Kathryn Cormican

DR

Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

My field of expertise is the area of enterprise and innovation engineering. My particular interest is in the design, development and validation of new processes and systems for effective product innovation. Other closely aligned areas include enterprise systems integration and inter-enterprise collaboration.

This is an applied research area. It is essential to work closely with industry to identify and prioritise requirements, co-develop solutions and implement and validate new models and systems. A systems ethos which includes people, process and technology related issues are employed in the research.

The centre of focus maybe on a specific process, business unit, enterprise or value network which would typically include an enterprise and its relationship with its customers, suppliers, regulatory bodies, and other key stakeholders. The research area is multidisciplinary in nature and spans functions such as engineering, technology and business.

The research models real world dynamic systems in order to gain a deep insight into how organisations effectively manage their innovative efforts. The following activities are central to this.

Analyse root cause of failure and measure the impact and implications of failure on an organization.
Model key business processes paying particular attention to the information flow and how decisions are made.
Analyse systems relative to key performance indicators such as time, cost, standard, environment, innovation etc.
Develop solutions such as (i) information management systems, (ii) process and systems and (iii) models and methodologies based on state of the art best practice
Validate and test solution and measure impact relative to key performance indicators.


This research adopts a life-cycle approach to product innovation. In other words, we aim to optimise all aspects in the development cycle such as needs analysis, concept development, evaluation and validation, commercialisation and product take back at its end of life.


















Calculated based on number of publications stored in Pure and citations from Scopus

Personal profile

Biography

Kathryn Cormican is a Professor in Systems Engineering at the University of Galway. She leads research in the areas of in the area of Technology Innovation Management and Entreprise Sytemsin the School of Engineering. Her research group [Enterprise Research Centre] comprises nine PhD students, two research associates and twopostdoctoral fellows.Her work is multidisciplinary and applied and she works closely with industry to identify and prioritize requirements, co-develop solutions and validate and implement new models and systems.Prof. Cormican is internationally recognized for her contribution to research and has won many international awards including Entrepreneurial Leader of the year in 2022. Her PhD research was internationally recognized when she won the prestigious John Burbidge Award for best paper and presentation at the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Conference in Logistics and Production Management. Her proven track record for excellence in research has continued and she recently co-authored the best paper at the International Conference on Management, Technology and Services. She has published over 160 peer-reviewed papers. She has published work in leading journals in her field including Computers in Industry,IEEE Transactions in Industrial Informatics,IEEE Transactions in Engineering Management andTechnovation. Her research achievements have been recognized through invited keynote presentations at international conferences and symposia.Prof.Cormican has served on editorial and scientific committees for leading journals and conferences in her field. She was honoured to be appointed Programme Chair for the International Conference in Project management in 2016. She is a reviewer for many peer-reviewed journals in her field and a member of the scientific committee for many international conferences. Kathryn boasts a strong international network. This is evidenced by her many prestigious appointments. She was an invited Adjunct Faculty member in the Center for Science and Health Care Delivery at the Mayo Clinic in 2014 and a visiting scholar at Tsinghua University Beijing in 2015. In addition, Kathryn directs an award-winning Masters programme in the area of Enterprise Systems which was specifically designed to equip graduates with the requisite skills needed for employment in the high-tech industry. She was also the academic director of the MSc in Technology Management; a unique multidisciplinary programme delivered in conjunction with UL and UCC from 2010 to 2022. Kathryn was appointed External Examiner for UCD, UL, DCU and GMIT. She acted as an academic programme reviewer and continues to serve on many programme boards across the University. She has designed and delivered innovative modules in the areas of technology innovation amp; entrepreneurship, project management and research methods.

Research Interests

Our research focuses on the design, development and analysis of new processes and systems. We aim to optimise all aspects in the development cycle such as needs analysis, concept development, evaluation and validation, commercialisation and product take back at its end of life. This is an applied research area. Therefore it is essential to work closely with industry to identify and prioritise requirements, co-develop solutions and implement and validate new models and systems. A systems ethos which includes people, process and technology related issues are employed in the research. The research area is multidisciplinary in nature and spans functions such as engineering, technology and business. Our research contributes to and has a tangible impact on two key areas namely academia and industry: First we expand and deepen the academic debate in often neglected but essential areas of research e.g. technology management and enterprise systems. A cross functional lens give this research a unique perspective to our work and contributes towards the integration of academic disciplines. I have a proven track record in publishing research outputs e.g. 27 peer reviewed journal papers, 67 peer reviewed conference papers, 4 book chapters, 1 abstract, 3 technical papers and 6 distance learning textbooks. Second as our research is applied in nature we seek to develop tangible outputs (such as architectures, models and information management systems) that solve real world problems. The development and application of diagnostic tools helps organisations such as Medtronic, Honeywell and Stryker to understand where their strengths and weaknesses lie which allows us to co-develop focused and prioritised action plans for improvement. The introduction of new or improved processes and services has significantly enhanced organisational performance (i.e. reduced development time, reduced cost, improved quality and increased profits) in companies like Merit Medical, Boston Scientific and Intel. The research findings has influenced, informed and enhanced management practice and decision making in many organisations across many industries e.g. food, high tech and med tech industry.

Teaching Interests

ME432 Technology Innovation amp; EntrepreneurshipIE446 Project ManagementME3102 Project Management for EngineersIE225 Project Planning amp; OrganisationME520 Research MethodsME521 Research Methods for Engineers

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 4 - Quality Education
  • SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Education/Academic qualification

BBS, MBS, PHD

Accepting PhD Students

  • Accepting PhD Students

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