Francis Greene

Professor Francis Greene holds the Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University of Edinburgh Business School. His work bridges academic research and practical policy impact, having advised organizations including the OECD, European Commission, and UK governments. He founded the Scottish University Scale-up Consortium, creating the E2 program for entrepreneurial education, and currently serves as an expert advisor to the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry analyzing pandemic impacts on businesses.

Education:

• PhD in Small Growth Businesses and Accounting Support, Durham University (2002)
• MPhil in Economic History (Inter-war Period), University of Sheffield (1992)
• BA in English Literature, University of Sheffield (1989)

His research examines entrepreneurship through quantitative lenses, focusing on:

• Start-up dynamics and scaling challenges
• Entrepreneurial finance and business planning efficacy
• Youth/graduate entrepreneurship pathways
• Policy frameworks for regional economic development
• Behavioral aspects like cognitive biases in serial entrepreneurs

Recent publications demonstrate strong focus on collective business support systems (2024) and cleantech financing. His 91 research outputs consistently analyze entrepreneurship mechanisms in developed economies.

Awards & Honors:

• Best Paper Award, Small Business Service (2005)
• Best Policy Paper (2002)
• JSBM Editor's Choice Award (2007)
• Sanchis Alcover Award (2007)
• Enterprise Education Paper Award (2007)

He leads PhD candidates with econometrics specializations and has directed multiple research projects including:

• Scottish Scale-up Project (2019-2021)
• ESRC-funded study on technology upgrading in SMEs (2019-2020)
• Fife Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre analysis (2018)

Previously directed the Scottish University Scale-up Consortium, uniting 16 business schools to develop entrepreneurial education frameworks.