Mark Bailey is Associate Professor of Design Innovation and Director of Transnational Education for the School of Design.

His work in design-led innovation is focused on making the world a better place by launching graduates into it equipped with the knowledge, skills and creative confidence required to bring about positive change. He believes that this can be achieved through authentic, multidisciplinary, cooperative learning conducted in ‘safe environments for innovation’ that support ‘brave failure’ in pursuit of learning.

Mark established the Design-Led Responsible Innovation Practice research group, a community of practice which brings together academics from across Northumbria’s School of Design and Newcastle Business School, alongside researchers and students from the unique MA/MSc Multidisciplinary Innovation (MDI) programme which he wrote, led and has overseen since its launch in 2008. Through this group he has secured, since 2013, over £1.3m Research Council and contract research funding and delivered strategic innovation support to around 80 external enterprises ranging from start-up charities to Fortune 500 global corporations. With the group he has published extensively on design-led responsible innovation practice and education.

He is currently Northumbria University’s academic lead in a c.£6m collaboration with the four other North East universities: Creative Fuse North East (now in phase 2). This work is focused on developing multidisciplinary innovation capability and capacity amongst the region’s Creative Cultural Digital and IT sectors. He is also leading a British Council-funded partnership with the American University of Armenia to develop design-led enterprise education in the country. This work has led to Bailey and his team authoring Enterprise education Policy recommendations for the Armenian Prime Minister and the Ministry of Education and Science.

Alongside his teaching and research activities Mark is responsible for establishing and leading educational and research partnerships between Northumbria University’s leading School of Design and other highly-rated universities and colleges around the world.