Dr Gerardo Javier Arriaga-Garcia

Business School
Research fellow

Contact details

Address
University House
116 Edgbaston Park Rd
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr. Gerardo Arriaga-Garcia is a Research Fellow at City-REDI, Business School, where he leads an inclusive innovation research agenda. His work centres on developing tailored frameworks and toolkits to enhance place-based, inclusive local innovation ecosystems. Dr. Arriaga-Garcia's current research focuses on co-creating actionable policy recommendations, advancing the academic discourse on place-based innovation, and performing in-depth data analysis to design novel intellectual models and methodologies that drive impactful change.

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Qualifications

Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA), Advance HE. 2023

Board Member, Academics Standad Against Poverty, 2022

CPD Accredited Training on Managing Projects, CPD Standards Office, 2021

PhD in Social Policy, University of Birmingham, 2019

MA in International Relations, Universidad Pompeu Fabra, IBEI, 2010

MA in Development Studies, Erasmus Rotterdam University, ISS, 2009

BA in International Relations, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 2004

Postgraduate Certificate in Advance Research Methods (PGCARMS), University of Birmingham, 2019

71eme Cours sur le Droit des Réfugié, International Institute of Humanitarian Law. 2013

Biography

Dr. Gerardo Javier Arriaga-Garcia is a seasoned researcher and educator with extensive expertise in social policy, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Holding a PhD in Social Policy from the University of Birmingham, fully funded by CONACYT Mexico, Dr. Gerardo Arriaga-Garcia specialises in evaluating and developing inclusive strategies for economic and social development, particularly focusing on marginalised communities and migrant enterprises.

With a developing portfolio of academic publications, successful research grants and impactful collaborations with public and private stakeholders, Dr. Gerardo has advanced policies that bridge gaps in inclusion and innovation. Prior to re-joining the University of Birmingham, Dr. Gerardo was an Associate Lecturer at Ulster University Business School, QAHE where he leverages his multidisciplinary research background and over a decade of international experience in teaching, policymaking, and consultancy to inspire and equip future business leaders. Recognised for methodological rigour through the Fellowship of Higher Education Academy, he focused on fostering actionable research and inclusive practices to drive sustainable development.

Dr. Gerardo Arriaga-Garcia joined City-RED as a Research Fellow bringing his emphasis on an inclusive innovation research agenda, driving the development of tailored frameworks and toolkits to strengthen local innovation ecosystems. His work addresses sector-specific needs and promotes inclusive development by collaborating with local leaders, community stakeholders, businesses, and academic institutions. Dr. Gerardo focuses on impactful and actionable solutions, through an array of mixed methods spanning delphi, focus groups, interviews (Nvivo and Atlas.ti) and quantitative analysis (SPSS) that foster economic and social prosperity.

Postgraduate supervision

Dr. Gerardo Arriaga-Garcia is well-equipped to supervise PhD theses that focus on inclusive innovation, place-based development, and the intersections of entrepreneurship, policy, and social equity. His extensive research experience spans qualitative and mixed-methods approaches, policy analysis, and the development of actionable frameworks to enhance innovation ecosystems. Potential topics under his supervision could include the role of migrant and minority entrepreneurs in economic development, strategies for fostering inclusive growth in regional clusters, and the socio-economic impacts of public policies on marginalized communities.

Research

Current:

Inclusive Innovation Lead – LPIP Project (October 2024–March 2026)

Dr. Gerardo Arriaga-Garcia is the Inclusive Innovation Lead for the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) at City-REDI, University of Birmingham. In this role, he develops tailored frameworks and toolkits to strengthen local innovation ecosystems by addressing sectorspecific needs and promoting inclusive growth.

Case Study Analysis and Evaluation – WMHTIA (October 2024–March 2025)

Dr. Arriaga-Garcia supports the evaluation of the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA), an initiative funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology in partnership with Innovate UK and the West Midlands Combined Authority. The WMHTIA unites 20 partners across academia, industry, and the NHS to provide companies with access to critical resources and expertise for advancing health technologies. His contributions include case study analysis and the assessment of the accelerator's impact on the regional health tech sector.

Previous:

Evaluation of Migrant Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (2017–2021)

At Aston University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME), Dr. Arriaga-Garcia co-led a longitudinal study on the integration of migrant entrepreneurs into local economic systems. This included the development of trust-based legitimacy frameworks through community organising and action research principles and the analysis of adaptive strategies in migrant-led social enterprises. His findings, rooted in mixed-methods approaches, contributed to a journal article and policy recommendations that addressed diversity and inclusion in entrepreneurship.

Community-Led Industrial Policy Evaluation (2020–2021)

While consulting for Nesta, Dr. Arriaga-Garcia co-led an evaluation project under the “Everyone Makes Innovation Policy” initiative. He investigated the impact of community organising on industrial innovation policies for migrant micro-enterprises. The research underscored the importance of navigating public procurement processes to support diverse business ecosystems.

Migration, Inclusion, and Economic Development (2016–2020)

As part of his work at Aston University, Dr. Arriaga-Garcia conducted action-oriented research that explored the intersections of migration, entrepreneurship, and local economic development. His innovative methodologies, including stakeholder mapping and institutional memory frameworks, enhanced project efficiency and contributed to the submission of a journal article to high-impact academic journals

Higher Education and Inequality (2011–2012)

At UNESCO’s Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi), Dr. Arriaga-Garcia examined the role of higher education in addressing inequality and promoting sustainable growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. This cross-sectional study, conducted in collaboration with the Catalan Development Cooperation Agency, emphasised the potential of academic institutions to contribute to broader societal transformations.

Regulatory Agencies and Governance (2010–2011)

As a Research Assistant at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI), Dr. Arriaga-Garcia contributed to the GlobalReg project, analyzing the diffusion of regulatory agencies across Europe. His work involved quantitative data visualization and policy analysis, producing insights into sectoral networks and the spatial dynamics of institutional governance.