Exploring Knowledge Exchange and Adaptation in Immigrant Entrepreneurship: Towards an Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in the United Kingdom
Dr Nan Jiang, Brunel University, Dr Wai Wai Joyce Ko, Brunel University, Dr Ranis Cheng, Leeds Beckett University, Professor Gordon Liu, The Open University & Dr Fernando Lourenço, Uniersidade de Turismo de Macau (UTM)
This project explores how immigrant entrepreneurs access, exchange, and apply knowledge to adapt their micro and small businesses in the face of economic uncertainty. Focusing on small artisan and service-based enterprises, it investigates the role of local ecosystems in enabling or constraining business resilience across different UK regions. Many immigrant entrepreneurs operate in low-capital environments and rely on informal knowledge-sharing networks rather than formal support structures. These networks often include family, co-ethnic peers, and increasingly, entrepreneurs from other ethnic communities. The study focuses on how knowledge flows within and across immigrant groups, and whether these flows strengthen business adaptability, learning, and innovation. It examines how entrepreneurs navigate formal support institutions, such as enterprise hubs, while also relying on informal community events and peer-to-peer advice. Regional differences are a core component of the research, with fieldwork taking place in London, Leeds and Manchester to reflect institutional and demographic diversity. Using interviews, focus groups, and participant observation, the research will produce insights into the ways immigrant microbusinesses learn, adapt, and survive. It will also examine how support structures can be designed more inclusively to recognise and build upon these knowledge-sharing practices. Findings will inform local economic policy, community enterprise support, and national debates about inclusive entrepreneurship. The project is intended as a pilot for future, larger-scale funding applications and will generate outputs suitable for academic, practitioner, and policy audiences.
AI-Driven Innovation in UK SMEs: Enabling Entrepreneurial Resilience through Emerging Technologies
Dr Hajar Fatorachian, Leeds Beckett University, Bex O’Higgins, Leeds Beckett University & Dr Fariba Darabi, Bangor University
This project explores how UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) as part of their entrepreneurial efforts to enhance resilience amid economic uncertainty (Korber and McNaughton, 2018). While AI offers potential to boost productivity, responsiveness, and innovation, many SMEs remain under-resourced and unsupported in their adoption journey. Research shows that key barriers include limited financial capacity, lack of in-house expertise, and insufficient digital infrastructure (Zavodna, Überwimmer, & Frankus, 2024).By engaging directly with SME founders, digital support organisations, and policy actors, this pilot study will examine real-world opportunities and constraints in AI use. It will explore how firms navigate digital transitions and identify both best practices and structural and behavioural barriers. A recent UK-focused study by Bowen, Morris, and Dowell (2024) highlights the importance of targeted local support—especially in rural areas—where SMEs face compounded challenges in accessing AI technologies and external networks. The study aligns with ISBE’s “Elbows Up” theme by investigating how SMEs adapt and innovate through AI during times of disruption. It will generate actionable insights for SMEs, policymakers, and local enterprise partnerships, with outcomes disseminated via a practical toolkit, a policy brief, and academic outputs. The findings will be especially relevant for regions facing post-Brexit transitions, inflationary pressures, and uneven digital access. Ultimately, the project supports evidence-based knowledge exchange on digital resilience in entrepreneurship and lays the foundation for future large-scale research into inclusive SME digital transformation.