Our AEM student Mohamed Fachrou is currently working on his master's thesis, which examines the strategies of German automobile manufacturers in the competition for expertise with Chinese manufacturers. The topic is closely linked to the research activities of the xAI Lab at Tongji University, where Mr. Fachrou is currently working. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our partners in China for their cooperation!

During his first research stay, he is looking at how Chinese manufacturers are building technological expertise and the role that industrial policy and artificial intelligence play in this.

In the coming weeks, he plans to further deepen his research and travel to Shanghai again to expand his findings. “My stay in Shanghai is an experience that will shape me in the long term.” You can find a detailed report on our LinkedIn page.

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On November 4, David Meyer and Jakob Ole Siebeneiker from the IAM Chair took part in the first joint master's fair organized by the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Computer Science, and the Mercator School of Management, where they presented the master's program in "Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management".
Numerous bachelor's students took the opportunity to find out about the extensive range of master's programs on offer in a relaxed atmosphere with mulled wine and pastries. There was also great interest in our master's program in "Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management". The three-semester program trains sought-after “forward thinkers” who want to actively shape the management challenges of mobility transformation through the unique combination of technology and business administration. 
It was a successful afternoon that offered students valuable guidance for their next academic step. We would like to thank everyone involved in the master's fair for the great organization!

If you are interested in our master's program, please contact Arne Jeppe  (arne.jeppe@uni-due.de).

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A meeting with the SDV team from Deloitte Consulting and the Chair of Networked Embedded Systems (Prof. Pedro J. Marrón) focused on how to leverage the opportunities offered by SDV. This is also supported by a master's thesis on the monetization potential of SDV in the digital transformation of the automotive industry (Jan Jassar, Master's program in Industrial Engineering). 

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From October 7 to 8, 2025, Prof. Heike Proff, David Meyer, and Luca Husemann attended the fourth consortium meeting of the “BiFlex-Industrie” research project at the Marquardt Group in idyllic Rietheim-Weilheim.

A particular highlight was the visit to the pilot site, which is already equipped with eight bidirectional wallboxes from ambibox GmbH and several bidirectionally chargeable vehicles (Volkswagen ID.4 and Polestar 3). The meeting also focused on intensive exchanges in numerous workshops, which heralded the final year of the research project.

The IAM Chair organized two workshops of its own: one on a possible follow-up project and another on the business model of the provider of bidirectional charging technologies in industry.

In addition to the technical discussions, there was also plenty of opportunity for personal exchange: a joint Swabian dinner on the Risiberg rounded off the event.

Thanks to the Marquardt Group, in particular Thomas Schwarz, and Daniela Wack and Robert Kohrs from Fraunhofer ISE for the great organization of the consortium meeting!

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On October 6, 2025, our chair team visited the Technical University of Ingolstadt (THI) together with Brazilian partners to further deepen cooperation within the framework of our BRIDGES project. The visit was organized by Prof. Dr. Sergej Diel from THI.

Prof. Dr. Heike Proff, Arne Jeppe, Luca Husemann, David Meyer, and Eduardo Martins Deschamps, the network manager of the BRIDGES project from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) in Brazil, also traveled to Ingolstadt.

The program included discussions and laboratory tours with professors from the Institute for New Energy Systems and the C-ECOS Institute at THI. The main purpose of the exchange was to discuss approaches for future joint research projects.

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The transformation of the automotive industry and the importance of strategic and dynamic automotive management in these increasingly uncertain times are key components of the master's program in Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management. It is important for students to learn about practical applications in addition to theory.
The Car Symposium in Bochum, featuring high-caliber experts from the automotive industry, provided an exciting and wide-ranging insight into the transformation processes taking place in the automotive industry: from the strategies of Chinese car manufacturers in Europe to the growing relevance of sustainability and affordability of European electric vehicles to the increasingly difficult ambidexterity between electric mobility and conventional drive systems.

This year's Car Symposium once again offered students an excellent opportunity to learn about the various facets of the automotive industry and make important contacts.

We are very grateful for this opportunity!

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Starting in October, Mohamed Fachrou, one of our AEM students, will be writing his master's thesis in cooperation with the renowned Tongji University in China. The focus will be on examining the expansion strategies of German OEMs.

Today, we had an exciting exchange with our colleagues at Tongji University. Mohamed will not only work on this topic theoretically, but will also collaborate directly with experts at the university and gain valuable insights. We look forward to accompanying him on his journey and reporting more about it in the coming weeks!

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From September 13 to 17, the 20th International Conference on Business Informatics (WI 2025) took place at the University of Münster. As one of the leading conferences for the business informatics community, it focused on the digital future, with artificial intelligence (AI) as a central theme.
 
In this high-caliber environment, our full research paper entitled “Algorithmic Management: An MCDA-Based Comparison of Key Approaches” was accepted for the Main Conference Track. Arne Jeppe presented the research results, developed in collaboration with Tim Bree and Erik Karger, to a broad specialist audience.
 
We are particularly pleased about the confirmation of our work: The article has been accepted for publication in the renowned and VHB B-ranked Wirtschaftsinformatik Proceedings (WI) and will be published shortly.

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Prof. Dr. Heike Proff and the Chair of IAM were at the IAA in Munich to discuss the latest trends in the automotive industry.

The German Chancellor's vision for the future, which positioned Germany as a “growth engine” and “leading market for autonomous driving,” underscores the importance of specialized study programs. Our AEM master's program trains precisely the specialists needed for this development. The noticeable upswing in the industry and the contacts made at the trade fair confirm that we are on the right track.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

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Our research assistant Arne Jeppe will be attending the Methods Summer School of the European International Business Academy (EIBA) at the renowned Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) from September 1 to 5, 2025. 

The Summer School is aimed at a select international group of doctoral students and junior professors. In a small group of only 30 participants, they will have the opportunity to discuss the application of the latest qualitative and quantitative methods with leading researchers. This year's focus is on “Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Big Data: Opportunities and Challenges for International Business Research.”

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New publication: Mapping the research landscape of digital ecosystems

The article “Mapping the digital landscape: A bibliometric analysis of digital ecosystem research” is now available in the special issue: “Unleashing the Power of IoT: Transforming Business Models, Fueling Innovation, and Navigating Digital Ecosystems” in the journal Digital Business.

To organize the rapidly growing field of research on digital ecosystems, we analyzed nearly 2,000 publications. The study identifies the central topic clusters—from digital transformation and AI to business strategies—and derives a clear agenda for future research.

Arne Jeppe, Tim Bree, Erik Karger, Heike Proff, and Frederik Ahlemann highlight the most important trends and identify future focal points in areas such as governance, sustainability, and security of digital infrastructures. A compact guide for researchers and practitioners.

Click here for the article.

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The aim of the visit was to strengthen contacts and investigate the “economic potential of using second-life EV batteries to stabilize the supply of renewable energies for the small-scale production of green hydrogen and its conversion into ammonia for domestic fertilizer production.” This topic will be explored in greater depth in a master's thesis.
In this context, discussions were held with colleagues from the University of Sao Paulo/USP and within the framework of the BRIDGES partnership at the University of Santa Catarina. In addition, Prof. Proff was able to visit the DWIH with the UARuhr liaison office and the DFG. A visit to VW do Brasil was also on the itinerary.

A workshop was also held during the visit. Click on this link to view the video recording of the workshop.

Dear interested students,

we invite you to our information event about the Master’s program in ‘‘Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management‘‘ (M.Sc.).

📅 July 31, 2025

🕟 06:00 p.m.

🌐 Online via Zoom Zoom-Link: Invitation link

Our Master's program is aimed at graduates of industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and business administration study programs. It offers a unique combination of economic and technical study content, specializing in the automotive sector and mobility.

Learn more about the goals and structure of the program, which has been offered since the summer semester of 2011 and supports the transition to electromobility, highly automated driving, and shared mobility. We are available to answer your questions and explain how the program can help you gain a foothold in the global working world of the automotive and mobility industries.

Program Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Heike Proff

Contact: Arne Jeppe

Chair of Business Administration & International Automotive Management

E-Mail: arne.jeppe@uni-due.de

Tel.: 0203-379-6015

You can find more information on our website: www.uni-due.de/automotive

We look forward to your participation and meeting you personally!​

​

The conference paper “Algorithmic Management: An MCDA-Based Comparison of Key Approaches” by Arne Jeppe, Tim Brée and Erik Karger has been accepted for presentation at the 20th International Conference on Information Systems. The conference will take place from September 13-17, 2025.

Abstract:

Algorithmic management systems are increasingly used to control and coordinate work, presenting both opportunities and challenges for organizations and workers. This study employs Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to evaluate and compare four distinct approaches to the governance of these sys-tems: principle-based, rule-based, risk-based, and auditing-based. A structured questionnaire elicited preferences from 27 experts regarding the effectiveness, feasibility, adaptability, and stakeholder acceptability of each approach. A Weighted Sum Model (WSM) aggregated these preferences. Results, supported by statistical testing and sensitivity analysis, consistently indicated a strong pref-erence for the hybrid, risk-based approach. This approach was perceived as the most effective in mitigating risks, while also demonstrating good adaptability and stakeholder acceptability. The findings highlight the importance of prioritizing risk mitigation in the design of algorithmic management governance frameworks and provide a structured methodology for evaluating and comparing different governance strategies. This study offers valuable, evidence-based insights for re-search, organizations and policymakers.

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A warm welcome!

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Prof. Heike Proff, Luca Husemann, David Meyer and Marten Sprehn were in China from 17.07.-27.07.2025 to exchange ideas with experts, companies and research partners. The trip took them through several stops in the country and combined scientific contributions with in-depth practical insights into the automotive industry. a highlight of the trip was the visit to the BYD factory in Shenzhen. In addition to a guided tour of the factory exhibition, our team was able to test drive several models for themselves. An interesting discussion with BYD's battery and charging team rounded off the visit.

In Shanghai, Luca Husemann, David Meyer and Marten Sprehn presented the latest findings of their research on willingness to pay and the acceptance of (bidirectional) charging of electric vehicles. Prof. Heike Proff also moderated a panel discussion entitled “After the Electrification Strategy - Is the Software-defined Vehicle Next and What is Needed for This?”. Participants in the discussion were Prof. John Paul MacDuffie (Professor of Management and Director of PVMI, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, USA), Prof. Jun Ma (Professor, School of Automotive Studies, Tongji University, Shanghai China), Dr. Feng Shen (Executive Vice President & Chairman of Quality Management Committee, NIO; Vice President of FISITA and chairman of the Technical and Industrial Committee) and Andreas Maennel (Lead Partner Automotive Deloitte China).

​

The 10th International Conference on New Business Models took place in Reykjavík from June 24 to 26, 2025 - this year with a special focus on sustainable business models.

The conference began on June 24 with a doctoral colloquium, which provided space for intensive exchange. Doctoral students from all over the world discussed current topics and challenges relating to sustainable business models in small groups.

On June 25, the main conference was officially opened with an inspiring keynote speech by Jan Jonker and an impressive panel discussion with Icelandic President Halla Tómasdóttir.

A total of 184 participants from 38 countries took part in the conference. Over 130 specialist presentations were held in 12 parallel tracks - a diverse insight into the future of sustainable business.

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Start-up your idea! – the GUIDE ideas competition searched and found forward-looking and precise business ideas from members of the University of Duisburg-Essen and the University Hospital Essen. After 10 great pitches, the best ideas in the BASIC and ADVANCED categories were awarded.

Five years after founding the Start-ups gapcharge at the chair with an innovative inductive charging solution for intralogistics, it was nice to see UDE founders again. We hope that our business plan exercise in the Master’s program in Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management will lead to pioneering business ideas aswell.

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Click here for the video!

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Welcome!

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At the Transportation Research Symposium of the famous Transportation Research-Magazines David Meyer and Arne Jeppe had the chance to present their current research results. In the lecture ‘Unravelling the Failure of MaaS: Exploring the Factors Behind an Unsuccessfull Endeavor – A Global Study‘ Arne Jeppe presented the results of a global study with 10.000 participants on the acceptance and perceived benefits of MaaS.

In the lecture ‘Drivers and Barriers Influencing Companies‘ adoption of bidirectional fleets‘ David Meyer presented the results of his study with 36 company interviews on the drivers barriers tot he implementation and introduction of bidirectional charging in fleets.

Moreover David Meyer and Arne Jeppe had the opportunity to exchange ideas with numerous TR-Journal editors and other researchers and to gather further exciting ideas for their own research in various presentations.

​

At the Special Conference in Palermo of the renowned Strategic Management Society Prof. Heike Proff, Arne Jeppe and Luca Husemann successfully presented their article ‘Designing Early Repurposing Business Models at the Bottom oft he Pyramid to Tackle Poverty‘  and discussed about the Grand Challenges.

Furthermore Arne Jeppe and Luca Husemann presented their current research in the doctoral seminar and collected ideas for their further work.

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The 17th annual Mobility Science Forum took place on May 15, 2025. Under the motto "Solving Conflicts on the Way to Sustainable Mobility," numerous conflicting objectives on the path to sustainable mobility were discussed in two panel discussions, 67 presentations, and 23 posters.

You can find detailed reports about the event on the website of the Faculty of Engineering, in VISION mobility , on the Studio 47 YouTube channelan in WDR Lokalzeit (starting at minute 2:19)! You can also find a contribution  from the chair's perspective on the Science Forum LinkedIn page.

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The print version will be published in roughly 3 weeks. The conference proceedings include contributions presented at the 16th Science Forum on Mobility in Duisburg. The focus was on the discussion of new players in the automotive and mobility sectors. A total of 46 contributions present technical and business insights for the new players in mobility. The presentations on the topic of "New Players in Mobility" were divided into five areas, which also form the basis of the conference proceedings:

1.) (New Players in) Mobility Management

2.) (New Players in) Mobility Engineering

3.) Cities and their inhabitants – Influencing mobility

4.) New competition from IT and Asia

5.) Addressing and incentivizing customers

A big thank you to all the participating authors!

The entire conference proceedings and the individual articles are available at this link. ​

We would like to invite you once again to this year's 17th Science Forum on May 15, 2025, in Duisburg. You can register directly on our website!

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The Center for Logistics and Transport is introducing our chair in its latest series of articles on LinkedIn. You can find the entire series on the ZLV's LinkedIn page.
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The Article was published on April 18, 2025 in the journal Business Strategy and the Environment and is available at this link: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.4305

The article develops a blueprint for business models for repurposing used electric vehicle batteries as cost-effective solar storage for the bottom of the pyramid (BoP). The study demonstrates how this circular economy approach can achieve both ecological sustainability and the economic viability necessary for scaling in BoP markets.

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To successfully manage digital transformation toward a high level of digital maturity, companies must not only introduce digital technologies but also use them to optimize their processes, products, services and business models, as well as develop the necessary capabilities. As part of the search for drivers, this article examines the influence of national culture on companies' digital maturity. To this end, hypotheses regarding the effects along Hofstede's six cultural dimensions are derived from the literature and then tested in a quantitative study with 603 companies from manufacturing industries using multiple regression analysis. The results confirm the influence of national culture on digital maturity and thus encourage companies to incorporate the role of national culture into their global digital transformation strategies.

Click here for the article.

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Click here for the article.

In Fidelity International's Capital Markets podcast with Carsten Roemheld, Prof. Heike Proff reported on the current crisis in the automotive industry in a two-part episode.

The first part "Why Germany is lagging behind" focuses on the declining demand for German automakers in foreign markets and the growing pressure from international manufacturers, such as those from China, particularly in the area of ​​electric mobility. Among other things, the demands of young Chinese buyers are discussed and the importance of European battery research is highlighted.

The second part "What We Can Learn from Brazil" focuses on the effects of higher tariffs in the United States on both foreign and domestic automakers, as well as on consumers. In addition to the consequences of protectionism, the influence of Chinese manufacturers and the withdrawal of established manufacturers from the automotive market in Brazil, a country without its own automotive industry, are discussed.

Further information and the podcast transcript can be found here.

Enjoy listening!

Dear interested students,

we invite you to our information event about the Master’s program in ‘‘Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management‘‘ (M.Sc.).

📅 March 27, 2025

🕟 4:30 p.m.

🌐 Online via Zoom Zoom-Link: Invitation link

Our Master's program is aimed at graduates of industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and business administration study programs. It offers a unique combination of economic and technical study content, specializing in the automotive sector and mobility.

Learn more about the goals and structure of the program, which has been offered since the summer semester of 2011 and supports the transition to electromobility, highly automated driving, and shared mobility. We are available to answer your questions and explain how the program can help you gain a foothold in the global working world of the automotive and mobility industries.

Program Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Heike Proff

Contact: Arne Jeppe

Chair of Business Administration & International Automotive Management

E-Mail: arne.jeppe@uni-due.de

Tel.: 0203-379-6015

You can find more information on our website: www.uni-due.de/automotive

We look forward to your participation and meeting you personally!​

​

At the Smart Factory Düsseldorf, Deloitte offers hands-on digitalization experiences and demonstrates the potential that digital transformation opens up for production and the supply chain.

The reopening of the Smart Factory Düsseldorf also featured the presentation of the results of the current "Digital Maturity 2025" study (https://www.deloitte.com/de/de/issues/growth-competition/digital-maturity-index.html), which was compiled using the Digital Maturity Index, in the development of which the IAM Chair played a key role.

​

We are delighted that the book "Sustainable Mobility - How the Ruhr Region Can Achieve the Transport Transition" by Prof. Johannes Weyer on the results of the "InnaMoRuhr" research project was published a few days ago.

The InnaMoRuhr project (Integrated, Sustainable Mobility for the University Alliance Ruhr) was carried out at the three UA Ruhr universities in Bochum, Dortmund, and Duisburg-Essen and funded by the Ministry of Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia from 2020 to 2023. The aim was to promote networking between the universities without increasing emissions. Therefore mobility behavior and the provider perspective were examined and innovative approaches were tested in real-world experiments.

The Chair of Business Administration & International Automotive Management investigated user acceptance, their willingness to pay, the development of business models and the mobility ecosystem in the project.

The results can be found particularly in the chapters "Students' Willingness to Pay for a University-Based, Integrated and Sustainable Mobility Offer" by Dr. Lisa Drees and Prof. Heike Proff, as well as "The Real-World Laboratory as a Test Field for Sustainable Mobility" in which Dr. Lisa Drees, Luca Husemann and Prof. Heike Proff contributed.

Click here for the book.

​

Dear interested students,

we invite you to our information event about the Master’s program in ‘‘Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management‘‘ (M.Sc.).

📅 March 6, 2025

🕟 4:30 p.m.

🌐 Online via Zoom Zoom-Link: Invitation link

Our Master's program is aimed at graduates of industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and business administration study programs. It offers a unique combination of economic and technical study content, specializing in the automotive sector and mobility.

Learn more about the goals and structure of the program, which has been offered since the summer semester of 2011 and supports the transition to electromobility, highly automated driving, and shared mobility. We are available to answer your questions and explain how the program can help you gain a foothold in the global working world of the automotive and mobility industries.

Program Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Heike Proff

Contact: Arne Jeppe

Chair of Business Administration & International Automotive Management

E-Mail: arne.jeppe@uni-due.de

Tel.: 0203-379-6015

You can find more information on our website: www.uni-due.de/automotive

We look forward to your participation and meeting you personally!

​

From February 25th to 26th, 2025, Prof. Heike Proff, David Meyer, and Luca Husemann attended the third consortium meeting of the "BiFlex-Industrie" research project at Thüga AG in Munich.

The meeting featured a presentation of the current status of all 15 project partners and interim results, including information on the pilot sites. The IAM Chair also organized a two-hour workshop to validate and further develop the partner network required to implement bidirectional charging. The workshop discussed the roles of the partners, their relationships, value drivers, potential governance mechanisms and digital solutions/platforms. In addition to the technical content, the program also included personal exchange and a Bavarian dinner.

We would like to thank all project partners for their active participation in our workshop!

Thanks also to Thüga AG for the excellent organization of the consortium meeting, especially Sven Martens, Valery Greil and Kieron Funk!

​

Max Eickhoff, Luca Husemann, and David Meyer from the IAM Chair visited E-world in Essen again this year. E-world is the leading trade fair for the European energy industry. The trade fair focuses on renewable energies, grid infrastructure, storage system and charging infrastructure.

The chair team took the opportunity to exchange ideas with experts about the latest developments in the energy industry. They gained particularly valuable input for their own research projects – including bidirectional charging ("BiFlex Industry"), strategic charging infrastructure planning ("Strali") and the sustainable use of end-of-life electric vehicle batteries.

We are pleased to have offered the students of our master's program in "Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management" the opportunity to visit the trade fair free of charge today.

​

Dear interested students,

we invite you to our information event about the Master’s program in ‘‘Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management‘‘ (M.Sc.).

📅 February 20, 2025

🕟 4:30 p.m.

🌐 Online via Zoom Zoom-Link: Invitation link

Our Master's program is aimed at graduates of industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and business administration study programs. It offers a unique combination of economic and technical study content, specializing in the automotive sector and mobility.

Learn more about the goals and structure of the program, which has been offered since the summer semester of 2011 and supports the transition to electromobility, highly automated driving, and shared mobility. We are available to answer your questions and explain how the program can help you gain a foothold in the global working world of the automotive and mobility industries.

Program Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Heike Proff

Contact: Arne Jeppe

Chair of Business Administration & International Automotive Management

E-Mail: arne.jeppe@uni-due.de

Tel.: 0203-379-6015

You can find more information on our website: www.uni-due.de/automotive

We look forward to your participation and meeting you personally!

​

Click here for the article.

​

Arne Jeppe was at the boot Düsseldorf trade fair to present the diverse degree programs offered by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

At the University of Duisburg-Essen's booth, interested visitors could learn about the entire range of degree programs offered by the faculty. Arne Jeppe provided visitors with a comprehensive insight into the various bachelor's and master's degree programs and answered questions about course content, career opportunities and admission requirements.

From mechanical engineering and electrical engineering to industrial engineering and the master's program in Automotive Engineering & Mobility Management – ​​the faculty offers a broad spectrum of future-oriented degree programs with excellent prospects.

We are delighted by the great interest in our degree programs and would like to thank all visitors for the stimulating discussions!

​

We are particularly pleased that Luca Husemann, our research associate in the BiFlex-Industry project, was named the best graduate of the AEM and congratulate him warmly!

​

We are pleased that the students were able to gain exciting insights into the planning and organization of a professional service firm (especially the consulting branch) outside of the lecture hall 😊!