Professor Martin Meyer

Biography

Martin Meyer is a visiting professor and former Dean of the University of Aberdeen Business School. Martin is well known for his work on science, technology and innovation as well as the Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations. He is currently based at the University of Vaasa (Finland) where he serves as vice-rector for international affairs, director of InnoLab, one of the University's three interdisciplinary research platforms, and professor of industrial management.

Prior to his current appointments, Martin was the Dean of Kent Business School, achieving AACSB, AMBA and SBC accreditations and developing an endowed centre for student enterprise. He was also the founding head of the Business and Management department at the University of Sussex. Prior to this, Martin held appointments at SPRU, the Science Policy Research Unit, also at the University of Sussex, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University, Finland), and Linköping University (Sweden). 

Martin holds honorary and visiting appointments at Birkbeck, University of London, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), and Stirling University. Martin also serves on the advisory boards of a number of international business schools, has acted as a volunteer and mentor for accreditation agencies, such as the AACSB, and was the vice chair of the Research Steering Group of the Chartered Association of Business Schools.

Martin studied business, economics and sociology at the Universities of Dortmund (Germany) and Uppsala (Sweden). His D.Phil in Science and Technology Studies was obtained from the University of Sussex. He also worked in the private sector as consultant for Technopolis Group and RAND Europe.

Research Overview

Martin’s research focuses on knowledge exchange, academic patenting and emerging science-based technologies. He is also interested in the bibliometric analysis of science and technology and their interrelationships. 

More specifically, Martin’s research interests include:

• science, technology and innovation indicators
• university-industry technology transfer, third mission, triple helix, academic entrepreneurship
• intellectual property management
• science-based innovation and new technologies (especially nanotechnology)
• technological systems and sectoral systems of innovation
• technology foresight
• programme evaluation

His research on knowledge exchange and technology transfer resulted in projects and studies, incl. evaluative work, centred on:

• global innovation environments
• user-driven centres of competence
• user-driven service innovation and co-creation
• patenting in European universities
• the impacts of spin-out activities of researchers on their academic parent institutions

Current Research

Martin's most recent work focuses on innovation intermediaries, interdisciplinary research and research performance as well as innovation opportunity spaces.

Martin has published widely, and his work has been cited more than 8,000 times. Martin's articles appeared in international, peer-reviewed journals, such as Research Policy, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, R&D Management, Journal of Business Research, and Scientometrics. 

Martin is also one of the editors of Prometheus: Critical Studies in Innovation and a member of the editorial advisory boards of the Journal of Informetrics, Scientometrics, and World Patent Information.

Funding and Grants

Martin has managed and led more than 20 research grants and participated in more than 30 projects with a total value in excess of £3million.

As one of the first social scientists exploring nanotechnology, Martin has advised or worked for a number of international organisations and national agencies, including the European Commission, the European Patent Office, the OECD, the UK Engineering and Technology Board, the Finnish National Technology Agency, the Nordic Innovation Centre, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences.

Teaching Responsibilities

Martin has taught a number of modules at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including:

• Science, Technology & Innovation Systems,
• Strategic Management of Technology & Innovation,
• Methodologies for Foresight & Management of New Technologies,
• Service and Relationship Marketing,
• Business-to-Business Marketing,
• New Concepts in Marketing,
• Managing Intellectual Property.

He has also supervised dissertations covering a range of topics, including the entrepreneurial university, university spin-outs, emerging and convergent technologies.