Tear up the rule book to deal with climate change, says new professor

Posted Friday 4 May 2012

Professor Audley Genus joins the staff of Kingston University's Business School. Success in reaching climate change targets requires the rules of the game to be rewritten, according to a senior academic. "There are many impediments, not all of them regulatory, to meeting the enormous challenge of achieving climate change goals," Professor Audley Genus, the new YTL Professor of Innovation and Technology Management at Kingston University's Business School, said.

"A lot of attention is on governmental barriers to the growth of the renewable energy industry. But we need to look beyond formal regulatory and legislative provisions and, in addition, pay attention to the creation of new business models, and attitudes toward energy supply and consumption. A start has been made, with some established energy firms and local communities adopting innovative business models."

His comments come as experts warn that businesses must take climate change seriously if they are to enjoy the backing of institutional investors. "I am most interested in how innovators can now change the way things are done, particularly with regard to renewable energy," he said.

Tan Sri Dato’ Francis Yeoh, one of Asia’s leading business people, is behind the new post, having donated half a million pounds to the University. Professor Genus joined the staff of Kingston Business School from the University of Greenwich, having worked previously for Newcastle University as departmental head for the Innovation and Enterprise subject group. This position was established with a donation of half a million pounds from one of Asia's leading business people, Tan Sri Dato' Francis Yeoh, managing director of YTL Corporation, who completed a BA in civil engineering at Kingston in 1978.

The new post will be based at the Small Business Research Centre at the University's Kingston Hill campus in south-west London. "I'm very excited about the opportunity my appointment presents to further develop this world-renowned centre," Professor Genus said. "My aim is to make a significant contribution to research within and beyond the university on topics allied to innovation and entrepreneurship, technology management and environmental sustainability."

Kingston University's new Business School opened in April 2012. Professor Genus has extensive experience of teaching, research and administration in the areas of innovation and entrepreneurship, technology policy and strategy. He has had three books published, in addition to numerous peer-reviewed papers in highly regarded journals such as Research Policy.

Dean of Kingston University's Faculty of Business and Law, Jean-Noël Ezingeard, welcomed the new arrival. "The appointment of Professor Audley Genus represents a perfect opportunity to combine Tan Sri Francis' interests in technology-based business creation and our long-standing expertise in entrepreneurship," he said. "We are very grateful to Tan Sri Francis for helping us to develop this new strand of work."