I am an Associate Professor at the Research Centre for Resilient Business and Society (CRBS) at Coventry University. I hold a PhD in Innovation Management and Science and Technology Policy from SPRU – Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex. My research is focused on the fields of innovation studies and entrepreneurship. I teach innovation, entrepreneurship and research methods modules for UG, PG and DBA programmes at Coventry University.

I've been with CRBS since January 2023. I currently lead a British Council funded project with Kenya's ACTS exploring the transformative role of electric-mobility technology in empowering women entrepreneurs in Kenya and benefiting society and the environment.

Before joining Coventry University, I worked as a research fellow at UCL – University College London. I took part in two large scale EU FP7 Framework projects AEGIS and GRINCOH. These projects primarily focused on knowledge-based entrepreneurship and innovation concepts in the EU as well as the growth, innovativeness and cohesion of Central and Eastern Europe to the wider EU. 

Research

The broad focus of my research is about technology and innovation management, entrepreneurship from a systemic perspective, entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneurial behaviour, and the role of innovation and entrepreneurial activity on sustainable economic growth in low, medum and high technology sectors in advanced, developing and lagging behind spatial contexts in continually changing environments exposed to threats and opportunities by emerging technologies.

My research explores the societal and environmental, and not only economic, aspects of business ecosystem and innovation activities from an inclusivity and gender perspectives also examining behaviour and decision-making of actors from psychological and institutional underpinnings. I study the opportunities, threats, disruptive and destabilising but also reinforcing outcomes posed by newly emerging technologies such as digital and environmental technologies on the small business ecosystem. Most importantly, I study how disadvantaged segments of the society and business can cope with and gain from such disruptive changes. For instance, I am interested in how women entrepreneurs grow their businesses and contribute to the society and economy by gaining literacy and technical skills to effectively use newly emerging technologies such as advanced digital, AI and electric mobility technologies. I would welcome any PhD candidate in these research areas to work with me.

I have strong quantitative analyses skills as a professional user of STATA, SPSS, and Smart PLS software (structural equation modelling) as well as particular experience in survey design and implementation to collect qualitative data to conduct specifically multiple case study analyses or set-theoretic methodologies such as QCA - Qualitative Comparative Analysis. 

Current Research Project

The transformative power of electric mobility technology in Kenya:
Understanding and empowering women entrepreneurs

Esin Yoruk (PI), Ann Kingiri (PI), Catherine Kilelu (RF)

Funded by British Council and UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, ESRC Impact Funding, £105,000 FEC, Aug 2024 to Aug 2026.

Electric mobility technology is one transformative technology not only for its environmental but also socio-economic effects on individuals and the
society in low-income countries (LICs). Kenya, most of its energy sourced
from renewables, has great potential to exploit the production and effective consumption of e-mobility technology in all sectors through entrepreneurial activity.  However, the sector is almost wholly male dominated with only 1 in 25 employees being woman, globally this is 1 in 5 (ILO, 2024). As it seems now, the e-mobility sector in Kenya is poised to grow, however without the inclusivity aspect in the design of emerging policy which is likely to skew the positive socio-economic outcomes. Our project aims to explore and map the transformative pathway to e-mobility entrepreneurship among Kenyan women by assessing their needs, evidencing these needs in quantitative and qualitative datasets and developing and piloting a training program to strengthen women's skills. Project will be run by two research institutes and two startup incubators in Kenya and UK. Our activities aim at generating evidence to make case for gendered e-mobility policy and practice pathways.

Teaching Experience

Designing Research Projects (BA, Spring 2025, Spring 2026)

Entrepreneurial Strategies for Scalable Businesses (BA, Spring 2024, Spring 2025)

Business Development and Growth (BA, Spring 2024)

Women in Business (BA, Spring 2024)

Entrepreneurship Theories (DBA Programme, Jan 2022 and September 2023)

Innovation, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (BA, Spring 2022, Spring 2023)

Strategies for Growth and Sustainability (MSc, Spring 2022, Spring 2023)

Research Methods – PG Dissertation/Consultancy Projects Coordinator (MSc, Sep 2016 - Jan 2022)

Strategy, Technology and Innovation (MSc, Spring 2017 and 2018)

Energy, Technology and Innovation (MA, Spring 2013, 2014 and 2015)

Industrial and Corporate Change (BA, Spring 2015)