Entrepreneurship Research Group

Core research themes

Research Approach

Entrepreneurship research is concerned with identifying and exploiting entrepreneurial opportunities, enabling factors of entrepreneurial activity, and the complex conditions under which entrepreneurial behavior occurs. To address this complexity, the Entrepreneurship Research Group uses a variety of different approaches. We work conceptually and empirically with qualitative and quantitative techniques and use a wide variety of methods to produce knowledge. In principle, every entrepreneurial phenomenon is of potential interest for the research group - if entrepreneurship is opportunity-driven, then research on entrepreneurship must be as well.

Core Research Theme "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems"

Entrepreneurial ecosystems are regional agglomerations of entrepreneurial activity. The most prominent example is certainly Silicon Valley, but we find such agglomerations worldwide in a variety of contexts. Entrepreneurial ecosystems make it easier for entrepreneurs to realize their ideas, and they are thus also of interest for economic policy. Our research group strives to shed light on such complex systems' mechanisms and determine their success conditions.

Key Publications

Core Research Theme "Green / Sustainable / Bioeconomy Entrepreneurship"

Sustainable economic activity requires entrepreneurs who establish corresponding business models. Conversely, the trend towards sustainability offers corresponding opportunities for entrepreneurial action. With this core research theme, the Entrepreneurship Research Group addresses the design of framework conditions for more sustainable entrepreneurship and the mechanics of innovative, sustainable business models. We also address the questions that follow from an entrepreneurial perspective on the bioeconomy transformation.

Key Publications

Core Research Theme "Entrepreneurship Education and Transfer"

Entrepreneurship education is an emerging field and is subject to constant, rapid change. Likewise, with the so-called third mission of universities and colleges, transfer - primarily via academic spin-offs - is continuously increasing in importance. Our group's research aims, for example, to provide evidence for didactic interventions in entrepreneurship education. We also investigate the conditions of successful university transfer in various projects.

Key Publications