SITES is pleased to share a new open access publication, “The HE-RISE Model for Future-Ready Research Management in Higher Education: Application at Middle East Technical University (Türkiye) and a Research Intermediary (SITES)”, published in the Journal of Business and Management Sciences, Volume 14, Issue 3, 2026, pp. 67–85. The article was published on 1 September 2026.
The study introduces the HE-RISE Model — Higher Education, Research, Innovation, Society and Ecosystem — as a framework for supporting future-ready research management. It responds to the growing complexity of research management, where institutions increasingly need to address funding competition, interdisciplinary collaboration, regulatory requirements, societal impact and wider innovation ecosystems.
Rather than viewing research management primarily as an administrative function, the HE-RISE Model approaches it as an integrated institutional capability connecting research, innovation, society and ecosystem dimensions, with Digital Enablement acting as a cross-cutting capability.
A Multidimensional Research Management Framework
The model brings together six important bodies of research and practice:
- Helix models of innovation
- Modes of knowledge production
- Open innovation
- Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)
- Participatory approaches, including Living Labs and citizen science
- Mission-oriented innovation
These foundations are reorganised within four interdependent dimensions:
Research — strengthening research management and institutional research capability.
Innovation — connecting research management with innovation and open innovation approaches.
Society — strengthening societal engagement and responsible and participatory approaches.
Ecosystem — connecting higher education and research with wider innovation ecosystems.
Digital Enablement supports all four dimensions as a cross-cutting capability.
Expert Evaluation Through a Modified Delphi Study
The framework was examined through a two-round modified Delphi study involving 15 experts in the first round and 13 experts in the second.
All 29 indicators met the predefined relevance threshold in the first round. The study also assessed the indicators in terms of relevance, clarity and measurability, while 11 indicators were revised and reassessed following expert feedback.
The authors emphasise that the results represent an expert-evaluated and refined framework, while further research is required to test the model through broader institutional applications, independent samples and confirmatory measurement analysis.
Application at METU and SITES
The HE-RISE Model was applied illustratively in two contrasting food-technology settings: Middle East Technical University (METU), representing a research-intensive university, and Sustainable Innovation Technologies Ltd (SITES), representing a private research-and-innovation intermediary.
This application highlights the relevance of integrated research management thinking across different institutional contexts while recognising that the study does not constitute a comparative performance assessment or provide causal evidence of effectiveness.
An International Research Collaboration
The publication brings together researchers from SITES, Middle East Technical University, University of Chester, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology.
Authors:
Leonardo Piccinetti — Sustainable Innovation Technologies Ltd (SITES), United Kingdom
Mecit Halil Oztop — Middle East Technical University (METU), Türkiye
Jeny Edward — University of Chester, United Kingdom
Gustavo Perez — Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Spain
Trevor Uyi Omoruyi — University of Chester, United Kingdom
Mohamed Ramadan A. Rezk — Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Egypt
Publication Details
Journal: Journal of Business and Management Sciences
Year: 2026
Volume: 14
Issue: 3
Pages: 67–85
DOI: 10.12691/jbms-14-3-3
Access: Open Access
Read the full open access article:
Read the HE-RISE article
