Paolo Gerli
paolo gerli

Dr Paolo Gerli

Lecturer

Biography

Paolo joined Napier University Business School in March 2021, a Lecturer of Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Previously he was a Lecturer of Digital Enterprise at Northumbria University, where he also completed his PhD in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Strategy with a research project on business models for the diffusion of broadband in rural areas.

Prior to join academia, Paolo worked in the Italian telecommunications sector as a regulatory analyst for both private and public organisations. His professional background reflects into his research, that revolves around business strategies and public policies for the digital transformation of the economy and society, with a focus on the development of smart places and the diffusion of digital technologies in rural and peripheral regions.

Since 2016, Paolo's research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. In 2019, he was among the recipients of the Pacific Telecommunications Council Young Scholar Programme, an award for early-career researchers of ICT markets and policies.

Since joining Edinburgh Napier University, Paolo has been working on several research projects focusing on the governance of smart places and digital transformation. These include a consultancy report for UN-Habitat (the UN programme for sustainable urban development) and a seed project funded by British Academy and Accademia dei Lincei.

Esteem

Advisory panels and expert committees or witness

  • Contribution to a JRC policy report on data intermediaries

 

Conference Organising Activity

  • ITS Europe

 

Fellowships and Awards

  • Richard Beresford Bursary - Enterprise Educators UK
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Pacific Telecommunications Council Young Scholar Program

 

Invited Speaker

  • UN-Habitat Community of Practice on Harnessing the Power of Connected Communities through Urban-Rural Linkages
  • Invited Talk at the 3rd International Forum on Urban-Rural Linkages
  • Guest Lecture on Rural Digital Entrepreneurship
  • Agriconnect, the Italian Convention on Digital Agricolture

 

Media Activity

  • The Scotsman: Smart thinking that deploys digital technology can make our cities fit for the future
  • Smart places: Why getting the governance right is vital to project success

 

Membership of Professional Body

  • European Regional Science Association
  • Regional Study Association
  • International Telecommunications Society

 

Public/Community Engagement

  • Oor Smart Ceeties

 

Date


14 results

Digital contact-tracing and pandemics: Institutional and technological preparedness in Africa

Journal Article
Arakpogun, E. O., Elsahn, Z., Prime, K. S., Gerli, P., & Olan, F. (2020)
Digital contact-tracing and pandemics: Institutional and technological preparedness in Africa. World Development, 136, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2020.105105
Several countries in Africa have either deployed or considering using digital contact-tracing (DCT) as part of their Covid-19 containment strategy, amidst calls for the use of...

Infrastructure Provision on the Margins: An Assessment of Broadband Delivery UK

Journal Article
Gerli, P., Matteucci, N., & Whalley, J. (2020)
Infrastructure Provision on the Margins: An Assessment of Broadband Delivery UK. International Journal of Public Administration, 43(6), 540-551. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2019.1638932
Many governments have recognised the socio-economic importance of broadband. The market often provides a broadband connection but when this does not occur governments have ste...

The involvement of utilities in the development of broadband infrastructure: A comparison of EU case studies

Journal Article
Gerli, P., Van der Wee, M., Verbrugge, S., & Whalley, J. (2018)
The involvement of utilities in the development of broadband infrastructure: A comparison of EU case studies. Telecommunications Policy, 42(9), 726-743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2018.03.001
Energy companies and other utility providers have been often involved in the provision of telecommunications services. Nevertheless, their contribution to broadband developmen...

Infrastructure investment on the margins of the market: The role of niche infrastructure providers in the UK

Journal Article
Gerli, P., Wainwright, D., & Whalley, J. (2017)
Infrastructure investment on the margins of the market: The role of niche infrastructure providers in the UK. Telecommunications Policy, 41(9), 743-756. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2017.03.005
Across Europe, policymakers and market forces are striving to deploy next generation access (NGA) networks and ensure ubiquitous access to superfast broadband services. Due to...

Pre-Napier Funded Projects

  • ESRC Accelerating Business Collaboration
  • Consultancy for Telus inc. on the benefits of rural digital transformation