Research
Research Focus
Digital technologies are continuously transforming the conditions under which businesses operate. This is currently most evident in artificial intelligence, but also in digital platforms, social media, data-driven business models, and other technological developments that shape companies, markets, and strategic decisions. As a result, companies, entrepreneurs, and investors face new opportunities, but also significant uncertainties: Which technologies will become strategically relevant? Which business models are sustainable in the long term? How is competition changing in digital markets? And how can data, algorithms, and analytics be effectively integrated into value creation and decision-making?
The chair examines these questions from an economic perspective. The focus lies on analyzing how digital technologies transform value creation, business models, and competition, and what strategic options emerge as a result. Our interest is not limited to the technology itself, but primarily to its economic effects in order to derive actionable recommendations for companies.
Our Approach
A central part of our research is identifying the underlying economic mechanisms. In particular, we study how new technologies affect demand, prices, competitive positions, innovation, and consumer behavior. For example, we investigate whether new technologies lower barriers to market entry or reinforce existing market power, whether they promote productivity and innovation or put pressure on established business models, and how they change interactions between companies and customers. From these mechanisms, we derive concrete predictions.
We systematically test these predictions using data and modern empirical methods. The goal is not merely to describe technological developments, but to provide a robust analysis of their effects. To this end, we use large datasets, causal inference techniques such as difference-in-differences, A/
Scientific Excellence
The chair’s research is internationally recognized for its excellence. Our work is regularly published in leading academic journals such as Management Science, Information Systems Research, and MIS Quarterly. These projects are supported by highly competitive funding programs at both the European and national levels, including a Starting Grant from the European Research Council (€1.49 million) and multiple grants from the German Research Foundation (DFG).
For his research achievements, Prof. Dr. Jens Förderer has received multiple awards, including the Best Paper of the Year Award from the leading journal Information Systems Research. In the WirtschaftsWoche research ranking, he is among the most productive economists under 40 in the German-speaking world and ranks first based on A+ publications. He was also named one of the “Top 40 under 40” in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland by the business magazine Capital.
Relevant, Practical, and Decision-Oriented
At the same time, our research maintains close ties with practice. We collaborate with companies, consultancies, entrepreneurs, and investors to identify relevant questions early, analyze them scientifically, and apply our findings to real-world contexts. On this basis, we derive evidence-based recommendations for action. Especially in technology-driven markets characterized by high uncertainty, we see this as a key contribution of research: to fundamentally understand technological developments and provide guidance for managerial decision-making.
Current research findings are directly integrated into teaching, ensuring that students acquire knowledge at the cutting edge of research.
