Leeds University Business School showcases research-led solutions for business at Leeds Digital Festival
Leeds University Business School brought academic expertise and business challenges together at a special event as part of Leeds Digital Festival 2026.
The event explored how research and AI can help organisations make informed decisions, understand their customers and navigate complex business challenges. Held on 1 October, “Addressing Business Challenges with Research and AI” welcomed business professionals to the University House for an afternoon of research insights, discussion and networking with the Business School’s academic community.
The event highlighted how collaboration between academia and industry can help organisations explore practical solutions to real-world problems, drawing on expertise spanning supply chain management, consumer behaviour, payment systems and finance.
Turning academic research into practical business insights
The programme featured presentations from three Leeds University Business School academics, showcasing how research can offer fresh perspectives on the decisions businesses face.
- Professor Chee Yew Wong, Professor of Supply Chain Management, explored contemporary supply chain challenges and the role of research in supporting decision-making across complex value chains. His session highlighted how insights into supply chain strategy, resilience and performance can help organisations respond to changing business conditions.
- Dr Dionysius Ang, Associate Professor of Marketing, examined how payment options, including Buy Now, Pay Later, influence consumer behaviour. Drawing on transaction data from a large US retailer, the presentation explored how payment structures can affect purchasing frequency, spending and consumers’ perceptions of financial constraints, offering valuable considerations for retailers and organisations developing payment strategies.
- Assistant Professor Costas Lambrinoudakis, Assistant Professor of Finance, explored how social media visibility can translate into business benefits. His presentation examined the relationship between social media influencers, investor attention and companies’ stock trading activity, highlighting how the characteristics and location of an influencer’s audience can matter as much as their follower numbers.
Together, the presentations demonstrated the breadth of expertise available at Leeds University Business School and how research can help businesses better understand consumer decisions, strengthen supply chains and assess the implications of digital visibility.
Exploring opportunities to collaborate with the Business School
Professor Alessandro Biraglia, Professor of Marketing and Behavioural Science and Academic Lead for Research External Engagement, opened the event with an overview of how businesses can engage with the Business School’s research expertise. He highlighted the opportunities for organisations to work with academic colleagues to explore challenges, develop research questions and identify approaches that support their strategic priorities.
Professor Biraglia commented:
Leeds University Business School offers businesses the opportunity to connect with academic expertise and explore challenges in new ways. By working collaboratively, we can bring rigorous research and real-world business experience together to develop insights that inform decision-making, support innovation and address the challenges organisations face. Businesses don't need to arrive with a fully defined research brief - the first step is often simply a conversation about the issues that matter to them.
The event concluded with an informal networking reception, giving attendees the opportunity to connect with academics, discuss potential areas of shared interest and explore future collaboration. Through its participation in Leeds Digital Festival, Leeds University Business School continues to strengthen connections between research and practice, creating opportunities for businesses to access academic expertise and explore how research-led insight can support innovation, growth and better decision-making.
