NIKOSNewsFounder R&D Management Journal Alan Pearson passed away

Founder R&D Management Journal Alan Pearson passed away

NIKOS is saddened by the news of the passing away of Prof. Alan Pearson on January 11, 2019, as announced by RADMA and Wilmslow

Alan Pearson was the founder of the journal R&D Management (1970) and Professor of R&D Management at Manchester Business School. Our thoughts go back to our very nice cooperation with Alan, and the great impact he had on the innovation and R&D Management research in Twente. Alan Pearson was a very driven, enthusiastic and inspiring scholar, a true professor who contributed to the content-based development of the R&D management and innovation field from as early as the mid-sixties.

For several years in the mid-nineties Alan worked for 1 day per week as a visiting professor at our University of Twente. In that capacity he truly added value to the development of our research program and publications. It was a great privilege to work with him. Next to our direct collaborations with Alan, we also cherish the memories of our joint organization and hosting of R&D Management conference (1996 in Twente), Doctoral Summer Schools (a grand total of 25! in collaboration with among others the University of Kiel, WHU Otto Beisheim Business School and KU Leuven), and Workshops on Technology Management for undergraduate and master students (10 of those where held in cooperation with Lueneburg University, Twente and Manchester). Alan for us was an inspiring and leading example, especially for the way in which he combined a focus on more fundamental theoretical research into the R&D Management field, always in combination with the application in the field and with a great eye for practitioners and managerial impact.

Olaf A.M. Fisscher, Professor Emeritus of Organisation Studies, Innovation and Business Ethics
Petra C. de Weerd-Nederhof Professor of Organisation Studies & Innovation & Department Head NIKOS