Dr Alan Gilchrist
Senior Lecturer in MarketingProfile
I focus on commercialising nascent technology.
I am driven by the use of marketing thought leadership to create sustainable value for organisations as they navigate change and deliver new technology solutions, from quantum mechanics, to magnetics and its application with envionmental engineering, to the practical deployment of AI.
2025 Quantum Base PLC AIM Listing
I have led commerical and marketing strategy for Quantum Base PLC since 2016, as a nascent quantum technology spin out from Lancaster University, to our successful IPO AIM listing on the London Stock Exchange in April 2025 with a valuation of £14.8m
2024 OFWAT Funded Technology Design and Commercialisation
With Professor Barbara Maher (LEC) and Dr Farid Aiouache (Engineering), we successfully won £372,000 in funding from OFWAT to design and commercialise next generation nascent magnetic particle solutions to deliver a commercial solution for water treatment.
2024 Innovate UK Funded Commercialisation of Atomic Clock
Working with Professor Edward Laird (Physics), and Dr Lei Wang (Engineering) we secured £60,000 Innovate UK funding, working with Forsberg Ltd, to commercialise "atomic clocks" for navigational markets.
2025 Flex MR Fully Funded PhD
Working with Paul Hudson, CEO at Flex MR, Professor Igor Goncharov (LUMS), Dr Helen Bruce (LUMS) and Professor Stefanos Mouzas (LUMS), we have successfully created a joint project for a fully funded PhD for over £134,000 on decision making.
With a wide portfolio of external engagement with organisations, from the NHS, to Siemens, I am always very happy to work with new firms to deliver growth through transformational market-led strategic change.
Research interests
Using ethnographic approaches and engaged action research, I enjoy advising both researcher and practitioner communities alike to comprehend and understand complex and dynamic organisational strategizing and change management.
Working at the intersection of research and enagement with organisations allows me to develop marketing and organisational theory which is both novel and applicable to the real world of strategy and strategic marketing.
Focused on my research interests, I have published in both world leading marketing and organisational journals, including Organization Studies, Human Relations, British Journal of Management, Industrial Marketing Management, European Journal of Management, and Business History, on topics such as managerial sense-making, power and politics, and researcher interests and motives.
a.gilchrist@lancaster.ac.uk
gilchrist@quantumbase.com
Career Details
I am currently Head of Department and Senior Lecturer in Marketing, in the Department of Marketing, Lancaster University Management School.
Since 2016 I have held the role of Marketing Director for Quantum Base Holdings PLC, a scientific quantum business developed from creation in 2013 to AIM London Stock Exchange Listing in 2025.
I hold a BA (Philosophy) from King College London, an MBA from Salford University Business School, and prior to completion of my PhD in Marketing (Lancaster) in 2008, I had developed a ten-year career in business to business sales, marketing and change management, focused within the UK banking and telecommunications sectors.
PhD Supervision Interests
I am always willing to consider those who come with a drive and passion to uncover and solve stimulating, and engaging contemporary issues in the marketing, and organisational domains.
Engineering the endohedral fullerene clock
01/04/2025 → 31/03/2027
Research
UK GOVERNMENT DEPT OF TRADE GREAT FUTURES SAUDI ARABIA 2024-2025
14/05/2024 → 17/05/2025
Consultancy
Magnetic nanocomposites for DOC removal from drinking water
01/04/2024 → 31/03/2027
Research
Aquaculture market research
28/06/2023 → 07/07/2023
Consultancy
The Config team - consultant in marketing to the UK Board
01/07/2022 → …
Consultancy
Digitally transforming the UK foundation industries; how to identify, model and implement digital product strategies for a manufacturing company
26/07/2021 → 01/08/2022
Research
Marketing Director, Quantum Base PLC - Commercialisation of Nascent Quantum Technologies
01/09/2016 → …
Consultancy
Industry Technology Conference Munich 2022
01/01/1900 → …
Other
Marketing Director Quantum Base PLC Strategic Sales at Tax Stamp Forum 2025
Consultancy
PhD examiner for Hussein Farique
Examination
Consulting on AI change management and design optimisation
Consultancy
AI transformation in professional services firms
Consultancy
Digital Acceleration - realising the future of the firm
Consultancy
QUANTUM BASE IPO AIM FLOATATION APRIL 2025
Consultancy
Tech Catalyst Captivation event
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Good to Grow
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Northwest Cybercom with MIT
Invited talk
EMEA High Security Printing and Security
Participation in conference - Business/Professional
NW Cybercom Invited Panel Expert on Quantum Commercialisation in DiSH, Manchester
Invited talk
World Water-Tech Innovation Summit,
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
13th Annual Pharma Anti Counterfeiting Summit 2024
Participation in conference - Business/Professional
Journal of Business Research (Journal)
Editorial activity
Brand Protection Conference 2023
Participation in conference - Business/Professional
Tax Stamp Forum 2023
Participation in conference - Business/Professional
Lancaster University (Organisational unit)
Membership of committee
7th Brand Protection Conference, Nice 2022
Participation in conference - Business/Professional
2022 European Anti-Counterfeiting Conference, Munich
Participation in conference - Business/Professional
38th Annual IMP Conference
Participation in conference - Academic
PhD examiner Thomas Jalili tanha
Examination
2022 Tax Stamp Forum, Malta
Participation in conference - Business/Professional
External PhD examiner for Dawn Holmes
Examination
Journal of Management Studies (Journal)
Editorial activity
Organization Studies (Journal)
Editorial activity
European Journal of Marketing (Journal)
Editorial activity
Lancaster University
Invited talk
Newcastle University
Invited talk
Birmingham University
Invited talk
Organization (Journal)
Editorial activity
Academy of Management Discoveries (Journal)
Publication peer-review
PhD examiner Jekaterina Rindt
Examination
PhD Examiner for Edward Turner
Examination
Journal of Change Management (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Journal of Marketing Management (Journal)
Publication peer-review
NHS
Business Engagement
PhD examiner for Asad Aman
Examination
Human Relations (Journal)
Editorial activity
Organization (Journal)
Publication peer-review
British Journal of Management (Journal)
Publication peer-review
Industrial Marketing Management (Journal)
Editorial activity
Industrial Marketing Management (Journal)
Publication peer-review
EGOS (External organisation)
Membership of network
Dean's Award for Teaching
Prize (including medals and awards)
Centre for Technological Futures , Pentland Centre
- Centre for Technological Futures
- Networks, Knowledge and Strategy