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Professor Pooran Wynarczyk , Director (SERU); BA, DMS , MA , Kent University; PhD, Newcastle University, Chair of Small Enterprise Research, Founder and Director of Small Enterprise Research Unit (SERU)

Pooran Wynarczyk holds the Personal Chair of Small Enterprise Research and is the Director of the Small Enterprise Research Unit at Newcastle University . Since joining the University in 1983, she has been a principal investigator and award holder of numerous several major Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), EU and consultancy funded projects, including a prestigious ESRC Senior Research Fellowship, in key areas of the regional economic development, including scientific enterprises, gender and ethnicity disparities in Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) and Construction in the UK, high level scientific activities (invention, innovation, IPR, R&D) of women and members of the ethnic minority groups within the SET Community in the public and private sectors and the role of business incubators. She has developed a number of unique databases alongside the development of innovative computerised econometrics and statistical techniques to undertake original and novel empirical research. Her published work has generated a great deal of interest amongst policy makers, academics, media and practitioners at local, national and international levels.

In 1995, she set up the Small Enterprise Research Unit (SERU), initially at the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS), which now operates as an independent Outreach Unit within the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology / Newcastle University. This 5 ranking RAE 2001 Unit is also part of Newcastle University’s Faculty of Science’s Stephenson Centre of Excellence, established in 2003 to provide a focal point for academics, business and industry to transfer scientific knowledge through consultancy, testing, development, IPR exploitation, spin-out activities and professional training. Over the past few years the activities and membership of SERU have grown significantly.

In 2001, as a significant recognition of her achievements, she was awarded the Personal Chair of Small Enterprise Research. She was a short-listed finalist of the ‘Asian Women of Achievement Public Sector Awards 2004’ and a finalist of the ‘Lloyds TSB Asian Jewel Awards 2005, Health Care and Education Excellence Award’. She is a member of the judging Panel for the Spirit of Innovation Awards. She also holds memberships of ECSITE UK (Network of the science and discovery centres in the UK ) and the North East Chamber of Commerce.

Over the past few years, Pooran has successfully undertaken a number of consultancy projects for One NorthEast, DTI, Business Links, Durham Business and Learning Partnership and many other clients. Her recent work for One NorthEast, a report on ‘Performance and Potential Development of Business Incubators in the North East’, has received attention and publicity throughout the UK . She has significant experience in the development of CD ROM benchmarking tools based on best practice. She recently designed and developed a Business Incubator benchmarking assessment tool for ONE NorthEast, based on best practice identified through the survey of business incubators in the North East and a benchmarking tool for the identification of best practices of UK Science and Discovery Centres for County Durham Business and Learning Partnership.

Email: pooran.wynarczyk@newcastle.ac.uk / Telephone: 0191 243 0805

Yvonne Stavers - Secretary / PA to Director (SERU)

Yvonne carries out SERU's administrative and office management responsibilities and is Pooran's personal assistant. She has Information & Communication Technology expertise and is an experienced creator of databases, CD-ROM software packages and finance and audit systems. She has received university recognition for her work in the development of ESF CD-ROM software packages for audit purposes.

Email: yvonne.stavers@newcastle.ac.uk / Telephone: 0191 243 0804

Kate Roberts - Secretary (SERU)

Kate carries out the general office duties for SERU and assists with research through the production of databases and statistical reports. She has knowledge of most aspects of IT software and is experienced in creating and managing databases. General enquiries for SERU can be made via Kate.

Email: kate.roberts@newcastle.ac.uk / Telephone: 0191 243 0809

Arnold Raine (External Consultant)

Until recently, Arnold was Chief Executive of the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) and was one of the masterminds and key founders of this organisation. He was a major instigator in the continuous expansion of the BIC to meet the growing needs of small businesses and used his own experience as a businessman with his own manufacturing company to provide on-site facilities. He is an active member of UKBI and European BIC Network (EBN) and as such has full access to databases, grey materials and reports on EUBICs and Business Incubators.

Additional Research Staff (SERU)

SERU also employs a number of researchers on a part time basis, primarily through the Hub and additionally employs PhD students directly to SERU, also on a part time basis. All students are educated to postgraduate level and undergo an intensive series of interviews before they are selected.

Prof. Pooran Wynarczyk - Director - Tel: +44 (0)191 243 0805

FAX: +44 (0)191 243 0808

Email: seru@newcastle.ac.uk

SERU

1st Floor Citywall

Citygate

St. James' Boulevard

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 4JU