David Johnson

Dr David Johnson is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Durham University Business School, where he serves as Associate Chair for the £9 million Smart & Scale initiative supporting SME innovation in North-East England. He is also a Fellow of the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing and maintains active Visiting Fellow positions at international institutions.

Johnson's educational background includes:

• PhD in Management (Entrepreneurship), University of Edinburgh Business School
• MSc by Research (Entrepreneurship), University of Edinburgh Business School
• MBA, Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow
• Master's degree in Science, University of Edinburgh
• Bachelor's degree in Science, University of Leeds
• PG Cert in Learning, Teaching, and Assessment Practice

His research centers on academic entrepreneurship, life science commercialisation, and university-industry engagement, with particular focus on linguistic approaches and machine learning applications. Johnson examines how institutional practices shape entrepreneurial activities across contexts ranging from regenerative medicine to Freemasonry, emphasizing the built environment's role in ecosystem development.

Johnson's publication trajectory reveals evolving methodological sophistication, shifting from early studies on regenerative medicine venturing (2014-2017) toward computational linguistics and machine learning applications (2024-2025). His work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical innovation challenges, spanning entrepreneurial ecosystems, technology transfer, and narrative analysis in resource mobilization.

His scientific recognition includes:

• NASA Innovation and Technology Transfer: Space2Pitch Final
• Visiting Research Fellow at Interface, Edinburgh
• Fellow of Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing
• Visiting Research Fellow at Skolkovo Institute
• Visiting Research Scholar at Wisconsin School of Business
• Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Johnson supervises postgraduate students including Clare Talbot-Jones and Olivia King, supported by over £500,000 in research funding:

• Science commercialisation activities at university-industry boundary (£390,824)
• Cardiology-focused point-of-care device development (£38,934)
• Primary Research Support Fund for Zambian field research (2025)
• Global Engagement Grant for Dartmouth College knowledge exchange (2024)

He actively leads research infrastructure as Co-Director of Durham Enterprise Centre and through his Smart & Scale initiative role, while contributing to interdisciplinary health research via the Wolfson Institute fellowship.