About Me
I am Professor of Economic Geography at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. My research examines how regions develop, innovate, and adapt to technological, economic, and societal change. I am particularly interested in knowledge networks, regional innovation systems, technological complexity, related diversification, and the role of media and narratives in regional development.
I was born in the lovely town of Kühlungsborn on the Baltic Sea. After completing my Master’s degree in Economics in Jena, I obtained my PhD in 2008. Since then, I have worked at universities in Germany, the Netherlands, and Norway. Outside academia, I enjoy spending time in the Harz Mountains and kayaking in the Norwegian fjords.
My Research
Regional Innovation and Economic Geography
A central question in my work is why some regions are better able than others to generate, absorb, and apply new knowledge. I study the spatial, institutional, and relational conditions under which innovation emerges, spreads, and contributes to regional development. This includes research on regional innovation systems, knowledge bases, technological specialization, and the uneven geography of economic transformation.
Technological Complexity and Related Diversification
The world is often said to be becoming more complex, but measuring technological complexity empirically is far from straightforward. In my research, I use patent data and network-based methods to study the complexity of technologies, the evolution of regional capabilities, and the conditions under which regions diversify into new activities. This work contributes to debates on relatedness, path dependence, structural change, and the long-term evolution of regional economies.
Knowledge Networks and Proximities
A significant part of my research focuses on knowledge networks: relations through which knowledge, ideas, and information circulate between individuals, organizations, and regions. I am particularly interested in how different forms of proximity—geographical, cognitive, organizational, institutional, and social—shape the formation and impact of these networks. This line of work connects network analysis with questions of innovation, collaboration, and regional development.
Media, Narratives, and Regional Development
More recently, my research has increasingly turned to the role of media, news, and narratives in regional economies. News is not only a reflection of local and regional developments; it also shapes expectations, perceptions, identities, and political debates. I study how regional news differs across places, how economic and technological change is narrated, and how local narrative landscapes may influence regional transformation processes.
Innovation Policy and Regional Transformation
Innovation and transformation are central policy concerns, but supporting them effectively remains challenging. My research seeks to inform regional and innovation policy by identifying the conditions under which regions can build new capabilities, mobilize existing strengths, and respond to economic, technological, and societal change. I am especially interested in policies that take regional diversity seriously rather than assuming that one model of innovation fits all places.
Methods and Data
Methodologically, my work combines quantitative economic geography, network analysis, spatial analysis, patent data, text data, and computational methods. I am interested in using large-scale empirical data to study regional economies while remaining attentive to the conceptual foundations of economic geography and innovation studies.
My Teaching
My teaching covers Economic Geography, Innovation Studies, Regional Development, Social Network Analysis, Quantitative Methods, Advanced Statistics, and the Geography of Innovation. Across these courses, I aim to help students understand how places, networks, institutions, and technologies shape economic development and societal transformation.