Organisation profile
Organisation profile
Established in 2007, CLEC undertakes research around entrepreneurship and management skills, innovation and economic development, and related policy related issues. It is also the delivery vehicle for the 20Twenty Leading Business Growth Programme, which began as a large scale European-funded research and delivery programme on SME management skills development. Members of CLEC also provide policy evidence (Welsh Government, UK Industrial Strategy) on a regular basis.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Our work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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Nick Clifton
- Cardiff School of Management - REF Co-ordinator Professor
- Creative Leadership and Enterprise Centre (CLEC)
- Regional Innovation & Regeneration Centre (RIRC)
Person: Academic
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Introducing exaptation theory to social enterprise innovation: case study on the Circular Economy Innovation Communities (CEIC) project
Liu, Z., James, S., Samuel, A., White, G. R. T., Beverley, K., Clifton, N. & Walpole, G., 13 Feb 2026, In: Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy. p. 1-20 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Beyond Direct Expenditure: Rethinking Event Evaluation through the UEFA Champions League Finals
Jaimangal-Jones, D., Clifton, N., Haven-Tang, C. & Rowe, S., 11 Nov 2025, In: Event Management.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Developing innovation capabilities through Programme Communities of Practice: Evidence from Wales
Walpole, G., Liu, Z., Clifton v, N. & Li, S., 2 Jun 2025, In: International Journal of Management Education. 23, 3, p. 101215 101215.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus)
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UKRI Innovate UK £212,000 Knowledge Transfer Partnership Project Lead CIMSPA Data Science and Workforce Planning
Osborne, S. (Other), Anupam, A. (Participant) & Clifton, N. (Participant)
16 Jan 2024Activity: Other
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Scoping and Feasibility Study for a new Foundational Economy Academy in Wales
Clifton, N. (Consultant) & Walpole, G. (Consultant)
1 Jun 2022 → 1 Dec 2022Activity: Consultancy
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Innovation Thought Leadership Project – Innovation for a Circular Economy (with Gary Walpole), for Innovate UK via Innovation Caucus) (£10k April 2022 – Feb 2023) (£10k)
Clifton, N. (Consultant) & Walpole, G. (Consultant)
1 Apr 2022 → 28 Feb 2023Activity: Consultancy
Prizes
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Best paper at the Society of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity (July 12~15, 2023, Naples) "Implementing circular economy: Experience from Wales” (with Zheng Liu, Gary Walpole, Homeira Faqdani).
Clifton, N. (Recipient), Walpole, G. (Recipient), Faqdani, H. (Recipient) & Liu, Z. (Recipient), 15 Jul 2023
Prize