Staff Profile

I am a Research Associate in quantitative analysis at the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE). My main research interest relates to small business and economic geography, focusing on small businesses finance, growth ambition and performance, innovation, with a focus on rural business and rural-urban divide. I hold a PhD in Business & Management from Warwick Business School.

I have been working with national and regional policy stakeholders. I led the socio-economic analysis in the North East CA area and the evidence review report which supports the NECA Environmental Stewardship, Coastal, and Rural Growth Investment Plan 2024. I was also a member of the NECA Evidence Group which provided inputs to the formation of NECA Investment Portfolio.

I am currently leading a project on business investment, funded by Department of Business and Trade and Enterprise Research Centre, and co-leading a project on rural innovation adoption and persistence, funded by Innovate UK and Innovation and Research Caucus. I am also working with Defra on a land-use project.

My current research interest:

• Discouraged borrowing & SME access to finance
• High growth enterprise
• Economic geography
• Rural business growth and innovation
• Business investment

Working papers:

• Resource orchestration and high growth episode, co-authored with Kevin Mole
• Unpacking the effects of entrepreneurship typologies and network breadth on innovation in rural businesses, co-authored with Amr Khafagy
• Doing less is doing more: Resourcefulness in Rural Firms Response to Skill Shortages, co-authored with Kevin Mole

Work-in-progress:

• Growth aspiration and its impact on investment in tangible and intangible capital, co-authored with Stuart Fraser

• Articles

  • Nguyen T, Phillipson J, Wishart M, Roper S, Gorton M. Understanding rural business resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Rural Studies 2025, 114, 103580.
  • Fraser S, Nguyen T. The Effects of Business Experience on Discouraged Borrowing and Efficiency in the Credit Market. British Journal of Management 2025, Epub ahead of print.
  • Khafagy A, Nguyen T, Gorton M, Phillipson J. External finance and the growth of rural and urban SMEs in England. Journal of Small Business Management 2025, epub ahead of print.

• Reports

  • Tocco B, Nguyen T, Phillipson J, Gorton M, Dwyer J, Hotopp U, Bradley P. Labour and skills availability: impacts on rural enterprise. Newcastle upon Tyne: National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, 2024. State of Rural Enterprise Report 7.
  • Nguyen T, Phillipson J, Thompson-Glen M, Magistrali A, Ward J, Fitzsimmons C, Goulton R, Moss M, Gorton M. Evidence Review: NECA Environment Stewardship, Coast and Rural Growth Investment Plan. Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne: National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, 2024.
  • Tocco B, Thompson-Glen M, Nguyen T, Magistrali A, Martin J, Phillipson J, Anderson H, Henderson J, Gorton M, Curry J. Understanding Rural Durham - Supporting Durham County Council's evidence base. Newcastle upon Tyne: National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, 2023. NICRE Research Report 15.
  • Nguyen T, Phillipson J, Gorton M, Roper S, Dwyer J, Mole K, Hotopp U, Maioli S. The cost-of-doing-business crisis: rural impacts and adaptation. Newcastle upon Tyne: National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, 2023. State of Rural Enterprise Report, No 4.
  • Phillipson J, Gorton M, Nguyen T, Wishart M, Roper S, Ozusaglam S, Khafagy A, Dwyer J, Hotopp U, Turner R, Tocco B, Maioli S, Hill I, Merrell I. The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on rural businesses: experiences and resilience. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2022. National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise State of Rural Enterprise Report 1.
  • Mole K, Hill I, Nguyen T, Maioli S. Rural family businesses and exporting behaviour. Newcastle upon Tyne: National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise, 2022. NICRE Research Report 5.
  • Turner R, Phillipson J, Gorton M, Cowie P, Dwyer J, Goodwin-Hawkins B, Hill I, Mole K, Nguyen T, Roper S, Thompson-Glen M, Rowe F, Tocco B, Wishart M. What is the contribution of rural enterprise to Levelling Up, and how can this be further enabled?. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK, 2021. National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise Briefing Paper 1.