Date / Time / Location
5 December 2024 | 2:40-4:20pm | Building 67 Room 301 | University of Wollongong
Organisers / Chairs
Dr. Roba Abbas, School of Business, University of Wollongong, Australia
Prof. Savvas Papagiannidis, Newcastle University Business School, UK
Workshop Overview
The Industry Engagement and Impactful Innovation workshop will provide a forum for discussing and debating the opportunities and challenges associated with industry engagement in the context of innovation related research, specifically digital innovation, and transformation. The workshop will also facilitate an exploration of the diverse forms or modes of industry engagement, including, but not limited to, contract research, collaborative research and industry focused schemes, short term projects, long term research partnerships and other academia-industry initiatives. With an emphasis on practice-based and practice-led research, and impactful industry projects, the workshop will support information and knowledge sharing toward the co-creation of an industry engagement and impactful innovation guide. It will additionally provide skills, professional development and collaborative opportunities for attendees interested in topics such as: (i) technology / digital transformation / information systems / operations management research; (ii) innovation related research more broadly; (iii) industry engagement best practice; and (iv) practice-based and practice-led research. This will be achieved by drawing on diverse experience, expertise, and project examples with the intention of shaping how industry engagement can be managed across distinct innovation contexts and projects. The workshop is also aimed at (higher degree research) students and early career researchers. Acknowledgement: This workshop is supported by the IEEE Society on the Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) Socio-Technical Systems Committee.
Workshop Format
- Welcome, opening remarks on innovation and impact, introduction of panellists: 5 mins – Roba Abbas
- Panel presentations: 20 mins (5 mins per presenter)
- Panel discussion: 30 mins on the theme “Industry engagement and impactful innovation: The opportunities and challenges” – Jagdeep Singh, Natalie Chapman, Ali Abbas and Yiyang Bian
- Co-creation sprint: 30 mins, involving guided co-creation exercise focused on the theme and summarising the outcomes of the workshop – workshop attendees
- End and closing remarks: 5 mins- Roba Abbas
Meet the Panel
Jagdeep Singh
Jagdeep Singh is the Head of Technology Strategy and Transformation at BlueScope, Australia. He is a value-driven, pragmatic business technology leader, who shapes commercially sound, future-ready digital solutions that deliver on customer experience and technology outcomes. Jagdeep’s legacy lies in balancing large-scale digital transformations ($350M+), managing global teams (450+) and overseeing significant Opex and Capex portfolios, whilst fostering emerging technology innovation and experimentation at a micro scale. His experience spans diverse industries, from manufacturing and logistics to retail and insurance. FURTHER INFORMATION
Natalie Chapman
Natalie Chapman has spent over 20 years turning innovative ideas into successful ventures across a broad spectrum of industries. Her expertise spans critical minerals, recycling and clean energy, nuclear, environmental, medical, IT, space and education sectors. She co-founded and directs gemaker: a team of STEM commercialisation experts helping Australian researchers and innovators to impact global markets. Natalie is also a Corporate Communications Manager for ASX-listed Alkane Resources, an honorary Professor of Practice in Business at UoW and an industry advisor to UNSW School of Chemistry and UOW Faculty of Business and Law. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Chemistry from UNSW and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Wollongong (UOW). FURTHER INFORMATION
Ali Abbas
Ali Abbas is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Associate Dean Research, Faculty of Engineering at the University of Sydney. He is the Director of the Waste Transformation Research Hub and the Founder and Executive Director Innovation at innovation house Scimita Group. Ali serves as the first Chief Circular Engineer at Circular Australia. With over 20 years of experience in Process Systems Engineering (PSE) research, he has spearheaded clean energy and circular economy innovation projects. Ali is a prominent thought leader, actively shaping the innovation ecosystem through his impactful contributions to Innovation Governance, government, industry, and think tanks, driving transformative policies and technologies that are redefining sustainable practices and fostering global partnerships. FURTHER INFORMATION
Yiyang Bian
Yiyang Bian is an Associate Professor of Data Analytics at the University of Wollongong in Dubai. He serves as the research cluster leader, future of business and director (PI) of Blockchain Innovation and Analytics Lab. His research interests revolve around the areas of data science, blockchain innovation, FinTech, and data-driven decision-making in emerging markets. He won the award of Emerald Literati Outstanding Paper and Al Safeer award from Dubai Economy and Tourism. Dr. Bian is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Electronic Commerce Research and serves as a reviewer for the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) under the UAE Ministry of Education. He brings extensive experience in academic governance and leadership within transnational institutional contexts, particularly in the data science sector, and his research has been published in high-impact journals. FUTHER INFORMATION
About the Organisers
Roba Abbas
Roba Abbas is a Senior Lecturer of Operations, Systems and Digital Transformation with the Faculty of Business and Law, University of Wollongong, Australia. Her research is focused on methodological approaches to complex socio-technical systems design, emphasizing interdisciplinarity, co-design and the intersection of society, technology, ethics, and regulation. She is the Technical Activities Executive Committee Chair of the IEEE’s Society on the Social Implications of Technology. FURTHER INFORMATION
Savvas Papagiannidis
Savvas Papagiannidis is a Professor of Information Systems, Digital Innovation and Transformation and the Head of Information Systems and Operations at Newcastle University Business School, UK. His research aims to inform our understanding of how e-business technologies affect the social and business environment, organizational strategies, and business models, and how these are implemented in terms of functional innovations. FURTHER INFORMATION
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