On July 7, 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming TUHH alumnus Valentin Richter, Branch Director at Buderus, to our Marketing of Innovations course. His session, “Selling Innovation in Transforming Markets,” offered a truly inspiring look at how to drive real-world change in today’s complex business environment. Valentin’s career journey—from bringing rural electricity to villages in India as a management trainee to leading international sales teams across Europe—showed our students exactly where a TUHH degree can take them. Drawing on his diverse experiences, he challenged the cliché view of sales. In today’s volatile and uncertain markets, sales is no longer about just 'pitching and closing.' Instead, it is about building trust, managing complexity, and empowering customers to make better decisions. A major takeaway from the session was the human side of the energy transition. Using the booming German heat pump market as a prime example, Valentin illustrated that technological superiority alone isn't enough to transform a market. As he pointed out, customers rarely reject innovation because it is bad; they hesitate because change feels risky and uncomfortable. By analyzing the entire stakeholder ecosystem, he demonstrated how understanding the human element—such as recognizing that overwhelmed installers, rather than end-consumers, are the actual bottleneck—is the true key to successfully scaling sustainable technologies. The lecture culminated in a highly engaging case study where students stepped into the shoes of global strategists. Tasked with figuring out how to integrate Bosch’s newly acquired Hitachi HVAC brand into an existing portfolio, students actively debated market positioning and brand differentiation. This hands-on exercise was a fantastic opportunity for them to apply theoretical concepts to a live corporate challenge. We sincerely thank Valentin Richter for returning to his alma mater to share his journey and for inspiring our students to see sales as a powerful driver for positive market transformation. We look forward to welcoming him again as part of our guest lecture series.

We once again had the great pleasure of hosting Matthias Schulz, Head of Strategy at Otto Krahn Group, for a guest lecture in our Innovation Marketing master’s course. This year, he shared fresh perspectives on how the 116-year-old company leverages its expertise in the distribution, production, and recycling of plastics, chemicals, and ceramics to remain at the forefront of material innovation. A key takeaway was the strategic role of the corporate incubator, Otto Krahn New Business (OKNB). Matthias illustrated how OKNB actively tackles the "Innovator's Dilemma" by partnering with early-stage startups to validate and scale new material technologies that are often still in the lab phase. Beyond physical materials, he also detailed the group's serious engagement with artificial intelligence. By teaming up with AI networks like Merantix, Otto Krahn is exploring how AI agents might transform B2B workflows and technical consulting in the future. This sparked a highly engaging discussion among the students. We debated the hurdles of AI adoption in risk-averse B2B markets and discussed how to market digital innovations to customers who prioritize established human relationships over new technologies. We sincerely thank Matthias for another inspiring session and look forward to keeping this excellent exchange with the Otto Krahn Group alive in the future.