معرفی
Dr. Keivan Aghasi is a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the University of Sheffield, with an honorary Associate position at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School's Entrepreneurship Centre. He holds dual PhDs from Politecnico di Milano (Polimi) and the Royal Institute of Technology, alongside MSc degrees from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. His research focuses on the challenges and strategies for scaling startups into viable businesses, including the role of accelerators, incubators, and regional interventions. Key interests include growth strategies for SMEs, cross-border acquisitions, and post-acquisition integration dynamics.
His research portfolio spans over a decade, with notable contributions to understanding post-acquisition CEO retention, knowledge sourcing through acquisitions, and the impact of cultural distance in cross-border high-tech acquisitions. Keivan has contributed to EU and national projects addressing resource acquisition challenges for startups and SME innovation drivers in high-tech and cultural sectors.
He currently supervises doctoral researcher Fajrin Muttaqin on social enterprise failure and learning opportunities. Keivan teaches strategic entrepreneurship, start-up coopetition, and growth strategies in emerging economies. His funded projects include exploring sponsorship impacts on Italian high-tech SMEs (AiIG grant, 2022–2024) and SME productivity via peer-learning systems (Innovate UK, £350k, 2020–2021).
His publications highlight trends in acquisition-driven growth, post-merger integration dilemmas, and the strategic role of endorsement in venture success. These works emphasize practical implications for policymakers and practitioners aiming to strengthen startup ecosystems and SME scalability.
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