Prof. David North

Head of Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR)

Department: Business and Management

David North

Contact

Qualifications

PhD, BA (Econ)

Research Interests

  • Regional and Local Economic Governance
  • Regional and Urban Economic Policy
  • Rural Economic Development Issues
  • Small Business Development and Innovation
  • Access to Finance for SMEs

Teaching Interests

  • Regional and Local Economic Development Policy
  • Research Methods
  • Small and Medium Size Enterprise Development and Policy

Biography

Biography

On completion of his PhD in economic geography at University College London, David was appointed to a lectureship in planning studies in the newly formed Middlesex Polytechnic in 1972. He now has almost forty years experience of teaching and research in the fields of regional and local economic development, urban regeneration, and small business development and policy. David was a co-founder of the Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research (CEEDR) in 1992 which for the last thirteen years has been based in the Business School. His most recent research has focused on the economic and employment dimensions of neighbourhood renewal (for the Department for Communities and Local Government) and on devolution, regional governance and the economic needs of deprived localities (for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation). An expanding area of his interest has been the financing of SMEs, including a study of access to bank finance for Scottish SMEs (for the Scottish Government) and an assessment of the government’s equity finance initiatives for SMEs with growth potential (for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills). He is currently undertaking research on the implications of the credit crunch for the financing of high tech SMEs. David has extensive experience of teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, PhD supervision, and external examining.

Recent Publications (since 2000):

Books

  • Syrett, S. & North, D. (2008) Renewing Neighbourhoods: Work, Enterprise and Governance’, 290 pages, Policy Press, Bristol, ISBN: 978 1 86134 861 6
  • North, D., Syrett, S., & Etherington, D. (2007) ‘Devolution and Regional Governance: Tackling the economic needs of deprived areas’, 119 pages, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York, ISBN: 978 1 85935 614 2

Chapters in edited books

  • North, D. & Smallbone, D. (2004) ‘Policies to Foster Enterprise in Rural Peripheral Areas’, in Labrianidis L. (ed) ‘The Future of Europe’s Rural Peripheries’ Ashgate, 2004, pp 137-156.
  • Smallbone, D. & North, D. (2004) ‘Entrepreneurship in Devon and Cornwall: Policy Perspectives’, in Labrianidis L. (ed) ‘The Future of Europe’s Rural Peripheries’ Ashgate, 2004, pp 179-197.
  • North, D., Smallbone, D., & Vickers, I. (2003) ‘SMEs and the Innovative Capability of Regions:London’s Lee Valley Region in a European Context’ in Kirby, D. & Watson, A. (eds) ‘Small Firms and Economic Development in Developed and Transition Economies: A Reader’. Ashgate Publishing.
  • Smallbone D, North D and Vickers I (2003) 'The role and characteristics of SMEs', in B Asheim, C Nauwelers & F Todtling (eds.) Regional Innovation Policy for Small-Medium Enterprises, Edward Elgar, pp 3-20.
  • Smallbone, D., North, D., Vickers, I. & McCarthy, I. (2000) “Policy Support for R & D in SMEs: the UK Government’s SMART Award Scheme”, in During, W., Oakey, R., & Mukhtar, S. (eds) New Technology-based Firms in the 1990s , Pergamon, Oxford, pp 143-159, ISBN 0 08 043791 5

Refereed articles in Academic Journals

  • North, D., Baldock, R., & Ekanem, I. (2010) ‘Is there a Debt Finance Gap relating to Scottish SMEs? A demand-side perspective’, Venture Capital, Vol.12, No. 3, pp. 173-192
  • North, D., Syrett, S., & Etherington, D. (2009) ‘Tackling concentrated Worklessness: Integrating Governance and Policy across and with Spatial Levels’, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Vol.27, No.6, pp. 1022-1039
  • North, D. & Syrett, S. (2008) ‘Making the Links: Economic Deprivation, Neighbourhood Renewal and Scales of Governance', Regional Studies, Vol 42, No. 2, pp. 133-148.
  • North, D. & Smallbone, D. (2006) ‘Developing Entrepreneurship and Enterprise in Europe’s Peripheral Rural Areas: Some Issues Facing Policy-makers’, European Planning Studies, Vol..14, No.1, pp41-60
  • Smallbone., D. North, D., Roper, S., & Vickers, I. (2003) ' Innovation and the Use of Technology in Manufacturing Plants and SMEs: an Inter-Regional Comparison' Environment and Planning C : Government and Policy, 21, pp 37-52
  • Smallbone D., Baldock R. and North D (2003) 'Policy Support for Small Firms in Rural Areas: the English Experience', Environment and Planning C, Government and Policy 21, 6, pp 825-841
  • North, D., Smallbone, D. & Vickers, I., (2001) ‘Public Sector Support for Innovating SMEs’, Small Business Economics, 16, pp 303-317
  • North, D. & Smallbone, D (2000) ‘The Innovativeness and Growth of Rural SMEs in the 1990s’, Regional Studies, 34.2, 145-157
  • North, D. & Smallbone, D. (2000) ‘Innovative Activity in SMEs and Rural Economic Development: Some Evidence from England’, European Planning Studies 8.1, 87-106
  • Vickers, I. & North, D. (2000) `Policy for Innovation and Technology Support: The Example of Regional Technology Centres’, European Planning Studies, 8.3, 301-318
  • North, D. & Baldock, R. (2000) ‘From Crisis Manager to Strategic Partner: The Changing Role of Four London Boroughs in Economic Regeneration’, Town Planning Review , 71.4, pp 435-454

Official Reports

  • 2010 Early Assessment of the Impact of BIS Equity Fund Initiatives, Report published by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, URN 10/1037. (North, D., Baldock, R., Ekanem, I., & Lewis, A.)
  • 2009 Local Area Agreements and Local Economic Development, Report published by the Department of Communities and Local Government, ISBN 978 1 4098 16744. (Syrett, S., North, D., Baldock, R., Etherington, D.)
  • 2009 Mystery Shopping the Early Stages of the Business Link Service, Report published by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, URN 09/1538. (Baldock, R. & North, D.)
  • 2008 Access to Bank Finance for Scottish SMEs, report published by the Scottish Government. ISSN 0950 2254, ISBN 978 0 7559 7225 8. (North, D., Baldock, R., Ekanem, I. Deakins, D. Whittam, G. & Wyper, J.)
  • 2007 Devolution and Regional Governance: Tackling the Economic Needs of Deprived Areas, Joseph Rowntree Foundation. (North, D., Syrett, S. and Etherington, D.)
  • 2006 The Impact of Perceived Access to Finance Difficulties on the Demand for External Finance, Research Report to the Small Business Service. (Wyer P., Ekanem, I., North, D. & Deakins, D.)
  • 2006 Competition and Choice in Public Sector Services in Rural England, Report to the Commission for Rural Communities. (Lyon, F. and North, D.)
  • 2006 The Dynamics of Local Economies and Deprived Neighbourhoods, report published by the Department of Communities and Local Government, summer 2006). (North, D., Syrett, S., Baldock, R., Ramsden M., Vickers, I., Clift, S.)
  • 2005 Evaluation of the Deprived Urban Post Office Fund, Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (published as Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Research Report No.20, December 2005). (North D., Vickers I., Baldock R., Ekan, I., & Botero A.) : http://www.neighbourhood.gov.uk/publications.asp?did=1667
  • 2004 Public Service Sectors in Rural England. Report to the Countryside Agency. (North, D., Lyon, F., Ramsden, M., Baldock, R.)
  • 2002 Business Regeneration of Deprived Areas: A Review of the Evidence Base, Report to the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Published as ODPM Research Report No. 5, 2003. (North, D., Smallbone, D., Lyon, F., & Potts, G.)
  • 2003 The Future of Europe's Rural Periphery, European Commission Framework V project coordinated by Labrianidis, L. (University of Macedonia). Final report Part A, chapter on "European Policy to Foster Entrepreneurship in Rural Peripheral Areas". Final Report Part B, National Reports, Chapter 5 on United Kingdom: Cumbria and Devon & Cornwall. (Smallbone, D., & North, D.)

Conference papers

  • Ekanem I., North D., and Deakins, D. (2009) ‘Is there a finance gap for SMEs? Some evidence from recent studies in Scotland and London’ paper presented at the International Council for Small Business Conference, South Korea, June 2009.
  • Vickers I., Lyon F., and North, D. (2009) ‘Removing barriers and unlocking enterprise in targeted support for disadvantaged groups’ Paper presented at the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Conference, Liverpool, November 2009.
  • Deakins,D., North, D., Baldock, R., and Whittam, F. (2008) ‘SMEs’ access to finance: is there still a debt finance gap?’ Paper presented at the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Conference, Belfast, November 2008 (won best paper award).
  • Syrett, S. and North, D. (2008)) ‘Deprived neighbourhoods in the contemporary city: work, enterprise and new forms of governance’, paper presented at EURA Conference. ‘Learning cities in a knowledge based society’, Milan, 9-11 October 2008.
  • Syrett, S., North D., and Etherington, D. (2008) ‘Tackling concentrated worklessness in Europe’s cities and regions: integrating interventions across spatial scales’, papers presented at EURS Conference Diverse Europes, Istanbul, September 2008.
  • North, D., Syrett, S., and Etherington, D. (2007) ‘Tackling concentrated worklessness in deprived localities: integrating interventions across spatial scales’ Regional Studies Association Employability and Labour Market Policy workshop, Napier University, October 2007
Bookmark and Share