On 25 May 2026, Christoph Friedrich successfully defended his doctoral thesis at the Institute of Economic and Cultural Geography at Leibniz Universität Hannover with an analysis of the innovation dynamics of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in structurally weak regions of Germany. His cumulative dissertation is based on one purely conceptual research article and four qualitative empirical articles, which have been submitted to or are already published in renowned academic journals.
The core of the thesis explores how the innovation processes of SMEs in structurally weak regions can be enhanced through measures of both regional and national innovation policy, as well as internal company management. The research particularly investigates regional context factors at the meso level, especially informal institutions, which influence innovation processes at the micro level. Owing to limited regional and internal company resources, these processes often do not rely on R&D activities, but rather on informal learning and internal and external interactions in the informal DUI (Learning-by-Doing, Using, and Interacting) mode.
The empirical findings derive from a multiple case study in twelve structurally weak regions, both urban and rural, at the NUTS-3 level, with a total of 98 qualitative interviews conducted with executives and managers of SMEs. Among these, 30 interviews with knowledge-intensive service providers and 43 with manufacturing SMEs in eight regions were gathered as part of the research project “DUI.REG” (Measuring the Doing-Using-Interacting Mode of SMEs in Structurally Weak Regions). Interviews with 25 retailers in four regions were collected from the project “ReDiCOV” (Regional Economic Disparities in the Aftermath of the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Role of Digitalization and Working-from-Home).
The central findings of the dissertation are as follows:
- Informal institutions are significant direct drivers of DUI learning processes.
- HRM practices (e.g., flexible work organization, internal training) can be used indirectly via the respective corporate culture to strengthen DUI innovation processes.
- Digital transformation acts as a direct driver of DUI processes across various industries, although its potential is constrained by barriers such as the lack of digitally adept personnel.
The dissertation provides concrete recommendations for the design of regional and national policy and organizational management measures, while conceptually extending the DUI mode with perspectives from dynamic capabilities and the resource-based view.
The examination committee was chaired by Prof. Benjamin Burkhard (Institute of Earth Systems Science, LUH). Other members included Prof. Rolf Sternberg (first reviewer and supervisor), Prof. Ingo Liefner (both from the Institute of Economic and Cultural Geography, LUH), and Prof. Roman Martin (second reviewer; Department of Business Administration, University of Gothenburg, Sweden). The complete dissertation will soon be available in the institutional repository of Leibniz Universität Hannover and will be freely accessible to all interested parties.
