Thesis

Measuring innovation-driven structural change: Development and application of an assessment scheme for leading indicators

Although Germany is a leader in industry and geopolitics, not all regions benefit equally: 40% of Germans live in structurally weak regions. For the "Innovation & Structural Change" programme family alone, the Federal Government is therefore making around 600 million euros available until 2025 to promote strategic alliances of companies, universities, research institutions, etc. The aim is to use regional competences to boost economic strength and competitiveness, create better employment opportunities and offer people prospects for the future.

One of the most important political questions here, however, is: How do you measure the impact of such measures?
And most importantly, how do you measure it as early as possible so that valuable resources may not be wasted?
Established indicators such as unemployment rates, GDP, start-up and immigration rates are at best visible in the medium term. Therefore, the aim of this degree is to identify appropriate leading indicators that allow for early measurement and evaluation of support measures.

Your tasks:
- Research existing indicators for measuring the success of projects for innovation-led regional structural change
- Elaboration of essential characteristics of leading indicators
- Preparation of an evaluation scheme for the suitability of indicators as early indicators
- Interviews with experts: Have the suitability & evaluation of the indicators checked by experts
- Application of the assessment scheme through an evaluation of existing indicators
- Outlook/Research Agenda: What can be more suitable leading indicators that can be collected on a scaled basis?

What we offer:
- Intensive collaboration in current BMBF projects, such as "Model Region Bioeconomy in the Rhenish Revier" or "Change through Innovation in the Region (WIR!)"
- You will be integrated as a permanent team member, you will get a job at our institute, and you will be invited to our project meetings and team events
- Interviews, meetings with politicians, meetings with alliances
- You will investigate interesting research topics in future industries - it's not for nothing that innovation fields are being funded more than ever before
- Room for your own ideas and interests - both methodologically and in terms of content
- For your future career, you can make contacts in politics and the private sector through practical work, or recommend yourself for a doctorate with us

If you are enthusiastic about the topic, please send your CV, a short cover letter and a recent transcript of your grades to becker@time.rwth-aachen.de and bueldt@time.rwth-aachen.de

Keywords: Innovation, structural change, interviews, indicators, WIR!, bioeconomy, blockchain, hydrogen, strategy, funding policy