Raphael Bar El | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Scifat

Prof. Raphael Bar El | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award 

Professor | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev | Israel

Prof. Raphael Bar El is a distinguished economist and innovation scholar recognized for his extensive contributions to the fields of regional development, innovation policy, and public management. His research focuses on innovation systems, entrepreneurship, and the strategic interplay between economic policy and regional growth. Professor Bar-El has authored and edited several influential books, such as Regional Development and Conflict Management: A Case for Brazil, Desenvolvimento Econômico Regional para a Redução da Pobreza e Desigualdade, Industrialização Rural no Nordeste, and The Economic Development of the Arab Sector in Israel. His academic publications have appeared in leading volumes and journals, addressing topics such as under-investment in innovative enterprises, the spatial distribution of high-tech industries, and socio-economic policy frameworks for conflict regions. Professor Bar-El’s leadership extends beyond academia to public service and international development. He has served as Director of the National and Economic Planning Authority at the Ministry of Economy and Planning and as Director General of the Development Study Center. As the Founder and President of the Israeli Regional Science Association, he has played a pioneering role in advancing regional science and innovation policy in Israel and abroad. His expertise has been sought by numerous international organizations and governments, including the World Bank, UNDP, and various ministries across Latin America, Africa, and Europe, where he has led and advised more than thirty major development and innovation projects. With an academic record comprising 56 documents, 387 citations across 328 publications, and an h-index of 11, Professor Bar-El continues to influence policy thinking and academic discourse on regional innovation and sustainable economic development. His long-standing commitment to integrating theory with practical policy solutions has positioned him as a leading voice in shaping innovation ecosystems and fostering socio-economic growth across diverse regions.

Profiles : Scopus | ORCID | Google Scholar 

Featured Publications :

Bar-El, R., Gavious, I., Kaufmann, D., & Schwartz, D. (2017). Under-investments in innovative SMEs: The effect of entrepreneurial cognitive bias. In K. O. Lundvall & P. Nielsen (Eds.), Human capital and assets in the networked world.

Schwartz, D., Avnimelech, G., & Bar-El, R. (2012). The location of knowledge economy and high-tech in Israel. In J. K. Gibson-Graham & G. Roelvink (Eds.), Societies in motion: Innovation, migration and regional transformation.

Bar-El, R. (2014). Economic considerations in implementing a parallel states structure. In M. Cohen & C. Scheindlin (Eds.), One land, two states: Israel and Palestine as parallel states University of California Press.

Bar-El, R., & Co-authors. (2024). Can the periphery survive innovation-led growth? Insights from Israel. Regional Studies, Regional Science.

Bar-El, R., & Co-authors. (2022). Adapting reverse mentoring strategy to SMEs: A new pilot model implemented in Brazil. Sustainability.

Fu-Mei Chuang | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Scifat

Dr. Fu-Mei Chuang | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award 

Associate Professor at Rennes School of Business | France 

Dr. Fu-Mei Chuang is an accomplished academic and marketing scholar who serves as an Associate Professor in the Marketing Department at Rennes School of Business, France, an institution accredited by EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA. She possesses extensive international academic and professional experience across Europe and Asia, with previous roles at Loughborough University and Cardiff Business School in the United Kingdom, as well as Trans-World University and the World Trade Centre in Taiwan. Her academic background reflects a strong interdisciplinary foundation, holding advanced degrees in marketing, innovation, and international business from renowned universities in the United Kingdom and Taiwan. Dr. Chuang’s research focuses on marketing innovation, new product development, strategic management, and value co-creation, particularly within high-technology and luxury industries. According to Google Scholar, she has achieved 257 total citations, an h-index of 4, and an i10-index of 4 across 7 key publications. Her scholarly contributions have been published in leading academic journals, including the British Journal of Management, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Research Policy, and Journal of Strategic Marketing. She has also contributed to the Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing and has several papers under review in reputable outlets such as Technological Forecasting and Social Change and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. Her work often explores how organizational learning, market orientation, and innovation strategies drive competitive advantage and new product success, especially in emerging markets like China. In addition to her research, Dr. Chuang has actively participated in major international conferences, including those organized by the American Marketing Association, the Academy of International Business, and the Strategic Management Society.

Profiles : ORCID | Google Scholar 

Featured Publications : 

Liu, X., Hodgkinson, I. R., & Chuang, F.-M. (2014). Foreign competition, domestic knowledge base and innovation activities: Evidence from Chinese high-tech industries. Research Policy, 43(2), 414–422.

Chuang, F.-M., Morgan, R. E., & Robson, M. J. (2015). Customer and competitor insights, new product development competence, and new product creativity: Differential, integrative, and substitution effects. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(2), 175–182.

Chuang, F.-M., Morgan, R. E., & Robson, M. J. (2012). Clan culture, strategic orientation and new product performance in Chinese marketing ventures: An exploration of main and moderating effects. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 20(3), 267–286.

Robson, M. J., Chuang, F.-M., Morgan, R. E., Bıçakcıoğlu‐Peynirci, N., & Di Benedetto, C. A. (2023). New product development process execution, integration mechanisms, capabilities and outcomes: Evidence from Chinese high‐technology ventures. British Journal of Management, 34(4), 2036–2056.

Chuang, F.-M., Morgan, R. E., & Robson, M. J. (2014). Creativity and innovation for new technology ventures. In The Sustainable Global Marketplace: Proceedings of the 2011 Academy of Marketing Science Conference (pp. 597–601). Springer.