Mr Bert Verhoeven

Senior Lecturer

Newcastle Business School

Email:bert.verhoeven@newcastle.edu.au
Phone:0240550242

Career Summary

Biography

Bert Verhoeven is an esteemed entrepreneur and an accomplished Senior Lecturer specializing in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His entrepreneurial journey commenced in the early nineties in the Netherlands, where he founded and led three diverse enterprises that spanned publishing, professional services, and international development. His noteworthy international venture developed sports-related skill enhancement programs aimed at fostering social, health, and educational outcomes in six countries.

In 2006, Bert relocated to Australia, where he furthered his academic pursuits and contributed to the Swinburne Business School. As program director, he played a pivotal role in shaping the entrepreneurial curriculum, convening subjects within both the Master and Bachelor programs of Entrepreneurship and Innovation until 2017. Between 2014-2017, he also spearheaded the entrepreneurship segment of Swinburne’s Design Factory. In this capacity, he employed groundbreaking design thinking and lean startup methodologies to facilitate student teams in collaborating on innovation projects alongside prominent industry partners, including Cisco, Metro, Deloitte, BOM, Visy, and Coles.

In 2017, Bert joined Flinders University (Adelaide), where he has been at the forefront of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (I&E) education globally. His innovative approaches integrate Generative Artificial Intelligence as a pedagogical tool, underpinning both online and face-to-face competency-based Innovation and Enterprise programs. These programs are renowned for their student-centric, self-determined learning frameworks that emphasize customer/user-driven innovation through experiential project-based workshops. In 2023 Bert published 5 articles about his experience with GenAI in education in the London School of Economics (LSE) impact blog.

Currently at the University of Newcastle (NSW), Bert is forging a path as the architect and driving force behind one of Australia's most comprehensive and dynamic GenAI-centric Innovation & Entrepreneurship programs. His vision and dedication are equipping students to navigate and excel in the GenAI Era, fostering real-world innovation with transformative potential. Embark on this transformative journey with Bert and engage with GenAI to craft a future rich in innovation, characterized by clear insight and profound impact, one pioneering idea at a time.

Qualifications

Master of Arts, Erasmus University - Rotterdam
Master Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence
Entrepreneurship
GenAI in Education
Generative AI
Generative Artificial Intelligence
Innovation

Languages

Dutch (Mother)
English (Fluent)
French (Working)
German (Fluent)

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
460299	Artificial intelligence not elsewhere classified	40
350704	Entrepreneurship	50
390307	Teacher education and professional development of educators	10

Professional Experience

UON Appointment

Title	Organisation / Department
Senior Lecturer Director Innovation and Entrepreneurship	University of Newcastle Newcastle Business School Australia

Academic appointment

Dates	Title	Organisation / Department
1/4/2023 - 29/1/2024	Program Director Innovation and Enteprise	Flinders University Australia
1/4/2020 - 1/4/2023	Associate Professor and Director Innovation and Enterprise	Flinders University Australia

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Publications

For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.

Journal article (7 outputs)

Year

Citation

Altmetrics

Link

2025

Hor TC, Fong L, Wynne K, Verhoeven B, 'Easing the cognitive load of general practitioners: AI design principles for future-ready healthcare', Technovation, 142 (2025) [C1]

General practitioners (GPs) worldwide face increasing cognitive demands, especially in after-hours and voluntary primary care, where urgent decision-making and resource... [more]

General practitioners (GPs) worldwide face increasing cognitive demands, especially in after-hours and voluntary primary care, where urgent decision-making and resource constraints exacerbate workload pressures. Studies across North America, Europe, and Asia indicate that GPs encounter similar challenges globally, with administrative burdens and patient complexity contributing to high cognitive loads. While prior research has examined technological interventions, workflow optimization, and cognitive assistance independently, an integrated, actionable framework tailored to GPs' needs remains lacking. This study employs a design science approach to develop and evaluate a Neural Assistant for Optimized Medical Interactions (NAOMI), a prototype AI agent designed to support triage and clinical decision-making in after-hours and voluntary care settings. Through 80 simulated consultations and clinician feedback, we identify three key design principles: Comprehensive Data Collection and Analysis, Clinical Reasoning Transparency, and Adaptive Triage and Risk Assessment. These design principles provide a structured foundation for developing AI-driven solutions that reduce cognitive burden, enhance clinical workflows, and improve healthcare equity. By advancing AI integration in primary care, this study offers a scalable roadmap for AI-driven healthcare research and innovation, addressing systemic workforce challenges while optimizing patient outcomes.

DOI	10.1016/j.technovation.2025.103208
Co-authors	Katie-Jane Wynne

2025

Rana V, Verhoeven B, Sharma M, 'Generative AI in Design Thinking Pedagogy: Enhancing Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Ethical Reasoning in Higher Education', Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 22 (2025) [C1]

DOI	10.53761/tjse2f36

2017

Verhoeven KBT, Johnson LW, 'Business Model Innovation Portfolio Strategy for Growth Under Product-Market Configurations', Journal of Business Models (2017) [C1]

2014

Marsman I, Oostveen C, Verhoeven B, Elders L, 'The role of the occupational physician consultant oncology (BACO) in return-to-work of employees with cancer: Without extra care around employment, employees with cancer will continue to fall into a void', Tijdschrift Voor Bedrijfs En Verzekeringsgeneeskunde, 22, 116-119 (2014)

DOI	10.1007/s12498-014-0053-2
Citations	Scopus - 2

2013

Maritz A, Le V, Masli S, de Waal A, Verhoeven B, Chich Jen S, 'Entrepreneurship and Growth in Emerging Mini-dragon Economies: A South-East Asia Perspective', Chinese Business Review, 12 (2013)

DOI	10.17265/1537-1506/2013.01.006

2013

Verhoeven B, 'Dynamic capabilities for innovation network orchestration process', Actual Problems of Economics, 2 78-86 (2013)

Firms face the challenge of keeping up with changing market needs, especially in fast-moving operating environments. They have to continuously improve their existing pr... [more]

Firms face the challenge of keeping up with changing market needs, especially in fast-moving operating environments. They have to continuously improve their existing processes and products, and develop new services (products, innovations) that match market requirements. To improve innovation efficiency, innovation networks appear to be an interesting option. Many organisations however struggle to understand network processes and the capabilities needed to improve management performance. A focus on the process (rather than on real estate facilities and service outcome) of innovation network management will assist managers to improve value creation. Insights into innovation network processes and the skills/capabilities needed to manage the network (orchestration) will improve business performance. This study found that orchestrators manage 8 network processes and showed how these 8 network processes fit into a model of dynamic capabilities. © Bert Verhoeven, 2013.

2011

Maritz A, de Waal A, Verhoeven B, 'Entrepreneurial and innovative marketing: A systematic review of the literature', Innovative Marketing, 7 28-37 (2011)

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concepts of entrepreneurial and innovative marketing and how these concepts may be identified in the singular and/or plu... [more]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concepts of entrepreneurial and innovative marketing and how these concepts may be identified in the singular and/or plural context. No comprehensive theory exists in the domain of the integration of entrepreneurship and marketing. This paper proposes a conceptual entrepreneurial and innovative marketing approach from the literature, integrating academic and practice theory. Based upon abstract, generalized and explicit theoretical concepts, this paper is the first to integrate an implicit, intuitive and tacit resource of practice within a single conceptual model. Theoretical underpinnings are developed from a newly conceptualized definition of entrepreneurial and innovative marketing, perspectives on the emerging nature of entrepreneurial and innovative marketing, and models of application of entrepreneurial and innovative marketing. The proposed model facilitates entrepreneurs, innovators and corporate venturers toward establishing high growth ventures. Opportunities for further research are identified from a conceptual and empirical approach.

Citations	Scopus - 8

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