Theodore Koutroukis | Innovation | Innovation Vanguard Award

Prof Dr. Theodore Koutroukis | Innovation | Innovation Vanguard Award

Prof Dr. Theodore Koutroukis | Innovation | Professor at Democritus University of Thrace | Greece

THEODORE KOUTROUKIS is an accomplished scholar, arbitrator, and academic leader whose extensive contributions to labour relations, collective bargaining, and European employment policy have established him as a respected authority in the fields of industrial relations and human resource management. With a distinguished academic background culminating in a doctoral specialization in employment relations and organizational adaptation, THEODORE KOUTROUKIS has cultivated a career that uniquely integrates academic research, professional arbitration practice, and international policy engagement. He serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics at the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, where he has been a faculty member since 2014, and he has simultaneously held a long-standing role as an Arbitrator in Collective Bargaining at the Organisation for Mediation and Arbitration in Athens since 1998, contributing directly to conflict resolution and labour market governance. His professional influence extends globally through his long-term membership in the International Labour and Employment Relations Association since 1989. His research interests span collective bargaining systems, European works councils, employee participation, labour market restructuring, crisis-driven organizational change, human resource management, and the socio-economic impacts of globalization and digital transformation on labour dynamics. In terms of research skills, THEODORE KOUTROUKIS demonstrates advanced expertise in qualitative and quantitative analysis, comparative labour policy, workforce resilience studies, organizational diagnosis, policy evaluation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, producing impactful insights that inform academic, professional, and governmental stakeholders. His scholarly work includes numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and policy-oriented contributions published in reputable outlets such as Social Sciences, Societies, Merits, Religions, Administrative Sciences, and various international edited volumes. Among his awards and honours, THEODORE KOUTROUKIS is recognized for his long-term service in arbitration, his academic leadership, and his contributions to labour relations scholarship in Greece and Europe. His publications consistently reflect high research relevance, theoretical depth, and practical applicability to contemporary labour challenges. In conclusion, THEODORE KOUTROUKIS stands out as a highly influential figure whose integrated academic and professional career continues to shape labour relations discourse, support equitable employment systems, and advance interdisciplinary research on the evolving world of work.

Academic Profile: ORCID | Scopus 

Featured Publications:

  1. Koutroukis, T. (2025). Collective bargaining in post-memoranda Greece: Could it guarantee decent work by Greek employees? Social Sciences. (Citations: 0)

  2. Semertzian, T., Vamvakidou, I., Koutroukis, T., & Ivasina, E. (2025). Modern comprehension of the Treaty of Lausanne (1923): Historical documentary, Searching for Rodakis by Kerem Soyyilmaz. Histories. (Citations: 0)

  3. Spyropoulou, E., & Koutroukis, T. (2024). Principal–teacher relationships under the pressure of the COVID-19 pandemic: Critical factors and implications for school leadership during crises. Societies. (Citations: 3)

  4. Koutroukis, T. (2024). European works councils: Their impact on the Europeanization of industrial relations in an era of market globalism. Social Sciences. (Citations: 4)

  5. Katimertzopoulos, F., Vlados, C., & Koutroukis, T. (2023). Business and regional innovation culture: An overview of the conceptualization of innovation culture. Administrative Sciences. (Citations: 6)

 

 

Raphael Bar El | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Raphael Bar El | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award 

Professor | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev | Israel

Prof. Raphael Bar El is a distinguished economist and innovation scholar recognized for his extensive contributions to the fields of regional development, innovation policy, and public management. His research focuses on innovation systems, entrepreneurship, and the strategic interplay between economic policy and regional growth. Professor Bar-El has authored and edited several influential books, such as Regional Development and Conflict Management: A Case for Brazil, Desenvolvimento Econômico Regional para a Redução da Pobreza e Desigualdade, Industrialização Rural no Nordeste, and The Economic Development of the Arab Sector in Israel. His academic publications have appeared in leading volumes and journals, addressing topics such as under-investment in innovative enterprises, the spatial distribution of high-tech industries, and socio-economic policy frameworks for conflict regions. Professor Bar-El’s leadership extends beyond academia to public service and international development. He has served as Director of the National and Economic Planning Authority at the Ministry of Economy and Planning and as Director General of the Development Study Center. As the Founder and President of the Israeli Regional Science Association, he has played a pioneering role in advancing regional science and innovation policy in Israel and abroad. His expertise has been sought by numerous international organizations and governments, including the World Bank, UNDP, and various ministries across Latin America, Africa, and Europe, where he has led and advised more than thirty major development and innovation projects. With an academic record comprising 56 documents, 387 citations across 328 publications, and an h-index of 11, Professor Bar-El continues to influence policy thinking and academic discourse on regional innovation and sustainable economic development. His long-standing commitment to integrating theory with practical policy solutions has positioned him as a leading voice in shaping innovation ecosystems and fostering socio-economic growth across diverse regions.

Profiles : Scopus | ORCID | Google Scholar 

Featured Publications :

Bar-El, R., Gavious, I., Kaufmann, D., & Schwartz, D. (2017). Under-investments in innovative SMEs: The effect of entrepreneurial cognitive bias. In K. O. Lundvall & P. Nielsen (Eds.), Human capital and assets in the networked world.

Schwartz, D., Avnimelech, G., & Bar-El, R. (2012). The location of knowledge economy and high-tech in Israel. In J. K. Gibson-Graham & G. Roelvink (Eds.), Societies in motion: Innovation, migration and regional transformation.

Bar-El, R. (2014). Economic considerations in implementing a parallel states structure. In M. Cohen & C. Scheindlin (Eds.), One land, two states: Israel and Palestine as parallel states University of California Press.

Bar-El, R., & Co-authors. (2024). Can the periphery survive innovation-led growth? Insights from Israel. Regional Studies, Regional Science.

Bar-El, R., & Co-authors. (2022). Adapting reverse mentoring strategy to SMEs: A new pilot model implemented in Brazil. Sustainability.

Yiyong Yu | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yiyong Yu | Innovation Strategy | Best Researcher Award 

Associate Professor at Nanjing Normal University | China 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yiyong Yu is an Associate Professor at the School of Business, Nanjing Normal University, specializing in strategic management and innovation management. He earned his doctorate in management from the School of Business at Nanjing University. His research focuses on innovation chains, collaborative innovation, organizational inertia, and creativity. Yu has contributed extensively to the academic field, publishing papers in reputable journals such as Management World, Nankai Business Review, Studies in Science of Science, and Technovation. His work explores topics including overcoming organizational inertia to sustain growth, strategic knowledge disclosure, the role of leading enterprises in collaborative innovation, leadership behaviors influencing team creativity, and the impact of market competition on cooperative innovation. He has led multiple youth-focused research projects supported by national and provincial funding agencies and actively contributes as a reviewer for prominent journals in management and psychology. His scholarly contributions are recognized with 16 citations across 16 documents, 2 Publications and he maintains an h-index of 1.

Profile : Scopus

Featured Publications : 

Yu, Y., & Yang, Z. (2022). How can enterprises overcome organizational inertia to achieve sustained growth in a dynamic context? — Based on the “Context-Cognition-Action” analytical framework. Management World, 38(12), 159–177.

Yu, Y., & Yang, Z. (2022). Connotation, research issues and prospects of strategic knowledge disclosure. Nankai Business Review, 25(6), 214–226.

Yu, Y., & Yang, Z. (2020). How to effectively exert the innovation chain function of leading enterprises — From the perspective of collaborative innovation based on the new Pasteur’s quadrant. Nankai Business Review, 23(2), 4–15.

Yu, Y., Yang, Z., & Li, J. (2020). A study on the influence mechanism of leadership boundary-spanning behavior on team creativity. Studies in Science of Science, 38(3), 515–524.

Yu, Y., Cheng, L., & Zhang, D. (2024). How does market competition affect enterprise cooperative innovation? The moderating role of intellectual property protection and government subsidies. Technovation, 137, 103102.