Univ.-Prof. Dr. Erik G. Hansen (Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Inf.), born 1978, is Full Professor, Founder, and Head of the Institute of Integrated Quality Design (IQD) at Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz, Austria. He is also Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM) at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, opens an external URL in a new window, Germany and Collaborator at the Centre for Technology Management of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at University of Cambridge, opens an external URL in a new window. His research focuses on the management of sustainability-oriented, circular, and green-tech innovations at the level of products, product-service systems, and business models as well as the supporting role of management systems. With >10k citations in Google Scholar, opens an external URL in a new window, Erik is one of the top-cited researchers in his age class.

He is a member of the editorial board of Business Strategy and the Environment, opens an external URL in a new window. He has been awarded frequently for his research (e.g. IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Society, opens an external URL in a new window’s Transactions Publication Award), transfer to practice (e.g. State of Upper Austria Award for the Environment and Sustainability), and teaching activities (e.g. The Case Centre, opens an external URL in a new window, Case Writing Scholarship).

Erik is founder of the world’s first virtual reality-based Top-Executive Masterclass on Sustainability Innovation provided by Gemba, London, opens an external URL in a new window. He is also Founder and Academic Head of the MBA Sustainable Business & Circular Economy at LIMAK Austrian Business School, opens an external URL in a new window and teaches innovation management in the MBA Sustainability Management at Leuphana University Lüneburg, opens an external URL in a new window, Germany.

By acatech – National Academy of Science and Engineering, opens an external URL in a new window, Germany, Erik was appointed as a Member of the Steering Committee of Circular Economy Initiative Deutschland, opens an external URL in a new window and Scientific Head of the Working Group on “Circular Business Models”, opens an external URL in a new window. He is Member of the Circular Economy Advisory Board of DIN German Institute for Standardization, opens an external URL in a new window. He served as a Mentor in the Schmidt-MacArthur Fellowship programme of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), opens an external URL in a new window. He has been appointed to the Future Panel Upper Austria, Zukunftsakademie, opens an external URL in a new window (2022-2028) by the State Minister. He is also a frequent Keynote Speaker in industry events, Policy Consultant to governments, and Discussant on social media, opens an external URL in a new window.

Previously, Erik was a Visiting Scholar at Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility, opens an external URL in a new window at Cranfield University, UK. He gained his doctoral degree at TUM School of Management at Technical University of Munich, opens an external URL in a new window, Germany in 2006.

Within the context of studying for his diploma degree in Management Information Systems at TU Darmstadt, opens an external URL in a new window, Germany, Erik conducted i) a management internship at Merck Thailand, Ltd., opens an external URL in a new window, ii) several study semesters abroad at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro - PUC-Rio, opens an external URL in a new window, Brazil and Chinesisch-Deutsches Hochschulkolleg (CDHK), Tongji University, Shanghai, opens an external URL in a new window, and iii) part-time jobs at T-Systems, opens an external URL in a new window, Merck KGaA Darmstadt, opens an external URL in a new window, and Hurst+Vogler CrossMedia.

In 2022, Erik was offered two full professorships (primus locus) of “Innovation Management & Transformation” and “Sustainable Strategy & CSR” at Zeppelin University, opens an external URL in a new window, Friedrichshafen, but declined the offerings.

Erik is married and has two children. More information on LinkedIn, opens an external URL in a new window!

• Hansen, E.G., Wicki, S. & Schaltegger, S. (2022). Sustainability-oriented technology exploration: managerial values, ambidextrous design, and separation drift. International Journal of Innovation Management, 26(5), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1363919622400047, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Hansen, E.G. & Schmitt, J. (2021). Orchestrating cradle‐to‐cradle innovation across the value chain: Overcoming barriers through innovation communities, collaboration mechanisms, and intermediation. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 25(3), 627–647. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13081, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Hansen, E.G. & Revellio, F. (2020). Circular value creation architectures: Make, ally, buy, or laissez-faire. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 24(6), 1250–1273. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13016, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Hansen, E.G., Lüdeke-Freund, F., Quan, X. & West, J. (2019). Cross-National Complementarity of Technology Push, Demand Pull, and Manufacturing Push Policies: The Case of Photovoltaics. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 66(3), 381–397. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2018.2833878, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Hansen, E.G., Wicki, S. & Schaltegger, S. (2019). Structural ambidexterity, transition processes and integration trade-offs: a longitudinal study of failed exploration. R&D Management, 49(4), 484–508. https://doi.org/10.1111/RADM.12339, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Wicki, S. & Hansen, E.G. (2019). Green technology innovation: anatomy of exploration processes from a learning perspective. Business Strategy and the Environment, 28(6), 970–988. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2295, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Schaltegger, S., Hansen, E.G. & Lüdeke-Freund, F. (2016). Business Models for Sustainability: Origins, Present Research, and Future Avenues. Organization & Environment, 29(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026615599806, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Tietze, F. & Hansen, E. G. (2016). To own or to use? How product service systems facilitate eco-innovation behavior (Centre for Technology Management working paper series No. 4), University of Cambridge. Cambridge, UK. Retrieved from https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/268006/16_04_Tietze_Hansen.pdf, opens an external URL in a new window (accessed: 3.3.2017).
• Klewitz, J. & Hansen, E.G. (2014). Sustainability-oriented innovation of SMEs: a systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 65, 57–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.07.017, opens an external URL in a new window.
• Hansen, E. G., Große-Dunker, F. & Reichwald, R. (2009). Sustainability Innovation Cube – A Framework to Evaluate Sustainability-Oriented Innovations. International Journal of Innovation Management, 13(4), 683–713. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1363919609002479, opens an external URL in a new window.

• 2017: Oberösterreichischer Leistungspreis 2017
• 2017: Oberösterreichischer Landespreis für Umwelt und Nachhaltigkeit 2017
• 2017: Emerald Citation of Excellence Award 2017
• 2015: Leuphana Fundraising Award 2014 (Gruppenauszeichnung)
• 2015: Schmidt-MacArthur Fellowship Programme for the Circular Economy
• 2015: Leuphana Fundraising Award 2014 (Group award for successful faculty in the bidding process with State of Lower-Saxony and Volkswagen Foundation – Niedersachsen “Vorab”)
• 2015: N100 “Community der Besten”, Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis (Group of appointed sustainability experts from practice, science and civil society)
• 2014: Nominated for: FGF Best Sustainable Entrepreneurship Research Award, 18. G-Forum, Förderkreis Gründungs-Forschung FGF e.V., Germany
• 2013: Science Award 2013 (Best PhD Thesis), Plansecur Stiftung, Kassel, Germany (PhD thesis: ‘Responsible Leadership Systems’, 2010)
• 2012: Best Young Researcher of the Year 2011, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
• 2012: Highly Commended Paper 2011, awarded by Emerald Publishing (Paper: ‘Measuring the impacts of NGO partnerships’ with H. Spitzeck)
• 2011: Best Young Researcher of the Year 2010, Leuphana University of Lüneburg
• 2009: Best Student Paper Award, XXth ISPIM Conference 2009, Vienna, Austria (Paper: ‘Sustainability Innovation Cube’ with F. Große-Dunker and R. Reichwald)
• 2006: Siemens Excellence Award 2006 (Outstanding Master’s Theses), Germany
• 2002: e-fellows.net scholarship, Deutsche Telekom AG, Germany