Featured Researcher, Meet the Researcher

Meet the Researcher: Yuliia Yehorova

Yuliia is a CONFIRM PhD Student based at Maynooth University

“I think that the most important thing is to be inspired by the topic you are choosing when you are starting your PhD”

Tell us a bit about your research...

I am looking at how the adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the 4th Industrial Revolution leads to more opportunities to co-create value with customers on earlier stages of product/service development. The automation benefits of automation in the manufacturing industry are not just for the companies themselves. Companies which are at the cutting edge of innovation are thinking about the change on the more strategic level of application of IoT technology. The real time-connectivity and ongoing relationship with customers open opportunities for companies’ Research & Development department and customers working together on the products and services which are truly effective and are the outcome of the mutual value creation between the provider and the customer without actual physical interaction between the provider and the customer. My focus is on Business-to-Business or B2B relationships.

Could your research help in future global crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic?

My research has the potential to be applied in the world crises like COVID-19 as it looks at the specific human-less opportunity to co-create value between provider and the customer. Let’s assume that a medical manufacturer rapidly started making Ventilators for hospitals at the standardized size and functionality. If there was an IoT-connection in each such ventilator, the company would see what are the challenges and patterns in use for the ventilator. That data could the be transmitted quickly to the R&D department of the company to make fast adjustments and changes where needed. There could be new ground breaking ideas coming out of the data which the medical manufacturer can see in the patterns of customers’ use which will lead them to be first and competing on those products to bring it faster to customers.

What did you study as an Undergraduate?

I studied Finance in my undergraduate degree back in Ukraine in Kyiv National Economic University.

What made you decide to go into research?

I did my Masters in “IT-Enabled Innovation” in Maynooth University where I found the inspiration for my PhD topic.

What do you enjoy most about being a PhD student?

The thing I enjoy most about being a PhD student is the opportunity to challenge yourself with new ideas and knowledge!

Do you have an advice for someone who is thinking about a career or research in STEM?

I think that the most important thing is to be inspired by the topic you are choosing when you are starting your PhD. The PhD is a hard path with a lot of ups and downs and the passion of the topic you chose will help you to get through it.