ResearchResearch projects
Economic development and policy

Research Focus on Economic Development and Policy

Research projects

Basic research

  • Standardization of Automated Driving Technologies - An Opportunity for Market Entry of Emerging Regions?
    Led by: Dr. Kerstin J. Schäfer
    Team: Lennart Schott
    Year: 2022
    Funding: Leibniz Young Investigator Grants
    Duration: 2020 - 2022
  • Business Plan-Competitions: Effects on Award Winners and Entrepreneurial Eco-Systems in Lower Saxony.
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Lennard Stolz
    Year: 2022
    Funding: Förderprogramm Pro*Niedersachsen des Niedersächsischen Ministeriums für Wissenschaft und Kultur
    Duration: 2019 - 2022
  • Entrepreneurship in rural areas: scope, determinants and regional economic effects (EntreLR)
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Lennard Stolz; Niels Wendt
    Year: 2021
    Funding: Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
    Duration: 2021 - 2024
  • China-specific features of the emergence of innovations in artificial intelligence and environmental protection: Education system, interaction between science and economy, large-scale projects
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ingo Liefner (LUH), Prof. Dr. Steffi Robak (LUH), Prof. Dr. Daniel Schiller (University of Greifswald)
    Team: Chris Brück (LUH), Xing Liu-Schuppener (LUH), Yang Liu (University of Greifswald)
    Year: 2021
    Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research
    Duration: 2021 – 2024
  • Transferring current research findings concerning the economic development of China to the Geography classroom
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ingo Liefner, Dr. Janis Fögele (JLU Gießen), Prof. Dr. Rainer Mehren (JLU Gießen)
    Team: Sebastian Losacker
    Year: 2020
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 2019 - 2020
  • Technology Spaces - Evolution, Potential, and Policy Implications
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Tom Broekel
    Team: Louis Knuepling
    Year: 2020
    Funding: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
    Duration: 2018 – 2020
  • Implementation conditions for frugality in innovation processes
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ingo Liefner
    Team: Julian Barnikol
    Year: 2020
    Funding: Lower Saxonian Ministry for Science and Culture
    Duration: 2020 - 2023
  • Hidden Champions as a central element for the stabilization of rural areas in times of digitalization
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ingo Liefner (LUH), Prof. Dr. Stefan Hennemann (JLU Gießen)
    Team: Carsten Rietmann (LUH), Leon Worbs (LUH), Lisa Zirbes (JLU Gießen)
    Year: 2020
    Funding: Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) / Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE)
    Duration: 2020 - 2023
  • The spatial effects of digitalisation and its regional and spatial planning policy implications
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Lukas Häfner
    Year: 2019
    Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur (MWK) aus Mitteln des Niedersächsischen Vorab der VolkswagenStiftung
    Duration: 2019 - 2024
  • Sino-German Cooperation Group: Study on the Internationalization of science, technology and innovation: Strategy, Policy and Practice
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rongping Mu (Fraunhofer ISI), Prof. Dr. Reinhardt Meckl (University Bayreuth)
    Team: Prof. Dr. Ingo Liefner u.a.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG und NSFC (GZ 975)
    Duration: 2014 - 2018
  • Gateway Cities and their Hinterland: Global Cities from the Global South as Nodes in Global Commodity Chains
    Led by: Dr. Sören Scholvin; Prof Dr. Javier Revilla Diez (University of Cologne)
    Team: Dr. Sören Scholvin, Prof. Dr. Javier Revilla Diez, Moritz Breul
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 2015 - 2018
  • The embedding of Lower Saxon organizations and regions in funded R & D collaboration networks
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Javier Revilla Diez, Juniorprof. Dr. Tom Brökel
    Team: Christoph Rösler, Wladimir Müller, Jörg Jerusel (EU-Hochschulbüro)
    Year: 2015
    Funding: The Lower Saxon Ministry of Science and Culture
    Duration: 2013 - 2015
  • An critical approach on transdisciplinary knowledge generation and knowledge transfer in spatial planning – an approach in reference to the climate change discourse
    Led by: PD Dr. Matthias Schmidt
    Team: Dipl.-Geogr. Timm Sebastian Wiegand
    Year: 2015
    Funding: Academy for Spatial Research and Planning (ARL), Headquarters(ARL), Geschäftsstelle
    Duration: 2012 - 2015
  • Regional Policy and Evaluation of Economic Infrastructure: Empirical Evidence from Lower Saxony
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Javier Revilla Diez
    Team: Dipl.-Geogr. Alexander Skubowius
    Year: 2012
    Funding: The support program "Pro*Niedersachsen", Ministry of Science and Culture Lower Saxony
    Duration: 2009 – 2012
  • Firm Learning in Spatial Perspective
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Javier Revilla Diez
    Team: Dipl.-Geogr. Claudius Schiller
    Year: 2011
    Funding: Own resources
    Duration: 2009 - 2011
  • Constructing Regional Advantage: Towards State-of-the-Art Regional Innovation System Policies in Europe?
    Led by: Prof. B. Asheim (Lund University, Sweden), Prof. R. Boschma (Utrecht University, The Netherlands), Franz Tödtling (University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria), Markku Sotarauta (University of Tampere, Finland)
    Team: Prof. R. Boschma, Dr. Tom Broekel (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
    Year: 2010
    Funding: European Science Foundation Collaborative Research
    Duration: 2008 - 2010
  • Promoting Effective Modes of University-Industry Linkages and their Evolution for Economic Catch-up in Asia
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Keun Lee, Seoul National University, Korea
    Team: Dr. Daniel Schiller, Dr. Patarapong Intarakumnerd, Thailand and 11 other country teams
    Year: 2009
    Funding: International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.
    Duration: 2007 - 2009
  • Regional cluster policy in Germany and the United States of America: An economic geographical comparison from an institutional and politic-economical point of view
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg, Dr. Matthias Kiese
    Team: Dennis Stockinger
    Year: 2009
    Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
    Duration: 2007 - 2009
  • Regional Cluster Policies in Germany: An Interregional Comparison in Institutional and Political-economic Perspective
    Led by: Dr. Matthias Kiese
    Team: Dr. Matthias Kiese (Postdoctoral Dissertation Project)
    Year: 2008
    Funding: own resources
    Duration: 2006 - 2008
  • Sectoral-regional Cluster and the „New Economic Geography“ – An Empirical Test of main hypotheses for Germany
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Timo Litzenberger (University of Cologne)
    Year: 2007
    Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
    Duration: 2004 - 2007
  • Migration after the eastern enlargement of the EU and effects for the labour markets in the target area – the examples of Poland and Germany
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Dirk Möller (University of Cologne)
    Year: 2002
    Funding: own resources
    Duration: 1999 - 2002
  • EU Regional Policy in Sweden – Model for Germany?
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Marc Brüser (University of Cologne)
    Year: 2002
    Funding: Friedrich-Ebert Foundation
    Duration: 1999 - 2002
  • On the quantification of the innovation potential of the Hanover-Brunswick-Göttingen region with special regard to innovative networks
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Angela Backhaus, Olof Seidel
    Year: 1996
    Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG) - Priority programme „technological change and regional development in Europe“
    Duration: 1995 - 1996
  • Evaluation of technology centres and business incubators in Germany
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Dr. Heiko Berendt, Dr. Heike Seeger, Dr. Christine Tamásy
    Year: 1994
    Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG) - Priority programme “technological change and regional development in Europe“, State Government of Lower Saxony
    Duration: 1993 - 1994
  • On the impact of national and regional technology policy on the genesis of high-tech regions in the U.S., France, Japan, the U.K. and Germany
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Year: 1994
    Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG-Gz.: Ste 628/1-1)
    Duration: 1992 - 1994
  • Technology centres and business incubators as a tool of local economic development policies
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Year: 1987
    Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG)
    Duration: 1985 - 1987

Applied research

  • Assessment report on a strengths and weaknesses analysis for developing a regional strategy for southern Lower Saxony
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ingo Liefner
    Team: Prof. Dr. Ingo Liefner, Sebastian Losacker
    Year: 2019
    Funding: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten und Regionale Entwicklung
    Duration: Spring 2019
  • Real-time evaluation of start-up and acquisition initiatives “Plug & Work” and “Zukunftsfabrik Produktionstechnik“ for the hannoverimpuls GmbH
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Ludwig Schätzl
    Team: Dr. Matthias Kiese
    Year: 2007
    Funding: hannoverimpuls GmbH
    Duration: 2005 - 2007
  • Scientific Evaluation of the programme „Junge Innovatoren“ (young innovators)
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Christian Hundt, Dennis Stockinger
    Year: 2007
    Funding: Ministry of Science, Research and Art Federal State of Baden-Württemberg
    Duration: 2007 - 2010
  • The Potential for Additional Vocational Training Positions in Rendsburg, Northern Germany
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Javier Revilla Diez
    Team: Oliver Brandt
    Year: 2006
    Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), European Social Fund
    Duration: 2006
  • Scientific Evaluation of the “Programm zur finanziellen Absicherung von Unternehmensgründungen aus Hochschulen” (PFAU) of the Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology Federals State of Northrhine-Westphalia (Evaluation 2006)
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Florian Wohlfart (University of Cologne)
    Year: 2006
    Funding: Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology Federals State of Northrhine-Westphalia
    Duration: 2005 - 2006
  • Scientific Evaluation of the programme „Junge Innovatoren“ (young innovators)
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Dr. Christine Tamásy, Claudia Müller (University of Cologne)
    Year: 2004
    Funding: Ministry of Science, Research and Art Federal State of Baden-Württemberg
    Duration: 1998 - 2004
  • Regional-economic impact of the planned international research institution “European Spallation Source” (ESS)
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg, Dr. Jens Kramer, Rik Schauenberg (University of Cologne)
    Year: 2001
    Funding: Research Centre Jülich GmbH
    Duration: 2001
  • Evaluating Technology Business Incubators – The European and German Perspective
    Led by: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Team: Prof. Dr. Rolf Sternberg
    Year: 2000
    Funding: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna
    Duration: 2000