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Professor Paul Coughlan

Professor in Operations Mgmt (Trinity Business School)
ARAS AN PHIARSAIGH
      
Profile Photo

Professor Paul Coughlan

Professor in Operations Mgmt (Trinity Business School)
ARAS AN PHIARSAIGH

 Paul.Coughlan@tcd.ie

 3531896 2327


Paul Coughlan is Professor in Operations Management at the Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin. Following an early career in engineering management he became a university lecturer and then a full-time doctoral student at the Business School of the University of Western Ontario (now the Ivey School). On graduation, he joined the faculty of the London Business School. From LBS he moved to join Trinity's (then) School of Business and has developed his research and teaching in operations management and new product development. At Trinity, in addition to his research and teaching he has held senior School and College administrative positions, including MBA Director, Director of Postgraduate Teaching & Learning, Director of Research, Course Co-Director at the TCD-UCD Innovation Academy, Director of Accreditation & Quality Assurance, and Co-Director of Faculty. Outside of Trinity College, he was President of the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) from 2003-09 and Conference Board Chair of the Innovation and Product Development Management Conference (IPDMC) from 2018-2022. His research explores collaborative strategic improvement of operations through network action learning. His fellow researchers are in different domains and in practice, both nationally and internationally. He has contributed actively to funded research projects exploring environmental sustainability of water distribution, manufacturing improvement, and innovation in food.
  Operations Management
Project Title
 Recycling Energy Hidden in Existing Wastewater Treatment Systems: REHEATS
From
January 2023
To
February 2025
Summary
REHEATS addresses the problem of energy costs associated with the use of hot water in commercial food services or industrial food processing.
Funding Agency
Enterprise Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund
Programme
Commercialisation Fund
Project Title
 Recovering Embedded Heat in Zambian Food Production
From
01/02/2023
To
31/07/2026
Summary
Reducing energy consumption and emissions in Zambian food processing using wastewater heat recovery
Funding Agency
SFI and Irish Aid
Programme
SFI Future Innovator Prize 2022
Project Type
SFI SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS CHALLENGE
Project Title
 intelligent Asset Management Platform for Hydropower operation and maintenance (iAMP-Hydro)
From
November 01 2023
To
October 31 2026
Summary
iAMP-Hydro will improve the digital operation of existing hydro plants through the development of a novel intelligent Asset Management Platform encompassing secure open and transparent data sharing protocols and novel digital solutions
Funding Agency
Horizon Europe
Programme
Development of digital solutions for existing hydropower operation and maintenance
Project Title
 Hybrid Solutions for Renewable Energy Systems: achieving net-zero Atlantic area energy consumers & communities (HY4RES)
From
December 01 2023
To
December 31 2026
Summary
HY4RES tackles the challenge of the need to increase the penetration of renewable energy (RE) in our energy system, and thus reduce emissions of air pollution and greenhouse gases (GHG).
Funding Agency
Interreg ERDF fund
Programme
INTERREG ATLANTIC AREA 2021-2027
Project Title
 Reducing Energy Dependency in Atlantic Area Water Networks (REDAWN)
From
September 01 2017
To
August 31 2020
Summary
REDAWN will develop an institutional, social and technological environment to foster greater resource efficiency in water networks, including: . Completion of an energy recovery resource assessment in water networks in the Atlantic Area . Completion of an economic/environmental impact assessment of this technology on the region . Development of design guidelines and support tools for hydropower energy recovery in drinking water, waste water, irrigation and process industry sectors. . Development of policy and institutional support tools to increase the implementation of energy recovery projects . Quantification of the societal impacts of hydropower energy recovery in water networks . Widespread dissemination and promotion of energy efficiency in Atlantic Area water networks.
Funding Agency
ERDF
Programme
Inter-Reg Atlantic Area
Project Type
3 year Co-Operative Research

Page 1 of 3
Details Date From Date To
Local Organising Committee Chair IPDMC Annual Conference June 2023 June 2024
Conference Board Chair, Innovation & Product Development Management Conference 2018 July 2022
Local Organising Committee Co-Chair CINet Annual Conference 2018
Local Organising Committee Co-Chair EurOMA Annual Conference 2013
President: European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) 2003 2009
Member: Conference Board of the Innovation & Product Development Management Conference 2002 2022
Member: Board of the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) 2001 2012
Local Organising Committee Co-Chair EurOMA Annual Conference 1998
Member: EurOMA Board 1997 2006
Member: EurOMA
Chartered Member: Engineers Ireland
Paul Coughlan and David Coghlan, Reflecting on how action research enables theorising in operations management: a provocation to interiority, Production Planning & Control, 36, (2), 2025, p197 - 206, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Katrin Dreyer"Gibney, Paul Coughlan, David Coghlan, Szu"Hsin Wu, Aisha Bello"Dambatta, Richard Dallison, Aonghus McNabola, Daniele Novara, Annum Rafique, Isabel Schestak, Jan Spriet, Nathan Walker, Prysor Williams, Responding to the UN sustainability goals in transdisciplinary partnership through network action learning, Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26, 2024, p31757 - 31788, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Exploring the richness of action learning ` research to exploit network action learning: A journey in shared theorizing. in, editor(s)D.A Noumair, A.B (Rami) Shani & D.P. Zandee , Research in organizational change and development, Vol 30, Bingley, UK, Emerald, 2023, pp183 - 203, [D Coghlan & P. Coughlan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED
Co-inquiring in a digital age: Enhancing the practice of strategy work in government organisations through action research. in, editor(s)B. Simeonova & R.D. Galliers , The Cambridge handbook of qualitative digital research, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2023, pp192 - 189, [J. McDonagh, D. Coghlan, P. Coughlan], Book Chapter, PUBLISHED  URL
Henrik Saabye, Daryl John Powell, Paul Coughlan, Lean and action learning: towards an integrated theory?, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 43, (13), 2023, p128 - 151, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Paul Coughlan, Roberta Bellini,Aisha Bello-Dambatta, Richard Dallison, Katrin Dreyer-Gibney, John Gallagher Ian Harris, Aonghus McNabola, Djordje Mitrovic, Madhu Murali, Daniele Novara, Sopan Patil, Alex Rigby, Panagiotis Ritsos, Isabel Schestak, Ajeet Singh, Nathan Walker, Prysor Williams, Researching Green Process Innovation Across Borders and Boundaries Through Collaborative Inquiry, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 59, (4), 2023, p556 - 584, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Wu SH, Coughlan P, Coghlan D, McNabola A, Novara D., Developing green process innovation through network action learning, Creativity & Innovation Management, 31, 2022, p248 - 259, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Coghlan, D., Shani, A.B. (Rami), Coughlan, P., Enhancing the quality of project management through action research, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 2022, p1 - 13, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Nathan L. Walker, David Styles, Paul Coughlan, A. Prysor Williams, Cross-sector sustainability benchmarking of major utilities in the United Kingdom, Utilities Policy, 78, 2022, p1 - 8, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
Oltra-Mestre MJ, Hargaden V, Coughlan P, Segura-García del Río B, Innovation in the Agri- Food sector: Exploiting opportunities for Industry 4.0., Creativity and Innovation Management, 30, 2021, p198 - 210, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  URL
  

Page 1 of 17
Barry P. McMahon & Paul Coughlan, Injecting Creative Thinking into Healthcare: Bringing innovative practice to healthcare, Abingdon, CRC Press, 2023, 1 - 108pp, Book, PUBLISHED
De Vries, J., Smith, R., Skopek, J., Coughlan, P., Arikan, G. & Byrne, M., WE VALUE YOUR OPINION OF QUALITY IN TRINITY, Appendix to ISER, Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Sept, 2021, p1 - 49, Notes: [This report is relevant to ascertaining quality of education at Trinity College Dublin and is therefore related to educational policy.], Report, PUBLISHED
Paul Coughlan & David Coghlan (Case editors), 'The butcher, the baker & the cheesemaker: TRADEIT Case Study Book', IT Tralee, TRADEIT, 2016, - 10-11, 27-109, Notes: [TRADEIT is funded by the European Commission, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and Biotechnology Call FP7-KBBe-2013-7- Single-stage: Grant no 613776.], Fieldwork collection, PUBLISHED
Paul Coughlan, Improving organisations and operations through European research funding: developing and sustaining networks, 20th EARMA Conference, Tallinn, Estonia, June 30-July 02, 2014, EARMA, 58-, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
McNabola, A. & Coughlan, P., Energy recovery in the water industry using micro-hydropower, Water Ireland: implementing a national water utility, Ashbourne, Ireland, May 15, 2013, Water & Wastewater Treatment, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Paul Coughlan, Creative confidence and Action Research, 3rd Annual Action Research Colloquium: Action Research - Real World Research, Tralee, Ireland, June 20-21, 2013, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Paul Coughlan, Interdisciplinarity in Management Research: Opportunities and Challenges , Irish Academy of Management: 2013 Research Colloquium, NUI Maynooth, Ireland, April 23, 2013, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
J. Gallagher, A. P. Williams, D. Styles, I. Harris, P. Coughlan, C. Power, L. Corcoran, A. McNabola., The Hydro-BPT Project: Realising the True Potential for Energy Recovery in the Water Industry in Ireland & Wales, ENVIRON 2013, Galway Ireland, 30th Jan - 1st Feb, 2013, Poster, PUBLISHED
Gallagher, J., Williams, A.P., Styles, D., Harris, I.M., Packwood, A.J., Coughlan, P., Power, C., Corcoran, L., McNabola, A., Energy Recovery in the Water Industry: A Technical, Economic and Commercial Feasibility Study in Ireland and Wales, SPI Water Conference, Brussels, Belgium, 3rd & 4th December, 2012, Poster, PUBLISHED
Paul Coughlan, Interdisciplinarity and the Role of the Innovation Academy in Doctoral Education, TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN JOURNAL OF POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH, 10, 2011, Journal Article, PUBLISHED

  


Page 1 of 2
Award Date
Fellowship of Trinity College Dublin April 2019
Honorary Member, Continuous Innovation Network September 2018
Honorary Fellow, European Operations Management Association June 2016
Provost's Teaching Award 2010
Research Interests include: . Continuous improvement of manufacturing and product development practices . Inter-organisational collaboration . Action learning . Action research . Service innovation . Commercialisation of university research