Research and societal impact

Research is a fundamental component for the development of Excelia Business School's vision, mission, and strategy. The School's research strategy has been deployed according to three main objectives: differentiation, internationalisation and dissemination. Differentiation has been understood as the ability of the School to contribute to particular fields of research that often dialogue with other areas of knowledge, while maintaining its business and management focus, such as water or tourism. Internationalisation meant creating the conditions to access widely recognised fora, as well as nurturing exchanges with relevant global research actors, stages, and platforms. Dissemination was centred in the belief that research is more impactful when it is widely shared beyond academia to include businesses, students, and society in general.


Nuno Guimarães Da Costa Director of Research [email protected]	Jesus Gonzales Feliu Scientific Coordinator for Calls for Projects [email protected]

After having consolidated a solid and sustained research attitude within the School, which is visible through the remarkable increase of most of the research outputs indicators, Excelia Business School is now prepared to broaden the impact of its research, aligned with its new strategic direction, deployed under the motto "Business education for our futureS".

Indeed, its research activities go well beyond the publication of peer-reviewed research articles, to include a diverse set of intellectual contributions – spanning from peer-reviewed academic research articles to policy briefs in international news outlets – aimed at academic, pedagogic, business, and societal impact. In this sense, representatives of external stakeholders, including businesses, NGOs, and local or regional authorities, are active participants in the discussions occurring at the different research instances. This has led to the development of field research projects addressing real problems faced by companies and society, thus having a relevant impact beyond academia.

Responding to Gary Brewer's infamous declaration that "the world has problems, but universities have departments", research at Excelia Business School recognises the importance of transdisciplinary research in addressing the "wicked problems" of society, and as such, privileges the establishment of research partnerships with academic and non-academic stakeholders from different disciplines and scientific backgrounds.

Priorities

The new strategic direction of the Business School and its intention to "make a significant contribution to the creation of the managerial intelligence needed by businesses and society" implies a renewed approach to its research priorities until 2030:

Increase the quality and impact of research produced in accordance with the highest international standards
Strengthen expertise in key areas (such as water, sustainable finance, climate management) in order to achieve internationally recognised excellence.
Prioritise a project-based approach to research aimed at solving existing 'complex problems'
Prioritise the establishment of transdisciplinary research partnerships with national and international actors capable of adopting a systemic approach to existing societal problems.