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.