Research focus

Partnership 2008

Service Science is an emerging discipline that aims to combine fundamental science and engineering theories, models and applications with facets of the management field, particularly knowledge, supply chain and change management, in order to enhance and advance service innovation.  Service innovation is fast becoming the key driver of socio-economic growth and as such warrants increasing academic and commercial research attention (Paulson, 2006).  IBM and associated academic (Chesbrough et al, 2006; Allan et al, 2006) governmental and commercial partners have been in the vanguard of those pioneering and promoting Service Science (Paulson, 2006; Allan et al, 2006).

IBM through its research wing and associated institutions has promoted and exploited Service Science related research (Paulson, 2006; Spohrer et al, 2007).  Activity to date has, however, focused on what might be considered the technological underpinnings of the new discipline (Abe, 2005) but it is clear to all concerned that what is required is a cross-disciplinary collaboration if the power of service innovation capability is to be truly harnessed (Chesbrough et al, 2006; Paulson, 2006; Allan et al, 2006; Abe, 2005). The University of Glasgow (UofG) in partnership with IBM will provide the capability of leading and contributing to the global services innovation debate from a socio-economic perspective embedded in the underpinning computing, engineering and management disciplines.

A partnership between IBM and the UofG provides an opportunity to lead social science research, engage in meaningful cross-disciplinary initiatives and shape an emerging academic field.  The University of Glasgow, the Adam Smith Research Foundation (ASRF, based in the Faculty of Law, Business and Social Sciences) and, in particular the Department of Management, will provide the socio-economic academic base and provide the bridge to colleagues in Computing Science and Product Design Engineering; and the Business School will provide the transformational and systems underpinning.