Centre overview
Aberdeen Centre for Entrepreneurship Research (ACER) aims to support high-quality interdisciplinary research, dynamic industry partnerships and entrepreneurial innovation across RGU and beyond.
By translating academic research into accessible formats and fostering dialogue between scholars, practitioners, policymakers, and emerging entrepreneurs, ACER ensures that knowledge extends beyond traditional academic boundaries.
Our pillars
Our work is built on three powerful pillars:
Knowledge Creation through generating new ideas and insights
Our thriving research community publishes in internationally recognised journals and engages actively in national and international conferences. We work with international scholars from around the world. ACER members received externally funded research projects from the British Academy of Management, the British Council, Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, the UK Research and Innovation Council and Scottish Funding Council.
Knowledge Transfer by applying research in real-world settings
ACER transforms research into practical solutions for partners, communities and industry. Through collaborative projects, evidence-based methods are tested, adapted and embedded in real-world settings. For example, our interdisciplinary Knowledge Transfer Project, funded by Innovate UK with IPS Limited, leverages our academic expertise to support innovation and skills development with measurable impact. Our work helps organisations translate new knowledge into stronger practice, services and outcomes.
Knowledge Dissemination, where we share knowledge to create a wider impact
Through a dynamic programme of research seminars, public lectures, industry partnerships, and community engagement initiatives, the Centre actively shares cutting-edge insights on entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive economic development. Our research directly influenced the entrepreneurial skills, mindset and behaviour of women entrepreneurs among underrepresented entrepreneurship groups in developing contexts such as Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
Themes
ACER works within the themes:
Focused on addressing many of the global challenges set out in the UN Sustainability Goals, this theme brings together researchers who approach these issues from a breadth of disciplinary perspectives that include the life sciences, engineering and computing but also embraces the social sciences and business disciplines.
This theme captures our research which both promotes and protects human health and wellbeing in communities. It covers a breadth of research from long term conditions to new drug discovery and a wide range of disciplines spanning health, social and life sciences and pharmacy.
Our research in this theme embraces a broad range of topic areas relating to social justice and creative practice, drawing together researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds including art and design, architecture, social sciences, law, and humanities .
Our research in this theme covers a broad range of computational research from Artificial Intelligence to interactive machine learning and cybersecurity and explores the impacts and implications of the digital for different domains including health, net zero, cities and creative practice.
Our people
ACER staff members come from six different schools and departments throughout the university. We bring together knowledge and experience from varied subjects by collaborating with diverse industries in national and global research projects. The Centre also hosts a thriving group of doctoral students to advance contemporary and cutting-edge research in entrepreneurship.
Centre Leadership Team
Poh Yen Ng
Associate Professor
Eleni Kesidou
Lecturer
Imaobong James
Lecturer
Chioma Onoshakpor
Lecturer
Find out more about the centre and its members:
Funding, projects & publications
Featured funding
Strategic Digital Transformation & Capability Building at IPS Limited
June 2026 - £658,000, Innovate UK, IPS (Aberdeen) Limited
Bridging the Skills Gap of Women Entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa: Economic Empowerment and Technology Competence
January 2026 - £36,000, RGU Internal Funding
Design and development of prototype weighing system for remotely operated smart unmanned weighbridge machines
May 2024 - £405,000, Innovate UK and John White & Son (Weighing Machines) Ltd
Featured projects
This project advances advance gender equality in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and entrepreneurship. It supported more than 290 women entrepreneurs in rural and urban areas of South Africa by running 12 hands-on workshops on how to use AI in business.
This project designs, develops and deploys an automated and adaptable weighing solution system for use with remotely operated weighbridges, across diverse industry sectors. This system will include the integration of load cells, sensors, controllers and peripheral devices to realise customised control flow, data management and AI-based data analytic models.
To support the digital transformation of specialist fabrication and site services for sector diversification by developing and embedding sector-defining cutting edge atomized AI and data science tools to improve project, operational and overall organisational efficiency.
Read more about the projects:
Featured publications
- Onoshakpor, C., & Ng, P. Y. (2026). Gender, entrepreneurship and access to finance in a patriarchal context. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-04-2024-0134
- James, I., Ibukun, T., & Ng, P. Y. (2026). Opportunities or threats: impact of digital engagement on marginalised women entrepreneurs. Gender, Work and Organization, 33(1), 164-180. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.70029
- Hamilton, R. T., & Ng, P. Y. (2025). What we know about high-growth firms, and what we do not: a systematic review. International Small Business Journal, 43(4), 420-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/02662426251316441
Read more about the publications from ACER on Worktribe:
Study opportunities
Find out about the topics and subjects you could study at the centre:
Women entrepreneurs can significantly contribute to National GDP’s. In sub-Saharan African countries, inclusive entrepreneurship must be considered as part of poverty alleviation strategies. However, research identifies women entrepreneurs face unique challenges specifically with accessing finance. This study explores the intersection of feminism and women's entrepreneurship.
This project seeks to promote entrepreneurship opportunities and break down systemic barriers (such as funding, networks, or education) to make entrepreneurial resources accessible to underrepresented groups.
This research explores how intersectional identities shape entrepreneurial resilience strategies for women in the digital era. It examines the interplay of gender, ethnicity, and technology in constructing entrepreneurial identity, highlighting adaptive responses to digital transformation and socio-economic challenges.
Impact & knowledge exchange
Accolades
Accolades and partnerships that highlight our growing reputation as a centre of research excellence:
- Best paper in International Entrepreneurship at the 46th ISBE conference in Sheffield, for Dr Chioma Onoshakpor and Dr Tolulope Ibukun's paper, titled "Building the kingdom of God or the Kingdom of man."
- Four members of ACER have recently received the Star Awards from the RGU Student Union, demonstrating the Centre’s commitment to quality enterprise education and influence on the future founders. The recipients are Dr Simon Fraser, Dr Eleni Kesidou, Dr Poh Yen Ng and Dr Chioma Onoshakpor.
Case Studies
Nuweave
In 2025, RGU and PDC Cleaning Services began a joint project to develop a new eco friendly microfibre material. The work is led by Dr Chioma Onoshakpor and supported by Prof James Njuguna and is funded through the SFC Innovation Voucher scheme. The goal of the project is to help Scotland reach net zero emissions by 2045 by cutting drying time, reducing energy use, and creating longer lasting products. PDC brought practical cleaning insight, while RGU focused on material design and testing. Together, they reviewed current products, improved fibre composition, and set clear testing standards. The project's success is already visible, with the first batch of the new microfibre cloths arriving in Aberdeen in December 2025 and entering homes and commercial spaces.
A great example of research translating into practical application. Proud of the collaboration between RGU and PDC, and excited to see Nuweave now entering the market and being used in real-world cleaning environments.
Partnerships & collaboration
Collaboration and partnership are at the heart of ACER. Besides working collaboratively with UK scholars, our researchers co-authored with scholars from Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. We also partner with collaborators from countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, New Zealand and South Africa in some of our research projects.
Our partners
We engage with a variety of international partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, aiming to bridge the skills gaps among women entrepreneurs, transforming their entrepreneurial ventures:
- The Gordon Institute of Business Science (South Africa): Her-AI-Path supported close to 300 women entrepreneurs in AI skills, and another group of women entrepreneurs through the upcoming Women Entrepreneurs Accelerate Africa (WEAA) project
- Boss Babes Nigeria and Pan Atlantic University (Nigeria): WEAA project to support 240 women entrepreneurs in AI, digital, finance and growth skills.
- Mizani Lab (Kenya): WEAA project to support 100 women entrepreneurs in AI, digital, finance and growth skills.
ACER also supports local businesses in their innovation endeavours:
- Design and Development of a Sustainable Micro-fibre cloth
RGU and PDC Cleaning Services worked collaborative through the SFC Innovation Voucher scheme. The project is successfully completed. The new product (Miro-fibre cloth) developed from the project is now selling across the country in household and commercial sectors. - Digital transformation of specialist fabrication services for sector diversification
Through the support from Innovate UK’s KTP, ACER members work with IPS (Aberdeen) Limited to convert their manually managed fabrication processes to digitally enabled, AI/BI-supported project management, scheduling and reporting systems. The project is expected to improve operational efficiency, visibility and traceability, reduce manual planning and reporting time, and build staff digital confidence. It will also help IPS diversify beyond oil and gas into low-carbon sectors such as wind, battery storage, nuclear and distilleries, strengthening organisational resilience and supporting regional energy transition.
Opportunities for collaboration
At ACER, we welcome collaborations with academics, industry partners, policymakers, and entrepreneurs who share our commitment to advancing impactful research and practice.
If you are a student looking to address real-world challenges in entrepreneurship with your research, ACER provides a platform to co-create knowledge and produce meaningful impact.
Connect with us to transform knowledge into action!
News & insights
News
Published: 03 February 2026
Aberdeen’s position as a leading hub for innovation continues to strengthen as Robert Gordon University (RGU) announces the 26 startups selected for the 2026 cohort of its Startup Accelerator, Impact North.
Read the latest posts from ACER on LinkedIn:
Work with us
If you would like to partner with the centre or have any questions about our research, please email: