Dr Pratheeba Vimalnath is a lecturer in innovation, intellectual property and sustainability at the Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (ITE) group within the Department of Management at the University of Exeter Business School (UEBS).

She researches and teaches in the area of strategic innovation and intellectual property (IP) management, with specialisation in IP strategies for collaborative (open) innovation, sustainability transition and circular economy. She is enthusiastic about building interdisciplinary teaching practices and research projects that are steered towards addressing contemporary issues and global challenges.

She acts as the shadowing Director of Education for the ITE group. Externally, she contributes as an academic IP expert for the European Patent Office (EPO) in her role as the course director (entry-level) and tutor (entry & advanced level) for the EPO's Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF). 

Prior to joining the University of Exeter, she worked as a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, U.K. and as an Oxford Martin Fellow at the University of Oxford, U.K. She continues to be a collaborator at the Innovation and IP Management (IIPM) research group, University of Cambridge. She holds a doctorate in IP Management - patent valuation (Indian Institute of Science (IISc), India), a Master’s in Technology Management (IISc, India) and a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and Engineering (GCT, Anna University affiliate, India). 

She has published her work in various international journals, won awards for excellence in research and teaching, delivered several invited talks and guest lectures. She has experience working for projects funded under the ESRC, British Council’s Going Global Partnership Program, European Commission, Horizon 2020, and NIAS(India)-UNDP policy research initiative. Prior to academia, she had three years of industrial experience in telecommunication and banking domains including experience working in multi-national and start-up environments. 

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

1. Above and Beyond Award for Excellence, University of Exeter Business School, UK, 2023.
2. IfM Post-doctoral award 2022, Special commendation for overall performance in research, teaching and academic citizenship, University of Cambridge, UK, 2022.
3. Poster award finalist, Global Research & Innovation in Plastics Sustainability (GRIPS) 2021, organised and run by KTN, supported by UKRI, and hosted by UK Circular Plastics Network, UK 2021.
4. Contributor to the SADC academia-industry knowledge exchange programme that won the UKRI Praxis Auril Team of the Year 2020 Award, 2020.
5. Oxford Martin School fellowship for post-doctoral research, University of Oxford, 2018-2019. 
6. Ph.D. scholarship, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, January 2012 – June 2016.
7. Prof. K.N. Krishnaswamy Gold Medal, for the best M.Sc. (Engg.) thesis, Indian Institute of Science, India, 2012-2013.
8. Microsoft Grant, for paper presentation, at the Portland International Conference of Management of Engineering and Technology, (PICMET), Bangkok, July 2010. 
9. M.Sc. Engg. (by research) scholarship, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, August 2009 – December 2011.
10. Received certificate of Customer appreciation for successful Rollout of ‘Channel Partner Portal’ in TCS, 2008.