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Professor Robert Newbery

Professor

School: Newcastle Business School

Robert is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and has worked extensively in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. He has founded and run a number of entrepreneurial businesses having a PhD, MSc, MBA and BSc. He is particularly interested in how entrepreneurship is being used for development in both the 'Global North' and 'Global South' and is actively supporting the Entrepreneurship Educator Foundation for East Africa (EEFEA).��

Robert is deputy President of the Institute of Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and former Head of the Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Strategy Department at 51��. Prior to this he led the Marketing, Operations and Systems Department at Newcastle University.

Email Robert

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

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Robert is conducting research looking at the intersection of entrepreneurship and poverty. He also monitors and evaluates the impact of entrepreneurship and innovation programmes, with a current involvement with research commercialisation programmes and the impact of serious games upon entrepreneurial outcomes.

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Geographies of interest

- UK and Europe (particularly as regards farming entrepreneurship and rural business models; business associations)

- East Africa (entrepreneurship and poverty, business models and innovative supply chains; networks of support)

- West Africa (business models and development)

- South America (social entrepreneurship)

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Ph.D students

I am pleased to talk to potential Ph.D students with interesting proposals that link into my research interests and / or geographies of interest.

Key Publications

Decoding value exchange in entrepreneurial ecosystems through a service-dominant lens, Donaldson, C., Newbery, R., Berbegal Mirabent, J., Kallmuenzer, A. 1 Mar 2025, In: Small Business Economics
Imagination and emancipation: a study of entrepreneurs operating in slums, Igwe, P., Newbery, R., Nkanta, I., Amaugo, A. 8 Oct 2025, In: Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development
Reconceptualizing Franchisee Performance: A Configurational Approach in a Base‐of‐the‐Pyramid Context, Newbery, R., Kimmitt, J., McKague, K., Muñoz, P. 1 Jan 2025, In: British Journal of Management
Reducing digital poverty in Kenya? An innovative credit service in a base-of-pyramid market, Elly, D., Oredo, J., Pearce, A., Newbery, R. 10 Sep 2025, Cases on Startups and Enterprise, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar
Rural Entrepreneurship and International Development, Newbery, R., Igwe, P. 19 Feb 2025, Rural Entrepreneurship: Harvesting Ideas and Sowing New Seeds, Emerald
Rural Entrepreneurship: Harvesting Ideas and Sowing New Seeds, Bosworth, G., Chapman, P., Newbery, R., Steiner, A., Webber, D. 19 Feb 2025, Rural Entrepreneurship: Harvesting Ideas and Sowing New Seeds, Leeds, Emerald
The role of hybrid healthcare enterprises in marginal communities: exploring Greek community pharmacies, Apostolopoulos, N., Apostolopoulos , S., Newbery, R., Steiner, A. 16 Sep 2025, In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research
Developing future managers through business simulation gaming in the UK and Hong Kong: exploring the interplay between cognitive realism, decision-making and performance, Lean, J., Newbery, R., Moizer, J., Hoddoud, M., Lim, W. 19 Jul 2024, In: Internet Research
Entrepreneurial Finance and Institutional Logics in an Emerging Economy, Worakantak, J., Newbery, R., Kimmitt, J. 1 Oct 2024, In: International Small Business Journal
Guest editorial: Emerging issues in digital entrepreneurship – challenges and opportunities, Olan, F., Troise, C., Damij, N., Newbery, R. 11 Mar 2024, In: International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research

Professional Activity

Visiting an external academic institution: Kenyatta University 2022
Visiting an external academic institution: University of Nairobi 2022

PGR Supervision

Anneke Edmonds How do women entrepreneurs experience a campus tech-incubator and how does this impact on women’s entrepreneurial intentions, and on their entrepreneurial practice? Start Date: 06/01/2021
Geoffrey Bwireh Entrepreneurship and Work among Congolese Refugees in Uganda: A Grounded Theory Approach Start Date: 01/10/2022
Geoffrey Bwireh Entrepreneurship and Work among Congolese Refugees in Uganda: A Grounded Theory Approach Start Date: 01/10/2022 End Date: 17/10/2025
Anneke Edmonds How do women entrepreneurs experience a campus tech-incubator and how does this impact on women’s entrepreneurial intentions, and on their entrepreneurial practice? Start Date: 06/01/2021 End Date: 17/10/2025