Northern Productivity Hub (NPH)

Impact & Engagement

The Northern Productivity Hub has a heavy emphasis on creating meaningful impact from its research, through engaging with local businesses and the community to offer our expert knowledge, and provide support to help businesses develop and improve their practice.

The Centre produced an impact case study for Huddersfield Business School’s REF2021 submission, focusing on the impact of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the Business School and local manufacturing firm Deluxe Beds. The KTP focused on implementing measures to increase productivity while decreasing waste, and making improvements to the company’s operations, which led to savings of more than £1.8 million. Read more about the case study here.

The Centre continues to expand its impact, and continuously works towards applying its research to make a real difference locally, nationally, and around the world.

Professor Alper Kara has provided advice and guidance to the European Central Bank, influencing its policies on issues including the Mortgage Securitisation Market, having an impact on economies across the continent.

To work with the Centre, email productivity@hud.ac.uk.

Impact & Engagement

The Northern Productivity Hub has a heavy emphasis on creating meaningful impact from its research, through engaging with local businesses and the community to offer our expert knowledge, and provide support to help businesses develop and improve their practice.

The Centre produced an impact case study for Huddersfield Business School’s REF2021 submission, focusing on the impact of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership between the Business School and local manufacturing firm Deluxe Beds. The KTP focused on implementing measures to increase productivity while decreasing waste, and making improvements to the company’s operations, which led to savings of more than £1.8 million. Read more about the case study here.

The Centre continues to expand its impact, and continuously works towards applying its research to make a real difference locally, nationally, and around the world.

Professor Alper Kara has provided advice and guidance to the European Central Bank, influencing its policies on issues including the Mortgage Securitisation Market, having an impact on economies across the continent.

To work with the Centre, email productivity@hud.ac.uk.

Research Themes

The Northern Productivity Hub is based around three primary research themes, with three further cross-cutting themes that inform and contribute to the primary themes through their activity. The themes individually present a strong research culture, and a strong record of publication and public engagement, but together constitute a truly ‘joined up’ approach to understanding productivity and making valuable contributions to developing innovative solutions to supporting and improving individual and organisational productivity.

Financial and Economic Decisions

Leader: Dr Zulfiqar Shah
This theme focuses on research investigating topics including financial markets, corporate finance, monetary economics, accounting, Fintech and data analytics. The research activity of the theme is focused on understanding how the financial world works and how it supports and contribute to productivity.
This theme is supported by the Huddersfield Business School Trading Room, which is equipped with financial software providing up to date financial and economic data, meaning the theme’s research is truly at the cutting-edge of the field.

 

People and Organisations

Leader: Dr Dinuka Herath
Activity in this theme is based on the examination of the implications of management and employee activity on an organisational, local, national and global scale. Through research in fields including the sociology of work, human resource management, organisational studies, and entrepreneurship, the theme seeks to contribute to debates on the nature of contemporary work and employment, as well as management and leadership within all types of organisations.

 

Supply Chains and Digital Transformation

Leader: Dr Imran Ali
This thematic area focuses on the confluence of Supply Chain Management (SCM) & Digital Transformation (DT), an interdisciplinary & fast evolving area of research. We lead an industry-led research agenda and aim to further develop our collaboration with local SMEs & assist with improving management of their Supply Chains, with a focus on Digital Technologies. This theme has a particular focus on Circular Economy and works towards Net Zero in managing Supply Chains and improving Productivity. The theme includes both academic staff from across the University, and supply chain professionals from industry, which uniquely positions us to make valuable contributions towards academic research, while also supporting businesses in improving their practice through effective Knowledge Exchange.

 

In addition to these themes which have specific focus, the Centre’s activity is organised into three additional cross-cutting themes to which the other research areas will contribute, and will provide high quality support to enable the Centre’s research to have real-world impact. These themes are: Business Intelligence and Analytics; Measuring and Evaluating Productivity, Efficiency and Value; and Reach, Impact and Place.

Research Themes

The Northern Productivity Hub is based around three primary research themes, with three further cross-cutting themes that inform and contribute to the primary themes through their activity. The themes individually present a strong research culture, and a strong record of publication and public engagement, but together constitute a truly ‘joined up’ approach to understanding productivity and making valuable contributions to developing innovative solutions to supporting and improving individual and organisational productivity.

Financial and Economic Decisions

Leader: Dr Yilmaz Yildiz
This theme focuses on research investigating topics including financial markets, corporate finance, monetary economics, accounting, Fintech and data analytics. The research activity of the theme is focused on understanding how the financial world works and how it supports and contribute to productivity.
This theme is supported by the Huddersfield Business School Trading Room, which is equipped with financial software providing up to date financial and economic data, meaning the theme’s research is truly at the cutting-edge of the field.

 

People and Organisations

Leader: Dr Dinuka Herath
Activity in this theme is based on the examination of the implications of management and employee activity on an organisational, local, national and global scale. Through research in fields including the sociology of work, human resource management, organisational studies, and entrepreneurship, the theme seeks to contribute to debates on the nature of contemporary work and employment, as well as management and leadership within all types of organisations.

 

Supply Chains and Digital Transformation

Leader: Dr Imran Ali
This thematic area focuses on the confluence of Supply Chain Management (SCM) & Digital Transformation (DT), an interdisciplinary & fast evolving area of research. We lead an industry-led research agenda and aim to further develop our collaboration with local SMEs & assist with improving management of their Supply Chains, with a focus on Digital Technologies. This theme has a particular focus on Circular Economy and works towards Net Zero in managing Supply Chains and improving Productivity. The theme includes both academic staff from across the University, and supply chain professionals from industry, which uniquely positions us to make valuable contributions towards academic research, while also supporting businesses in improving their practice through effective Knowledge Exchange.

 

In addition to these themes which have specific focus, the Centre’s activity is organised into three additional cross-cutting themes to which the other research areas will contribute, and will provide high quality support to enable the Centre’s research to have real-world impact. These themes are: Business Intelligence and Analytics; Measuring and Evaluating Productivity, Efficiency and Value; and Reach, Impact and Place.