Full PhD Studentship in Business and Economics: AI Diffusion, Superstar Firms and Technology Sovereignty

About the Project

Project Summary

In an era defined by rapid digital transformation, a small cohort of global technology giants is accumulating unprecedented control over foundational AI innovations. This concentration of power creates structural dependencies and raises urgent questions about technology sovereignty for mid-sized economies like the UK. This PhD project offers a unique opportunity to investigate how geopolitical competition and the dominance of "superstar" firms shape the future of UK innovation and the industry ecosystem. Positioned at the cutting edge of economics, business strategy and industrial policy, this research addresses a fundamental question: Who truly holds the power in the AI-driven global economy? The project will examine how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping our world while evaluating the effectiveness of national policy efforts in protecting strategic assets and fostering technological resilience. By utilising advanced data analytics to bridge signals from labour market stats, patent and IP statistics and business financial data, the candidate will track the pace of AI diffusion across the economy. This research is not just academic; it is topical and vital for informing the UK’s industrial strategy and ensuring long-term competitiveness in a fragmented global landscape.

Further Details

This project is a flagship initiative within two leading research centres at Aston Business School: the Centre for Business Prosperity (CBP) and Advanced Services Group (ASG). This unique synergy ensures the research is positioned at the cutting edge of industrial transformation, bridging high-level geoeconomic theory with the strategic realities of the global technology landscape.

In addition to academic research, the successful candidate will benefit from:

• Active Placement Opportunities: Multiple opportunities to work with project stakeholders, merging academic rigour with practical industry and policy applications.
• High-Impact Knowledge Exchange: Involvement in policy advisory, dynamic stakeholder engagement and capacity building.
• Institutional Support: Direct links to the supervisory team’s high-level networks including international organisations (e.g., OECD, IMF, World Bank) and national government agencies, providing a clear, accelerated pathway for research to inform global AI governance.

Person Specification

The successful applicant should hold or expect to achieve:

A First or Upper Second Class Honours undergraduate degree, and a Masters degree with Merit or Distinction (or international equivalent), in relevant subjects.

Qualifications from overseas institutions will be considered, but performance must be equivalent to that described above, and the University reserves the right to ascertain this equivalence according to its own criteria.

Essential/Desirable Skills and Experience

Essential

We are seeking highly motivated candidates with:

• A strong background in quantitative methods or related fields, including Economics, Business and Management studies, Social Statistics, Data Sciences, Technology and innovation or Applied Mathematics.
• A passion for bridging critical knowledge gaps at the intersection of business strategy and industrial policy.
• The analytical mindset required to generate impactful research that addresses complex global economic challenges.

Desirable

The following skills and experiences are considered highly desirable:

• Technical Proficiency: Ability to use programming languages such as Stata, R, or Python.
• Data Management: Experience in the construction and management of large-scale datasets.
• Web Scraping: Familiarity with web scraping techniques for data acquisition.
• Methodological Interest: A desire to apply techniques such as policy evaluation, causal inference and advanced econometric analysis.

Note: While prior familiarity with these specific tools is an advantage, comprehensive research training will be provided to ensure the candidate is fully equipped for the project's technical demands.

Submitting an application

We can only consider applications that are complete and have all supporting documents. Applications that do not provide all the relevant documents will be automatically rejected.Your application must include:

1. English language copies of the transcripts and certificates for all your higher education degrees, including any Bachelor degrees.
2. A Research Statement detailing your understanding of the research area, how you would approach the project, and a brief review of relevant literature. Be sure to use the title of the research project you are applying for. There is no set format or word count.
3. A personal statement which outlines any further information which you think is relevant to your application, such as your personal suitability for research, career aspirations, possible future research interests, and further description of relevant employment experience.
4. A Curriculum Vitae (Resume) which details your education and work history.
5. Two academic refereeswho can discuss your suitability for independent research. References must be on headed paper, signed and dated no more than 2 years old. At least one reference should be from your most recent University. You can submit your references at a later date if necessary.
6. Evidence that you meet the English Language requirements. If you do not currently meet the language requirements, you can submit this at a later stage.
7. A copy of your passport. Where relevant, include evidence of settled or pre-settled status.

Key dates

Application deadline: 18 May. Start date: October 2026

Contact Information

Professor Cher Li (C.Li@aston.ac.uk) or Professor Chris Jones (c.jones2@aston.ac.uk).

Location

This position will be based on the Aston Campus in Birmingham, UK. The successful candidate will need to be located within a reasonable distance of the campus, and will be expected to visit in person regularly.

Interviews

Interviews will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. If you are shortlisted, you will be contacted directly with details of the interview.

Note to Applicants: All selection criteria are fully disclosed in this post. Please use these to self-evaluate your suitability. We cannot provide feedback on suitability via email and encourage all qualified candidates to apply formally through the university's portal below.

Funding Notes

This project covers all tuition fees and includes an annual stipend. UK and International students are welcome to apply.

Please note that the successful candidate will be responsible for any costs relating to moving to Birmingham and/or visiting the Aston campus. International students must meet the financial requirements for the visa, flights, and NHS Surcharge. Applicants should be confident that they can meet these costs before applying.