How can businesses – and business schools – have a positive effect on their regions? And do we need to reconsider the connections between us all?

Ellie Hamilton is Professor Emerita at Lancaster University Management School, with a lengthy background in entrepreneurship and working with businesses. She is also the co-author of a new book, Rethinking Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, with former Lancaster colleagues Dr Rhiannon Pugh and Dr Danny Soetanto.

Ellie joins us to talk about how we need to focus on the role of universities as anchor institutions in their communities; the evolution of entrepreneurship as a concept; how regional development is seen as addressing regional inequalities – but how the focus on economics can be too great; and

We consider how sustainability can be a key part of both entrepreneurship and regional development, and mull over the need to break stubborn habits; shine a light on place-based and community-based entrepreneurship that is embedded in a region; and emphasises the importance of context in any region (be it geographical or institutional) to successful development.

The importance of the input from indigenous people in planning for change comes to the fore once more; a cog model of policy shaping research shaping engagement shaping teaching shaping policy is discussed; and Ellie looks to what the future might bring.

Plus, Ellie tells us about becoming an accidental academic and how to properly enjoy retirement; Jan struggles to spell entrepreneurship – but can blame the French; and Paul laments the treatment of medieval polar bears in the Tower of London.

See Ellie’s new book here: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/rethinking-entrepreneurship-and-regional-development-9781802201437.html

For more information on Lancaster University’s entrepreneurship research, see here: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lums/our-departments/entrepreneurship-and-strategy/research/

Episode Transcript