Leana Reinl

Dr. Leana Reinl is a Lecturer in Management at the Business School of South East Technological University (SETU), Ireland. She serves as the Academy lead for Management Practice & Business Development within the BRIM research centre (RIKON) and is the Work Package Lead (WP3) for the Horizon-2020 funded GRASS CEILING project (2022-2025). Her research focuses on micro-firm learning, innovation capability development, and knowledge exchange in rural tourism and small business ecosystems.

Education:

• PhD in Management (2009–2012): Focused on learning networks in Irish tourism micro-firms
• Masters by Research (2007–2009): Analyzed learning relationships in small business networks
• Bachelor of Business (Honors) (2002–2006)

Research Interests: Leana specializes in social learning environments, including Communities of Practice and Living Labs, particularly in rural contexts. She investigates how small firms develop competitive advantages through collaborative knowledge-sharing and network engagement. Her work bridges academic research with practical applications, such as designing intellectual development programs for SMEs.

Key Projects:

• GRASS CEILING (2022–2025): Promotes gender equality in rural innovation systems using Living Lab methodologies
• G-RISE (2024–2028): Explores gendered rural innovation systems evolution
• BRIM Research Centre: Focuses on business development and management practice innovations

Scientific Contributions: Her work has been published in top-tier journals like Tourism Management and Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She has co-edited books and contributed to international projects addressing sustainable tourism and SME competitiveness.

Awards: Holder of the IRC Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship (2014–2018), totaling €274.5k in funding.