Christopher Foster

Chris Foster is a Senior Lecturer at the Global Development Institute, where he joined in October 2018.

His research focusses on the digital economy, digital governance and the implications of innovations on the global distribution of production, work and labour.

Prior to joined GDI, Chris was a Lecturer in ICT and innovation in the Information School in Sheffield (2015-2018). He worked as a Researcher at the University of Oxford (2013-2015). His PhD is from the University of Manchester (2009 – 2013) looking at mobile sector innovation in Kenya, and its implications for innovation theory, firm strategy and public policy.

For more infromation

• His blog is located at http://infomediation.net/.

• For full publication list including pre-publish copies see here

Chris' research work sits at the intersection of digital technologies and analysis of globalisation of production.

Specifically, he is currently researching in the following areas:

Digitalisation and impact on global production networks

This research explores the impact of digital technologies on firms. This work particularly will explore the ways that digital infrastructure, digitalisation and platformization enables or constrains small firms as they integrate into global networks.

New models of innovation for development

As innovation has become of interest to development agendas, this research explores the shifting concept of ‘innovation’. Chris has particularly researched strategy and policy that might allow digital innovations to move beyond economic outcomes to be more socially inclusive.

Digital economy governance

This work explores the growing interest in governance of the digital economy and data, including analysis of global, regional and national perspectives. As part of his research on "digital trade" he runs the web resource on digital trade called the digital trade tracker

Chris would be interested in advising highly-motivated PhD students whose interests fit in the following areas:

1. Impacts of digitalisation on global production networks and value chains, with emphasis on marginal firms and excluded regions
2. Platforms and implications for development
3. The global/national governance of the digital economy and implications for the global south, particularly data flow debates.
4. Innovation, specifically thinking about notions of inclusive innovation

You are welcome to make a first approach to discuss doctoral study via email. Please note the GDI advice for prospective PhD students.