Prof. Dr. Ewald Mittelstädt
Our innovation expert
Ewald Mittelstädt’s CV can indeed be called a thrilling and extraordinary one. He grew up in eastern Westphalia province, and after scientific stations in Münster, Dortmund, Freiburg, and Kiel, with regular stays in the USA and other countries, he has been working as Professor for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in southern Westphalia since 2012. Though he feels quite at home in the field of international management, what he loves most is dealing with technology-oriented start-ups and innovation projects in the region, having coached over 200 start-ups and more than 200 business-development projects so far. In 2019, the Ukrainian Academy of Science granted him an honorary doctorate from Kharkiv University. Also in 2019, he received the Global Entrepreneurship Education Award of ICSB, the oldest and biggest scientific association world-wide for the promotion of entrepreneurship.
To me, innovation means …
... we live in turbulent times, economy-wise as well as technically. I am firmly convinced that entrepreneurial spirit and action is the strongest force to transform ideas into innovations, making the world a better place.
Four questions for Prof. Ewald Mittelstädt
To me, Hansa is a much-loved computer game from my childhood days, but also an ingenious innovation from the Middle Ages, making people realise at a very early date how precious an extensive network, cooperation for mutual benefit, and trust in society and the economy are.
What do you expect of the Brilon Hansa Congress? A lively and inspiring exchange on current challenges and how we can contribute to a solution.
In the future, innovations will only be feasible if we retain and develop the skills for it. As former Federal President Roman Herzog once put it, “Our ability to innovate determines our destiny.”
What can visitors expect of you in the discussions with you? Inspiration for entrepreneurship through the latest insights from start-up and innovation research, and how those findings are put into practice. Networking between start-ups and medium-sized companies – regional and international – is a topic I feel very strongly about.