Four themes shape my work. All of them come down to the same question: how does knowledge turn into better decisions in practice?
I · Supply chains in the digital transformation
Supply chains are under pressure: digitalisation, AI, sustainability requirements and geopolitical risk are changing purchasing and logistics at the same time. I am interested in what actually works in companies and how leaders can decide where to invest.
Evidence: Editor of Managing Modern Supply Chains (Wiley, 2026) and co-editor of The Digital Transformation of Logistics (Wiley, 2021) · chapter on responsible AI in supply chains · case study for the OECD project on the digital transformation of the automotive supply chain · Bosch innovation award “GS Inventory Reduction” (2017)
Research & talks
Managing technology when change keeps accelerating: IEEE TEMSCON Global 2026
Impressions from IEEE TEMSCON Global 2026 in Montréal, where I presented and chaired a session, and why the TEMS community matters.
II · Understanding China
Working with Chinese partners takes more than market data. What matters are relationships, expectations and reliability on both sides. I combine research on business relationships in China with nine years of experience on the ground.
Evidence: Doctoral thesis and book Guanxi im chinesischen Geschäftsleben (Springer, 2021) · teaching at Tongji University since 2014 · summer schools and DHBW Lörrach’s largest exchange partnership
International & China
Two weeks in China, and plenty to think about
Our China Summer School took students from Shanghai via Hongcun and Huangshan to Beijing. The point is a more informed, realistic picture of China.
III · Dual education and dual didactics
In dual study programmes, students learn in two places: at the university and in a company. I am interested in how the two really come together, in my own teaching and in how the model can be shared internationally. I work with real assignments from companies, interdisciplinary teams and clear assessment criteria.
Evidence: Training in dual didactics for Chinese university teachers (with CAS, three cohorts) · practice projects, for example with meteoblue · study on interdisciplinary problem-based learning (IEEE TEMSCON 2025) · article “A Course Designed to Get Students Hired” (Harvard Business Publishing)
IV · Studying while working
A part-time master’s degree is a conscious decision to invest time and energy in your own development once more. Alongside work, family and everyday life, that is not always easy. Those who connect what they learn with the questions of their working day gain twice: a double burden can become a double benefit.
Evidence: Dean of Business at DHBW CAS · posts and videos on studying while working [Instagram to follow] · Personal perspective: for binding information on programmes, deadlines and admission, please see DHBW CAS.