Leadership and Members

Leadership

The co-directors are Professor Mark Casson, Department of Economics, University of Reading, and Dr Joe Lane, Henley Business School.

Mark Casson is a Professor of Economics at the University of Reading and a globally renowned for his work on international business, entrepreneurship, and economic history. He has also made significant contributions to theories of the firm, business networks, and institutional economics. In particular Professor Casson’s work has been fundamental in explaining the role and defining the theory of entrepreneurs. His research spans historical and contemporary perspectives from the medieval period to present day, emphasizing the economic impact of social institutions. His interdisciplinary approach has shaped business history and international business scholarship.

Professor Casson founded the Centre in 2000 and has worked to expand the scope of its activities since then.

Joe Lane is a business historian and Lecturer in Strategy at Henley Business School. He holds a PhD in Economic History from the London School of Economics and has two main areas of research: patenting and patent policy in the UK over the very long run, and the development of industrial clusters in the UK from the perspective of knowledge creation, dissemination and innovation. Joe has published research in business history journals, co-edited a volume on industrial clusters with Routledge, and recently been awarded a British Academy grant for his project on innovation and entrepreneurship during the Industrial Revolution. You can see more on his research profile here.

Joe is particularly interested in the Centre's position in a Business School and the opportunities this offers for interdisciplinary conversations and research.