Staff Profile

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

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 provides inputs to the formation of NECA Investment Portfolio.

My current research interest:

• Discouraged borrowing & SME access to finance
• High growth enterprise
• Economic geography
• Rural business growth

Working papers:

• The impacts of experience on discouraged borrowing and market efficiency, co-authored with Stuart Fraser
• 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

• 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.
  • 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.