Institute of Business Administration

Research in the field of energy and water management focuses on:

• Detailed modeling of rate structures and costs in these sectors.
• Analysis of efficiency and comparative studies (benchmarking) to asses performance. 
• In-depth studies on economic regulation and its effects. 
• Analysis of development trends in these important areas of the economy.
• Development of framework conditions and structures to promote water management in emerging and developing countries. 

In the area of start-up and innovation research, we focus intensively on the following aspects: 

• Exploring a wide range of entrepreneurial options.
• Analysis of success factors and influencing factors for successful business start-ups.
• Analysis of technology and market trends as well as the evaluation of new technologies. 
• Creative identification of new business ideas using techniques such as synectics, TRIZ and design thinking.
• Development of innovative business models by applying the "Business Model Generation" methodology. 
• Designing effective innovation management using approaches such as open innovation, lead user integration and the blue ocean strategy.

In the field of maintenance and industrial services, we focus on:

• The interaction between people and technology in maintenance.
• The role of information technology in the optimization of maintenance processes. 
• Predictive condition assessment and forecasting of machines and systems.
• Efficient asset management to maximize asset utilization.
• Holistic life cycle management of industrial resources. 
• Development and implementation of digital assistance systems to increase productivity and efficiency. 

In the area of International Business - Emerging Markets, we focus on: 

• Analysis of country studies in corporate foreign trade.
• Application of interculturality in business practices.
• Consideration of socio-cultural aspects in the development process of emerging countries.
• Examination of economic policy in industrialized and emerging countries.

In the context of this topic, we shed light on various aspects, including: 

• AI application in the area of controlling.
• Spread and introduction of AI technologies. 
• Use of AI in digital assistance systems for maintenance.
• Use of AI in marketing.
• Predicting prices on capital markets using AI.
• AI-supported personal coach for potential founders.
• AI-based assistant to support the learning process.

Within this subject area, we research a wide range of areas, including:

• Analysis of the acceptance of eco-innovations
• Eye-tracking (shopper marketing research)
• Customer Relationship Management
• Real options valuation
• Impact relationships of quality labels in the food market
• Selection and purchasing behavior of families and children in the food context.