Doing Business in a 'Connected World'

In the last two decades the use of fast internet has become an essential part of our everyday lives. The number of people that are using smartphones and tablets to do this has grown exponentially in a short timeframe.

Online presence only to increase

It is fair to say that the importance of digitalisation and the internet is only set to increase in the years ahead. Developments will include the 'internet of things' (an increasing number of devices and objects are connected up to the internet), 'big data' (the huge increase in data about consumer behaviour the digitisation of the retail experience (resulting in the blurring of differences between physical and virtual shopping), the digitisation of products and services (books and e-tickets, etc.), E-identity (in which security aspects are crucial) and chain digitisation (the increasing standardisation of digital information flows).

Impact on retail

The Digital Commerce professorship does research into the role the internet plays in the business models of SMEs, with particular attention for retailers and related services. Our research takes the questions posed by professional practice as its starting point. With this in mind, researchers draw on their knowledge of research areas like economics, management, marketing and communication, business administration, information technology, psychology and economic geography, etc. Emphasis is placed on quantitative research.

Download the full summary of our research programme.