Research Themes
CFE research inspires, informs and enables navigation in a fast-emerging new world, differentiating essential requirements from distracting noise. Based on the fundamental hypothesis that an increasingly opportunity-rich environment will require new enterprise capabilities, CFE research focuses on three themes and the nexus between these:
- Robust Enterprise
Robustness is a much-needed characteristic of future enterprises as they increasingly have to master digital, pandemic and other forms of disruption. Headed by Prof. Kevin Desouza, related research takes place in these four streams, (1) the management of contradictions, (2) digital resilience and transitivity, (3) design of adversarial robustness, and (4) robust transformations (e.g., green transitions). A specific feature of this theme is its ‘Paradox Moonshot’ initiative in which a cross-disciplinary team of CFE researchers consolidates and examines various mechanisms for dealing with conflicting aims. Find out more about Paradox moonshot research here
- Algorithmic Enterprise
Headed by the Chair in Digital Economy, Prof. Marek Kowalkiewicz, this group studies the characteristics and potential of the emerging economy of algorithms. Research within this theme is organised in these four streams, i.e. (1) business models of algorithmic enterprises, (2) human-algorithm interaction models, (3) governance models for algorithmic enterprises, and (4) innovation models of algorithmic enterprises. A comprehensive set of executive courses, also as part of QUT’s Digital MBA, makes research from this theme accessible to current and future leaders.
- Trusted Enterprise
As our societies and economies are becoming more trust-intensive, the conscious design, management and measurement of trust-aware products, services and business processes is of increasing importance. In our research, we break down trust into the management of uncertainty, vulnerability, confidence and benevolence, and develop operational, validated practices and principles for these. The newly appointed Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail is exploring how technologies can facilitate new, trusted solutions and with this unlock previously unseen sources of competitive advantage. The Brisbane Trust Alliance is a community of (trust) professionals which brings 40+ executives across multiple sectors together on a monthly base to collectively develop higher levels of trust literacy. Find out more about Trust research here
CFE cultivates an ambitious, proactive, global research community, characterised by mutual support and collective curiosity, nurturing young talent, valuing diversity and connecting researchers with competitive grant funding and reputable industry partners from leading enterprises, charities and governments.
CFE’s research capability is bundled in ‘The Lab’ which builds scientific and research management capabilities for CFE members to conduct not just rigorous, real-world research, but also to build the mindsets, skillsets and toolsets for effective and efficient research processes. ‘The Hub’ is CFE’s industry engagement centre. Called Innovation Central Brisbane (ICB) and headed by Mrs Gemma Alker, ICB is embedded in Cisco’s National Industry Innovation Network and is CFE’s one-stop engagement point. A key value proposition is the engagement of multidisciplinary coursework students in industry-funded projects providing development capacity which meaningfully extends CFE’s research.