Master Thesis with Alpenvalley & TUM Chair of Strategy and Organization
📌 Key facts
- When: Start anytime — ideally in Q3/Q4 2025. Applications are open!
- How to apply: Send us an e-mail (at the end of this page) with your CV, grade report, and a short outline of your research idea.
- 📌 Key facts
- 💡 Background
- 🦾Who We Are
- 🎯 Goals of the thesis
- 💼 Responsibilities
- 🎓 Profile
- 🎉 Outcomes
- 📚 Further Reading
- ➕ Additional Information
- 📝 Apply now!
- 📬 Contact
💡 Background
The Alpine region is one of Europe's strongest innovation hubs — where SME excellence, industrial value creation and technological creativity intersect.
Alpenvalley connects these strengths, making them visible on a global stage while fostering sustainable, future-proof innovation.
The TUM Chair of Strategy and Organization (Prof. Dr. Isabell Welpe) and Alpenvalley jointly offer this thesis to investigate how innovation ecosystems can be built, scaled, and internationally positioned from a regional base.
You will explore how networks, events, community design, and platform thinking enable this transformation — and contribute to positioning the Alpine region as a beacon of innovation.
🦾Who We Are
Alpenvalley - www.alpenvalley.de
Alpenvalley unites companies, thought leaders, and institutions across the Alpine region — from Chiemgau to Vienna — with global partners and impact-driven formats:
- Alpenvalley Summit
- White Papers
- Co-Creation Labs
- Community Events
- Innovation Visits
Our mission is to foster visible, measurable, and sustainable innovation — and to give the Alpine region a strong international voice.
🎯 Goals of the thesis
- Understand how regional innovation ecosystems emerge and grow.
- Analyze the role of platform strategies in fostering innovation and collaboration.
- Explore how community-driven formats (Summit, Co-Creation Labs, Events) contribute to ecosystem development.
- Identify barriers, enablers, and best practices.
- Develop a strategic framework or practical toolkit to guide Alpenvalley’s future growth and international positioning.
💼 Responsibilities
- Conduct a literature review on innovation ecosystems, platform-based value creation, and regional innovation strategies.
- Perform empirical research: interviews with key stakeholders, participation in events, analysis of ecosystem dynamics and create tangible content for our stakeholders.
- Combine insights from academic research and practice to create actionable outcomes.
- Present your results in a Master Thesis and in a workshop with Alpenvalley stakeholders.
🎓 Profile
- Passion for innovation, strategy, and ecosystem development.
- Strong analytical and conceptual thinking.
- Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research methods.
- Interest in community building and platform strategies.
- Ability to work independently and proactively engage with stakeholders.
🎉 Outcomes
- A high-quality Master Thesis that contributes to both academic knowledge and practical impact.
- Strategic insights to help Alpenvalley grow as a leading regional innovation platform.
- Contribution to positioning the Alpine region as a global innovation hub.
📚 Further Reading
- Alpenvalley Onepager
- Selected academic literature on platform ecosystems, regional innovation, and community-driven innovation.
➕ Additional Information
- The thesis can be written in English or German.
- Close collaboration with Alpenvalley leadership and TUM CSO.
- Participation in key Alpenvalley events
📝 Apply now!
If you are interested, please contact Stefan Daxenberger and Prof. Dr. Isabell Welpe by submitting your CV and grade report. Please also briefly outline your tentative research idea
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
📬 Contact
Stefan Daxenberger (Alpenvalley / Patch.Work) stefan@patch-work.co
Prof. Dr. Isabell Welpe (Chair for Strategy and Organisation, TUM) welpe@tum.de