Contact Dr Ismail Abushaikha
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 754399
- Email: Ismail.Abushaikha@cranfield.ac.uk
Background
Dr Ismail Saleem Abed Abushaikha is a Senior Lecturer of Logistics & Supply Chain Management at 重口味SM School of Management and Director of the Executive MSc in Logistics & Supply Chain Management. He holds a PhD in Supply Chain Management and an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Dr Abushaikha has extensive academic and executive education experience in the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, and the Middle East, covering a wide range of topics in logistics and supply chain management. Alongside his academic career, he gained industry experience through management roles with multinational companies, including the Operations and CRM divisions of Aramex and the commercial division of Goodyear.
Dr Abushaikha works closely with NGOs and UN organisations on supply chain resilience projects and has undertaken consultancy assignments for British and multinational companies as well as UK government bodies, including the Health and Safety Executive.
Research opportunities
Dr Abushaikha has published widely in leading international journals, including FT50-listed outlets such as Journal of Operations Management and Human Resource Management (US), as well as the International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Production Research, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, and the International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.
A major focus of Dr Abushaikha鈥檚 academic work is the integration of emerging technologies into supply networks. He investigates how additive manufacturing (AM), blockchain, and digital platforms can transform supply chains to be more agile and socially inclusive. His recent research on AM demonstrates its potential to provide life-enhancing solutions for vulnerable populations, including the localised supply of prosthetics in less developed contexts. His research also explores the integration of informal and formal networks in resource-constrained environments. He has published seminal studies on the emergence of supply networks in contexts characterised by vulnerability and uncertainty, and has developed several frameworks that explain how hybrid networks contribute to resilience.
His research interests are also shaped by his involvement in several European-funded projects that bring together technology, networks, and social inclusion. As a project investigator in the PRIMA EU-funded BONEX project, he collaborated with civil society actors and NGOs to co-design interventions for vulnerable communities. He was the country coordinator and project lead for the BMBF-funded JOINOLOG project, which contributed to developing a logistics innovation centre to advance digital integration, strengthen network collaboration, and enhance cross-sectoral knowledge transfer in supply chains.
Current activities
Dr Abushaikha teaches across postgraduate, doctoral, and executive education programmes in logistics and supply chain management. His teaching portfolio spans smart warehousing and fulfilment, innovative and collaborative supply chains, resilience in global networks, operational excellence, and humanitarian supply chain. He also contributes to the development of research capability through modules on qualitative research methods and case study research. He has extensive experience in designing and delivering executive education programmes for industry professionals, as well as supervising doctoral and postgraduate students. His approach to teaching emphasises interactive learning and case-based projects.
Dr Abushaikha is actively engaged in research on the integration of emerging technologies into supply networks, focusing on how tools such as additive manufacturing, blockchain, and digital platforms can strengthen resilience and social inclusion. He is currently investigating the emergence of informal networks resource-constrained contexts, developing frameworks that explain how hybrid structures support adaptability and resilience.
He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a member of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), the British Academy of Management (BAM), and APICS (Association for Supply Chain Management).
