using cloud computing services often entrust their data and identity without realising that service providers may share the data with other services, such as analytics and advertisers. This is likely to be greatly exacerbated by the expansion of internet-connected devices. This interdisciplinary project aims to address challenges facing the capacity of users to give informed consent to the use, sharing and re-purposing of data through a mobile software ‘container’ that will securely log all access instances, thereby improving transparency, creating an audit trail of providers and facilitating greater trust between users and service providers. The project, involving Cardiff University, Newcastle University and UCL, will develop novel computational methods to better ensure that cloud providers can enhance data privacy and will provide the basis for conforming to recently-introduced General Data Protection Regulation requirements. 

Funder: EPSRC 

Duration: 06/2018 - 06/2021 

Budget: £1,145,552


Knowledge Transfer Partnership 

Digitally transforming the company through branding and co-creation 

Funder: Innovate UK 

Duration: 04/2018 - 04/2020 

Budget: £137,099


Smart Homes 

Studying acceptance and dissonance in a Smart Home setting 

Funder: Newcastle University Business School 

Duration: 04/2018 - 07/2018 

Budget: £1,250


Impact: Creative Fuse Innovation Project: Skills Match 

Brokering of human and social capital 

Funder: Creative Fuse 

Duration: 02/2018 - 06/2018 

Budget: £4,750


2017


Teaching Development Grant 2016-19 

An Online Competitive and Collaborative-based Approach for Developing Multi-Disciplinary and Internationalised Learning Experience 

Funder: HKP 

Duration: 09/2017 - 09/2019 

Budget: £60,190


2016


North East Fuse 

Map the art business clusters 

Funder: Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) 

Duration: 03/2016 - 09/2018 

Budget: £15,407 


2015


British Academy of Management E-business and E-government SIG Doctoral/ ECR Workshops 

Organise 5 doctoral and early career research workshops on e-business and e-government 

Funder: Society for the Advancement of Management Studies & Universities 

Duration: 11/2015 - 11/2014 

Budget: £11,500


ULTSEC Innovation Fund: Strategic projects 

CrowdSkills online platform 

Funder: Newcastle University 

Duration: 06/2015 - 06/2016 

Budget: £6,060


2014


Post-retirement entrepreneurship 

Study the psychological process that determines post-retirement entrepreneurial intention 

Funder: Newcastle University Institute of Social Renewal 

Duration: 12/2014 - 06/2015 

Budget: £1,250


Engage CMS 

Create an online engagement platform. 

Funder: Newcastle University Enterprise Activity Support Fund 

Duration: 03/2014 - 07/2014 

Budget: £25,000


Enhancing the online brand experience 

Research Fund application. 

Funder: Newcastle University Business School 

Duration: 03/2014 - 06/2014 

Budget: £1,000


2013


Research Internships 

The user of space by a social enterprise / Social media and engagement 

Funder: Newcastle University Business School 

Duration: 06/2013 - 08/2013 

Budget: £3,000


Research and Engagement Projects on Social Renewal 

5 projects funded on research and engagement related to Social Renewal 

Funder: Newcastle University Institute of Social Renewal 

Duration: 06/2013 - 07/2013 

Budget: £4,350


2012


Research Internships 

Web Site Change: Studying the diffusion of Internet technologies 

Funder: Newcastle University Business School 

Duration: 04/2012 - 07/2012 

Budget: £3,000


2010


Virtual reality experiment 

Study experimentally 3D product authenticity 

Funder: Newcastle University 

Duration: 09/2010 - 08/2011 

Budget: £3,000


T&L: Teaching and Innovation Fund Award 

Online research methods module 

Funder: Newcastle University 

Duration: 04/2010 - 02/2011 

Budget: £4,500


2009


T&L: Teaching and Innovation Fund Award 

Delivery of online taster courses 

Funder: Newcastle University 

Duration: 10/2009 - 04/2009 

Budget: £5,000


Business Voucher Scheme 

To improve the online presence and services of a local SME. 

Funder: Newcastle University 

Duration: 10/2009 - 01/2010 

Budget: £4,000


2008


Research Fellowship 

Online video services 

Funder: BT

Duration: 11/2008 - 02/2009 

Budget: £4,500


2006


T&L: HASS Faculty Teaching Fellowship 

Develop a management information system to facilitate institutional assessment strategies. 

Funder: Newcastle University 

Duration: 10/2006 - 03/2007 

Budget: £12,000


Engagement: Online platform 

Working with BAM Council and BAM Executive to specify, design, develop and implement an online resource portal for the British Academy of Management. 

Funder: British Academy of Management 

Duration: 03/2006 - 09/2006 

Budget: £15,000


2005


Knowledge Transfer Partnership 

To map and re-engineer the company's key business processes and put in place the supporting IT and e-business systems in order to improve competitiveness and customer services and reduce costs and lead-time. 

Funder: DTI, ESRC 

Duration: 06/2005 - 06/2007 

Budget: £99,044

Teaching

Teaching & Curriculum Development

Following my research, most of the modules I have taught relate to e-business and information systems (e.g. E-business and Business Systems). I have also taught on generic modules, such as Research Methods and Consultancy Projects. I supervise students' research work at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. 

For many years I was the Degree Programme Director and responsible for the promotion and admission of the multidisciplinary MSc in Ebusiness (Emarketing and Information Systems). 

Pedagogical Research & Teaching Innovation

I am very enthusiastic about my teaching and over the past few years I have worked hard to improve not only my own practice (e.g. I completed an MEd in Practitioner Enquiry and a PG Certificate in Academic Practice), but also to positively influence that of my colleagues. For example, I held a Newcastle University HASS Teaching Fellowship, which examined student assessment patterns across the University using a web application. I also completed two Innovation in Teaching and Learning Projects related to e-learning. Findings from my teaching and learning focused projects have been published in journals such as Studies in Higher Education and the International Journal of Management Education. Moreover, I have been nominated for Newcastle University’s Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Teacher Award. 

TheoryHub: Theories are formulated to explain, predict, and understand phenomena and, in many cases, to challenge and extend existing knowledge within the limits of critical bounding assumptions. In social sciences, theories are typically taught as part of modules or utilised in research dissertations. Still despite the opportunities that students have to engage with theories, their exposure is relatively narrow and confined to widely-used theories. This is why we created an online Theory Hub to cover a wide range of theories and act as a starting point for theory exploration in different research and T&L contexts. The project aims to create a high-quality academic digital resource that can underpin many pedagogical activities. While doing so, the project also encourages and promotes opportunities for multi/interdisciplinary encounters. A comprehensive exposure to theories can widen students’ theoretical appreciation and help lower disciplinary barriers.

Visit: https://open.ncl.ac.uk/

Teaching Cases: The Teaching Cases are a series of educational resources that provide a unique and insightful perspective on the world of business and innovation. These cases are designed to offer students, educators, and professionals practical insights and real-world examples that can be applied in the classroom or in the workplace. In the dynamic realm of business education, case studies stand as invaluable tools, designed to provide a comprehensive grasp of the challenges and prospects emerging in the swiftly evolving corporate landscape. These studies offer more than just a glimpse into specific incidents. They serve as windows into the behaviors of key actors and the broader strategies that shape careers.

Visit: https://learning.ncl.ac.uk

Teaching Philosophy Statement

My aim as teacher is to promote a learner-cantered environment that promotes self-sufficient learners. I see teaching as more than just the road to knowledge and understanding. I see teaching as the vehicle to appreciation of one's ability to think for one's self. The vehicle is not a mechanistic transmission and reception of factual information. It is an adventure, full of discoveries and countless opportunities for exploration. At the same time, it is a continuous re-evaluation of one's norms and paradigms. Self-sufficient learners are effectively life-long learners, who are well-equipped to go through the long journey of life constantly expanding their horizons. It is not though the destination that matters, but the journey itself. The destination, i.e. knowledge, is waiting patiently to reward the travellers for their courage to embark on the journey, even if, by the time they reach it, they have been rewarded by the countless experiences gained and skills acquired. The riches of knowledge were what the learners sought after and every moment and every step made them wealthier. The sheer excitement of the discoveries though along their path and the passion for pushing their limits further will keep their spirits high and see them through the journey.

Publications