'Furture-proofing your competitive advantage by redesigning your business model: An SME perspective'

The first innovation masterclass in the new InterTradeIreland All Ireland Innovation Programme, was aimed particularly at people leading small and medium-sized businesses, examining how by assessing and redesigning their business model, firms could adapt to deal with the challenges and opportunities they currently face and are likely to face in the future.

With a growing number of issues facing businesses, from the uncertainty of Brexit to the growth of new and potentially disruptive types of business, this masterclass explored a number of emerging frameworks, models and tools that could be used to identify how businesses can increase the value of their activities for their customers.

Dr Adam Frost and Dr Karen Bonner’s masterclass provided an opportunity for discussion and reflection of how businesses can ensure future growth and success by making any necessary adjustments to their business models.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Dr Adam Frost is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Queen's University, Belfast. He has previously held the position of Senior Lecturer in Small Business Management and Enterprise at Liverpool John Moores University. Dr Frost obtained his PhD in Business Management, MSc in Management Research and BSc in Human Psychology and Sociology all from Aston Business School. Dr Frost's teaching and research interests are in the areas of entrepreneurship, small business management as well as issues around responsible business practices in smaller firms. Dr Frost has several years' experience working within the third sector. In these roles he has engaged with a wide number of businesses (especially SMEs) in a number of initiatives to assist businesses with their long-term sustainability.

Dr Karen Bonner is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at Queens University, Belfast. She is also a Research Associate of the Enterprise Research Centre. Dr Bonner gained her PhD from Aston Business School; she also has a First Class Hons Degree in Economics, and a Masters in Applied Economics, from Ulster University. Karen’s teaching and research interests have a policy focus and lie within the areas of entrepreneurship, innovation and small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) growth. Karen co-authors the UK Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report. Dr Bonner also has extensive experience utilising micro-data to examine aspects of firm performance in Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK for clients such as the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS); the British Business Bank; Goldman Sachs; Scottish Enterprise, Invest NI and Forfás.‌‌

The All-Island Innovation Programme is delivered in partnership with InterTradeIreland, Queen’s University Belfast, NUI Galway, University College Dublin and University College Cork.