On December 4th, 2025, our Negotiation Management course was enriched by the return of Martin Pilch, Partner at IMPACT Negotiation Group, who joined us for the third time as a guest lecturer. Mr. Pilch led a highly interactive Problem‑Based Learning (PBL) session that gave students the opportunity to apply negotiation theory directly to practice. He began by sharing practical advice on negotiation techniques and effective communication, before guiding participants through a series of realistic case scenarios. These exercises challenged students to collaborate, adapt their strategies, and explore solutions that create value for all parties involved. A key takeaway from the session was the importance of thorough preparation, understanding the perspectives of others, and thinking creatively to reach agreements. Mr. Pilch supported the students throughout, encouraging them to reflect on their negotiation styles and decision‑making approaches. This hands‑on training demonstrated how negotiation skills taught in the classroom translate into real business contexts. We sincerely thank Martin Pilch for his continued engagement and practical contributions to our program, and we look forward to welcoming him again in future guest lectures. More about IMPACT Negotiation Group can be found on their website: https://impactnegotiationgroup.com/

On December 2nd, 2025, Mr. Tom Weise, Director of Global Sourcing at Nordex Group, joined our Negotiation Management course as a guest lecturer. Mr. Weise provided our students with an insightful perspective on negotiation within the global renewable energy industry. Drawing on his extensive experience in procurement and supply chain management, he discussed the specific challenges of negotiating in complex international supply chains and underlined how careful preparation and clear communication are key to building sustainable partnerships. A central theme of his lecture was the importance of looking beyond price in negotiations. Mr. Weise emphasized how long‑term success depends on factors such as quality, reliability, and partnership potential. He illustrated how fact‑based dialogue and patience can help overcome obstacles and create value in demanding negotiation contexts. Students engaged in a practical case scenario, where they had the opportunity to discuss and apply negotiation principles in a realistic setting. This interactive element allowed them to connect course concepts with real‑world practice. We sincerely thank Mr. Tom Weise for sharing his expertise and enriching our course with his perspectives. His contribution was highly valuable, and we look forward to welcoming him again in the future as part of our guest lecture series.

On November 25th, 2025, we were delighted to welcome Mr. Kai‑Stefan Röpke, Vice President Corporate Sales EMEA at Lufthansa Technik, to our Negotiation Management course. This was already his fourth visit to our lecture, underscoring his ongoing commitment to sharing expertise with our students. Mr. Röpke offered an inside look into the complexities of negotiation and sales strategies in the highly specialized aviation maintenance industry. In a market defined by long sales cycles, complex tender processes, and a small number of key customers, trust and technical knowledge are critical for success. He emphasized the importance of strategic thinking, patience, and attentive listening as foundations for building lasting partnerships. A central theme of his talk was the role of trust in negotiations, along with the ability to develop creative, long‑term solutions even under significant time pressure. Through real‑world examples, Mr. Röpke provided valuable insights that helped students deepen their understanding of negotiation in high‑stakes environments. We sincerely thank Mr. Kai‑Stefan Röpke for his continued engagement with our students, and we look forward to welcoming him again in the future.

On October 23, 2025, Julian Schildknecht, Head of Brand and Growth at MicroHarvest, joined the B2B Marketing lecture to share his experience on how to bring deep-tech companies from research to revenue. Drawing from his career in brand building and scaling innovation-driven firms, Julian emphasized his mission to help B2B tech teams bridge the gap between technical excellence and commercial success. He explored the differences between B2B and B2C markets and walked students through the Go-To-Market journey, from early-stage validation to achieving product-market fit. A key takeaway was his “MCP Clockwork Framework”, which connects the Message, Channel, and Persona. Achieving alignment among these three elements, Julian explained, is essential to reaching product-market fit. He encouraged students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset, continuously testing, learning, and iterating based on customer feedback. Other insights included the importance of aligning on a shared mission and the power of strategic collaboration. In deep-tech markets, partnerships with other firms, research institutions, and public agencies can accelerate market adoption and build credibility. In the interactive part of the session, students worked in teams to apply Julian’s MCP framework to real-world examples, identifying the right message, channel, and customer profile for selected technology-driven products. We thank Julian for sharing his knowledge and experience with our students. It was a truly insightful and practical session, and we hope to welcome him again in the future as part of our ongoing guest lecture series.

Großer Erfolg für die Metropolregion Hamburg und die TUHH: Die neue Startup Factory „Impossible Founders“ gehört zu den bundesweit zehn Gewinnern des Wettbewerbs „Startup Factories“ des Bundeswirtschaftsministeriums. Mit insgesamt über 50 Millionen Euro Förderung wird „Impossible Founders“ künftig innovative Deep-Tech-Ausgründungen – insbesondere in den Bereichen GreenTech, KI und Neue Materialien – gezielt unterstützen. Prof. Dr. Christian Lüthje, Leiter des Instituts für Innovationsmarketing an der TUHH, war Teil des Teams, das den erfolgreichen Antrag erarbeitet hat. In den vergangenen Monaten hat er sich vor allem dafür eingesetzt, dass die Universitäten und Forschungsinstitute der Metropolregion und damit die wissenschaftliche Exzellenz von Beginn an eng eingebunden sind. "Impossible Founders bringt das zusammen, was in der Metropolregion Hamburg und nachweislich auch an der TUHH bereits da ist: unternehmerische Talente, exzellente Forschung und starke Partner. Das wird richtig stark!"

On July 1, we were pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas Kreye, founder and CEO of Just Software AG, for a special guest lecture in our bachelor’s course Gründungsmanagement. On the very day of his 18th company anniversary, Dr. Kreye took our students on a personal and highly engaging journey through the founding story of Just Software. Starting as a non-profit social network, the company eventually pivoted toward enterprise software and has since grown steadily, though not without its challenges. Dr. Kreye’s background in M&A at Goldman Sachs gave the lecture an extra dimension, especially as he shared how he left investment banking to pursue his passion for building digital products. He offered our students an accessible and visual introduction to the finance world, including insights into investment options, business planning, insolvency rules, and the basics of balance sheets, while always connecting the theory back to real startup situations. A key theme was the long and difficult path to product-market fit. In the early years, customers often left quickly due to low engagement, slow implementation and unclear value. Still, with perseverance, ongoing iteration, and a supportive investor, Just Software transformed its product and business model over more than a decade. Since 2020, the company has shown strong growth and achieved profitability in 2022. Dr. Kreye also shared how the team discovered their deeper purpose, leading to their guiding principle: #loveyourwork. He emphasized the power of word-of-mouth, the flywheel effect of small consistent wins, and the importance of understanding not just what a company does, but why. In the final part of the session, students worked on a case exercise to estimate the current value of Just Software’s product Just Social, and discussion their upcoming strategic challenges. Thank you Thomas, for the honest and inspiring look behind the scenes of building and growing a startup over nearly two decades!

We had the pleasure of welcoming Matthias Schulz, Head of Strategy at Otto Krahn Group and an expert in digital business models, as a guest speaker in our Innovation Marketing master’s course. His talk provided an insightful look into how a 116-year-old family-owned company continues to drive innovation across both established and emerging industries. Matthias gave an overview of Otto Krahn’s diverse business structure, which includes units ranging from plastics and chemicals distribution to ceramics and recycling. A central focus was the company’s multi-layered innovation approach: from close technical collaboration with customers (e.g., labs and customization projects) to portfolio development and supplier-driven innovation. Matthias also highlighted how the group promotes long-term innovation with Otto Krahn New Business (OKNB), a dedicated incubator for startups and new business models in new material technologies. OKNB pushes emerging technologies into the wider group, empowering internal experts to act as "champions" who help identify, shape, and implement promising ideas. Students engaged in a lively discussion on how Otto Krahn Group combines its strategic foresight, internal expertise, and structured scouting to drive innovation across its operations. We thank Matthias for the inspiring discussion and look forward to continued exchange with Otto Krahn Group in the future. 

Last Wednesday, we were pleased to welcome Ludwig Deutsch from Miele as a guest speaker in our Innovation Marketing master’s course. His talk offered valuable insights into how a leading manufacturer integrates structured innovation into a traditionally product-focused industry. Ludwig presented Miele’s innovation strategy, centered on the guiding principle Immer besser ("Forever better") with a focus on customer experience, performance, sustainability, and employee engagement. Digitalization plays a key role, enabling smart products that reduce unnecessary user interaction and improve daily convenience. A highlight was Miele’s use of AI-powered user personas, developed from extensive customer data and used to explore unmet needs and guide product development. The session sparked engaging discussion around the role of AI, customer-centricity, and how structured innovation can drive value, even in established industries. A big thank you to Ludwig for the inspiring insights and for sharing his experience. We are looking forward to welcoming him back for future exchanges!

On June 3, our Gründungsmanagement course had the pleasure of hosting Timo Möller-Gomez for an inspiring guest lecture on venture building. Timo shared his deep insights into the world of venture building, drawing from his experience at Orbit, a Hamburg-based company builder, and his current journey as a founder of two new startups. In his talk, Timo emphasized the importance of radical innovation and openly discussed the challenges of entrepreneurship, including the often-overlooked survivorship bias and the importance of failing early. A key takeaway of Timos guest lecture was the importance of building solutions that align desirability, feasibility, and viability, which are three essential perspectives for success. Additionally, when working with established companies, strategic fit also becomes crucial. Timo walked our students through the venture building process, from early research and idea sprints to prototyping and scaling. He also introduced practical methods for generating promising venture ideas quickly, such as leveraging second mover advantages and identifying gaps between international markets. Beyond frameworks and tools, he reminded students to stay critical: truly understand the problem, avoid confirmation bias, and always test with real users. Following the lecture, students worked on a case study in the field of pet tech, developing startup ideas for passionate pet owners by defining their products value proposition, evaluating market timing, and outlining strategies to test and validate their concepts. The session was both insightful and highly interactive! Many thanks to Timo for the engaging presentation and hands-on experience. We hope to welcome you again in the future!