Professor Wendy Phillips

I have a multi-disciplinary background in science and management, with over 25 years of experience advancing the fields of innovation studies and supply chain management. Prior to my current role, I held positions at the ESRC Centre for Innovation and Competition at the University of Manchester and the Centre for Research in Strategic Purchasing and Supply (CRiSPS) at the University of Bath School of Management.

I am Director of the Innovation, Operations Management and Supply (IOMS) Research Group at UWE Bristol Business School. The group is comprised of academics and PhD students who share a commitment to meeting the twin challenge of academic rigour and industrial relevance. Our research draws on concepts and ideas from the disciplines of innovation, operations management, and supply chain management

My research informs both policy and practice in procurement within complex public sector supply networks, including the NHS, the Welsh NHS, and UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

I lead the Redistributed Manufacturing in Healthcare Network (RiHN) (www.RiHN.org.uk), which maps the research landscape for redistributed manufacturing (RDM) in healthcare and explores its application in promising areas of the sector. I am currently a co-investigator on FAST CAR-T, a £2.5 million UKRI EPSRC-funded project (2024–2026), delivered in partnership with UCL, NHS Royal Free London, and Teesside University. This project focuses on regulatory, operational, and business models for the decentralised, point-of-care manufacture of CAR-T immunotherapies.

I have published extensively in leading journals, including the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Public Management Review, and California Management Review.

My experience includes leading and contributing to:

• The Healthcare Industries Task Force (HITF), which brought together industry and government leaders to develop a strategic plan to stimulate science and industry in the UK.
• A HEFCE-funded project examining the transformation of procurement and strategic sourcing in UK HEIs.
• A research collaboration between the University of the West of England, Cardiff University, University of Bath, and University of Bristol, evaluating the value of the West of England Academic Health Science Network (WEAHSN), with a focus on innovative supply networks.
• Multiple EPSRC and ESRC-funded projects investigating innovation in supply networks.

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in my areas of research.