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Profile

Professor James Cunningham

Prof of Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Background

James A. Cunningham is a Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Â鶹´«Ã½ Business School, Â鶹´«Ã½, Â鶹´«Ã½ Upon Tyne, United Kingdom and is an affiliated member of the Centre for Innovation Research at Lund University, Sweden. Professor Cunningham’s research intersects the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategic management. His research focuses on strategy issues with respect to scientists as principal investigators, university technology transfer commercialization, academic, public sector and technology entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial universities, entrepreneurial ecosystems and business failure. 



He has published over 80 plus papers and has published in leading international journals such as Research Policy, Small Business Economics, R&D Management, International Small Business Journal, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, Long Range Planning, Journal of Small Business Management, Journal of Technology Transfer, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, International Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research and the Journal of Rural Studies among others. Awards for his research include seven best paper conference awards, two case study international competition awards and he is listed in Stanford/Elsevier World's Top 2% of Scientists ranking.

Research


My research interests intersect the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and strategic management. My current research focus is on three main themes:


Academic Entrepreneurship and University Technology Transfer

Some issues of current issues of focus include the role of scientists in the principal investigator an how do they shaping science, markets and society? What is the impact orientation of scientists in the principal investigator role? How scientists in the principal investigator role create and capture value for diverse stakeholders? How scientists engage with entrepreneurial ecosystems and other stakeholders in commercialising their research? What roles to TTO director play in shaping and influencing academic entrepreneurship and technology transfer?

Entrepreneurial Universities

As universities are extending their mission focus to technology and knowledge transfer some issues of current focus include business models, missions and drivers of entrepreneurial universities. The organisational structures, strategies and entrepreneurial architecture that entrepreneurial universities adapt to realise their mission focus in different contextual settings. How do entrepreneurial universities engage formally and informally with civic and societal issues? What is the role and capabilities of technology transfer offices in supporting entrepreneurial university mission expansion?  How do they create social value and impact? How do they enable social entrepreneurship?


Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Policies

Different actors contribute to the development of entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems and as such how do these ecosystems evolve overtime? What tensions emerge among ecosystems actors over the stage of entrepreneurship? What is the economic, technological and social impact of entrepreneurial ecosystems? What governance systems are used to support ecosystem evolution? What is the impact of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology policies? What is role of public sector R&D in realising innovation and technology policies?


Teaching

James teaches on NBS8621 and also supervises MSc dissertations. 


Publications

  • Articles

    • Cunningham JA, Menter M, Stake F. . Journal of Technology Transfer 2025, 50(3), 1231-1268.
    • Woods J, Cunningham JA, McAdam M, Miller K. The academic, the entrepreneur, the female in a dress: a micro-level exploration of multiple role identities. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research 2025, 31(7), 1775-1804. In Preparation.
    • Romano M, Cunningham JA, Cuttone G, Munnia A, Nicotra M. . Journal of Intellectual Capital 2025, 26(7), 22-42.
    • Yang L, Lin Z, Quan R, Cunningham J, Huang W. . International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research 2024, 30(1), 110-127.
    • Munnia A, Corrente S, Cunningham J, Nicotra M, Romano M. . Sinergie Italian Journal of Management 2024, 42(1), 95-119.
    • Giazitzoglu A, Volery T, Cunningham J, Musu A, Bianchi C. . Entrepreneurship & Regional Development 2024, 36(5-6), 607-631.
    • Cunningham JA, Miller K, Vincente JLP. . The Journal of Technology Transfer 2024, 49, 1880-1913.
    • Vega A, Gabbioneta C, Osorio C, Cunningham J. . The Journal of Technology Transfer 2024, 49, 1303-1346.
    • Buratti M, Cantner U, Cunningham JA, Lehmann E, Menter M. . R&D Management 2023, 53(4), 656-674.
    • Cunningham J, Foncubierta-Rodríguez M, Martín-Alcázar F, Perea-Vicente J. . IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 2023, 71, 10314-10340.
    • O'Kane C, Zhang JA, Haar J, Cunningham JA. . Small Business Economics 2023, 61, 799-826.
    • Amankwah-Amoah J, Nyuur RB, Hinson RE, Kosiba JP, Al-Tabbaa O, Cunningham JA. . International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research 2023, 29(2), 385-407.
    • Walsh GS, Cunningham JA. . International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship 2023, 42(3).
    • Pattinson S, Damij N, El Maalouf N, Bazi S, Elsahn Z, Hilliard R, Cunningham J. . Industrial Marketing Management 2023, 115, 408-420.
    • Pattinson S, Cunningham J, Preece D, Davies MAP. . Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development 2022, 29(6), 902-919.
    • Albats E, Alexander AT, Cunnningham JA. . Technological Forecasting and Social Change 2022, 177, 121470.
    • Cunningham JA, Lehmann EE, Menter M. . Small Business Economics 2022, 59, 11-27.
    • Harr J, O'Kane C, Cunningham JA. . Journal of Business Research 2022, 141, 410-421.
    • Messina L, Miller K, Cunningham JA, McAdam R, Hewitt-Dundas N. . Studies in Higher Education 2022, 47(10), 2071-2087.
    • Pattinson S, Cunningham JA. . International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 2022, 23(3), 71-74.
    • Walsh G, Cunningham JA, Mordue T, McLeay F, O'Kane C, Connolly N. . Studies in Higher Education 2021, 46(5), 988-999.
    • Cunningham JA, Link AN. . Technological Forecasting and Social Change 2021, 162, 120371.
    • Miller K, Cunningham JA, Lehmann E. . Studies in Higher Education 2021, 46(5), 915-925.
    • Mangan DJ, Cunningham J. . Business Strategy Review 2000, 11(3), 51-60.

  • Authored Books

    • Cunningham JA, Link AL. . Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2021.
    • Cunningham JA, Harney B, Fitzgerald C. . Cham: Springer, 2020.

  • Book Chapters

    • Tocco B, Cunningham JA, Magistrali A, Phillipson J, Gorton M. . In: Bosworth G; Chapman P; Newbery R; Steiner A; Webber DJ, ed. Rural Entrepreneurship: Harvesting Ideas and Sowing New Seeds. Leeds: Emerald Publishing Limited, 2025, pp.23-38.
    • Cunningham JA. . In: Audretsch, D.B., Kunadt, I.A.M, ed. The COVID-19 Crisis and Entrepreneurship. International Studies in Entrepreneurship. Springer, Cham, 2022, pp.209-227.
    • Dolan B, McGregor C, Cunningham JA. . In: Fernandes C; Ramírez-Pasillas M; Ferreira JJ, ed. Universities, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, and Sustainability. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2021, pp.311-332.

  • Edited Books

    • Cunningham JA, Nyuur RB, ed. . Hanover, MA: Now Publishers, 2025.
    • Cunningham JA, Menter M, O'Kane C, Romano M, ed. . Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2024.
    • McAdam M, Cunningham JA, ed. . London: Routledge, 2021.
    • Cunningham JA, Whalley J, ed. . Cham: Palgrave Pivot, 2020.