Sarah Cooper

Sarah Cooper serves as Personal Chair in Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development and Deputy Director of Faculty at the University of Edinburgh Business School. She has held multiple leadership roles including Head of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group (2016-2019) and Director of Undergraduate Programmes (2011-2014).

Her educational background includes a PhD in Management from Heriot-Watt University (awarded 1997) and a BA (Hons) in Geography from the University of Nottingham (1985). She previously held academic positions at the University of Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt University.

Cooper's research centers on entrepreneurship and new venture creation, with two primary streams: (1) technology-based venturing examining learning in regional clusters and gender dynamics in network development, and (2) entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intent through educational interventions. Her work spans sectors including biotechnology, software, and advanced materials across the UK, North America, Jordan, India, and Spain. She co-founded the Education and High Growth Innovation research group with MIT, focusing on how educational programs influence entrepreneurial behavior.

Her recent publications analyze founder identity during crises, e-waste management in Malaysian universities, and gender-family business intersections. Key research trends show increasing focus on

• cross-cultural gender entrepreneurship
• socio-emotional ecosystem dynamics
• technology commercialization in emerging economies

Scientific Awards:

• Best Paper Award, Creative Industries Track (ISBE Conference 2018)
• Best Paper on Business Creation (2012)
• Best Paper on International Entrepreneurship (2012)
• Best Paper on Research and Knowledge Exchange (2015)
• Best Paper on Creative Entrepreneurial Networks (2017)

Cooper leads major research initiatives including the Minoritised Enterprise Policy and Action Lab Scotland (MEPALS) and IoT tourism management projects on the Isle of Skye. She has secured funding from ESRC and Highlands & Islands Enterprise, focusing on entrepreneurial ecosystems and rural development. Her advisory work spans PhD supervision and international program evaluations for UK/Australian public-sector institutions.

She actively collaborates through the Edinburgh Strategic Resilience Initiative and maintains research networks across six countries, with recent hosting of academic visitors from Spain, China, and Malaysia.