Founded in 2002 AIMTech (Adaptation Information Management and Technology) is a research group within the Leeds University Business School. The group has grown significantly over the last few years to become one of the largest of its kind in Europe, delivering academic research and consultancy services to the private sector, local and national government. As part of a leading international business school in a research led university, AIMTech blends the highest standards of academic rigour with practice oriented research.

The groups work is focused on the inter-relationship between new technologies, information management and organisational change. The main academic research areas within AIMTech are information behaviour and practices, collaboration via information sharing, evaluation of information systems and design of information services. Over the last five years the group has developed an excellent track record in these areas looking at every stage of the technology development cycle. Owing to its position within the University of Leeds and due to the interdisciplinary nature of its work, AIMTech has been able to harness world-class expertise in a range of related fields such as computer science, electrical engineering and law. In 2007, it became affiliated to the Centre for Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (C-TIE), which brings together management researchers and practitioners addressing a diverse range of topics. At the same time, however, the group has maintained its unique identity.

A prominent component of AIMTechs activities is the ongoing transfer of knowledge to both the public and the private sectors. The group has established links with information technology innovators who are active at all organisational levels, from the policy-making to the operational. Our researchers spend significant amounts of time in the organisations we collaborate with and develop in-depth knowledge of their working environments. Past projects have involved advising companies on the strategic development of new information products and services, evaluating the proof of concept phase of new implementations, making recommendations to the UK government regarding the commissioning of particular technologies and assessing the business benefits to organisations.

AIMTech research is underpinned by a strong theoretical commitment to interactionist social theory predicated on an understanding of the duality of action and structure. We feel that it is critically important to understand the interplay between information technologies and related activities within organisational contexts to understand the way in which technologies influence organisational structures, cultures, communities and practice and the way in which these are influenced by the technologies. We draw upon theories consistent with this approach such as Activity Theory and Theory of Action.