There are many reasons why this cooperation is unique: the foundation funds 20 new professorships for business studies with equipment and infrastructure on a long-term basis of 30 years. 13 professorships will be located at the new TUM Campus Heilbronn and 7 professorships will strengthen the TUM School of Management in Munich. The importance of the high-tech region Heilbronn regarding management education can be significantly enhanced by renowned study programs of the Triple Crown accredited TUM School of Management. Moreover, the TUM is the first university to establish a further campus in another federal state.
The major research of the TUM Campus Heilbronn focuses on the most important issues for the future of economic activities and work in Germany: How can companies shape the profound and fast change as a result of digitalization? What challenges are family-owned companies facing as backbone of the German economy? Under which circumstances can start-ups grow fast and have sustainable success?
With its unique profile, TUM School of Management is predestined for researching the answers to these questions: With a strong focus on the interaction of management and technology, particular importance is attached to entrepreneurial education and technology-based business creations. As the region Heilbronn is strongly shaped by family-owned companies, the new location offers the possibility to intensify this field of activity by forming research partnerships with medium-sized high-tech companies. Thereby, it will be possible to continue successful projects: the share index DAXplus Family which was introduced in 2010 was primarily developed at TUM School of Management for example.
Courses of study connect management with technology
The research findings by the new professorships will directly feed into teaching. Bachelor and master courses, doctoral programs, and MBA programs will educate the future leaders in management, who are optimally prepared for working in technology-driven enterprises. This interdisciplinary approach starts with the bachelor course were all students are educated in business administrations and in engineering or natural sciences.
From winter semester 2018/19 two English master courses will start at the TUM Campus Heilbronn: the master program Management & Innovation for young professionals teaches the newest findings from innovation management and technology. The master program Management is specifically conceived for particularly qualified bachelor graduates from engineering and natural sciences.
No obligations for research contents
The endowment of the 20 professorships is not conditional on the fulfilment of certain obligations. The president of the Technical University of Munich stresses: “Neither the orientation nor the appointments and teaching content will be influenced by the foundation in the least. Also the research contents are the individual and free decision of the professorships (Art. 5, Abs. 3 GG), and the endowment agreement follows the binding TUM Fundraising Code of Conduct.