Research Projects
Overview of ongoing and completed third-party projectsSeaAhead
Sailing Acceleration through Vocational Excellence and Innovation
Together with 23 partner organisations from seven European countries, HSBA is involved in the new EU research project SeaAhead. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Max Johns, Director of the Hamburg Maritime Institute, HSBA is contributing its expertise in research and teaching to the four-year project, which is funded with €4 million. The aim of the project is to make maritime education in Europe fit for the future through innovative approaches and the use of state-of-the-art technologies such as extended reality (XR).
SeaAhead is funded under the Erasmus+ programme and pursues the overarching goal of establishing Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs). These bring together stakeholders from education, research and industry to work together on solutions to the growing challenges facing the maritime sector, particularly with regard to technological developments and increasing environmental regulations.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Max Johns
Duration: 2025 – 2029
Funding: Europäische Union, Erasmus+
TreuMed
Development and Testing of Data Trustee Models Using the Example of Distributed Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
The use and processing of personal data is crucial for the value chain, with data trustees acting as neutral intermediaries to help reduce potential asymmetries. TreuMed develops and tests data trustee models for medical research, enabling the use of extensive patient data despite strict data protection regulations, with a traffic light system determining privacy levels and safeguards. The model is tested in molecular epidemiology and biomarker research and is complemented by certification requirements and liability concepts.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Christoph Bauer
Duration: 2022 - 2025
Funding: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
Market and Competitor Analysis for Identifying New Business Fields for mindworks GmbH
Business Field Analysis for mindworks GmbH
As part of a project, mindworks GmbH was supported in identifying potential business fields through a comprehensive market and competitor analysis. This analysis provided valuable insights into market size, market potential, demand for new software solutions, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of key competitors. The aim of the project was to provide mindworks GmbH with a well-founded basis for decision-making regarding the entry into or expansion of a business field.
A particular focus was placed on developing recommendations that enabled mindworks GmbH to concentrate on the further development of promising product ideas. The consulting services were provided by a group of students and were academically supervised by Prof. Dr. Max Johns.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Max Johns and HSBA Students of MSc Business Development
Duration: March – September 2024
Funding: mindworks
Sustainability Reporting at HSBA
Sustainability Reporting at HSBA: Analyzing the PRME Framework for the University
Sustainability reporting is becoming increasingly important in the higher education sector. At the request of HSBA’s leadership team, a group of students analyzed the PRME reporting format to assess its suitability for the institution. PRME (Principles of Responsible Management Education) is a UN-supported initiative to strengthen the integration of sustainability in business schools and management education. More than 800 institutions worldwide are members of PRME. PRME has developed the SIP (Sharing Information on Progress) reporting format, which allows members to report on the sustainability aspects of their institutions in a structured way based on seven principles.
The group reviewed PRME reports from other universities and organized HSBA's current sustainability activities according to the seven PRME principles. Based on this, the students derived recommendations for future sustainability reporting at HSBA following PRME, including implications for HSBA’s sustainability strategy.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge and HSBA Students of MSc Business Development programme
Duration: September 2023 - Januar 2024
Funding: HSBA
REM CAPITAL AG
EU Taxonomy and Other ESG Regulatory Initiatives
This project generally encompasses regulatory initiatives such as the EU taxonomy and other European/German regulations (ESG), and evaluates their effects on the financing of the German economy in general, and the financing conditions of the German industrial sector and the German commercial real estate sector in particular. In the first project phase, a comprehensive and easily understandable overview of the most important current and planned regulatory initiatives in this area was created. In the second phase, an in-depth analysis of the effects of these regulations on the German industry, the German commercial real estate sector, and the German banking sector was conducted.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge and HSBA Students of MSc Business Development programme
Duration: September 2023 – January 2024
Funding: REM CAPITAL AG
StePs Stewardship Professionals
Market Launch and Positioning of the New Certified Stewardship Professionals Accreditation Programme (CSP)
This project generally encompasses regulatory initiatives such as the EU taxonomy and other European/German regulations (ESG), and evaluates their effects on the financing of the German economy in general, and the financing conditions of the German industrial sector and the German commercial real estate sector in particular. In the first project phase, a comprehensive and easily understandable overview of the most important current and planned regulatory initiatives in this area was created. In the second phase, an in-depth analysis of the effects of these regulations on the German industry, the German commercial real estate sector, and the German banking sector was conducted.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge and HSBA Students from MSc Business Development
Duration: October 2023 - January 2024
Funding: Stewardship Professionals e.V.
Skillsea
FutureProof Skills for the Maritime Transport Sector
The European shipping industry faces challenges from digitalization, automation, and ecological transformation, resulting in a high demand for well-trained maritime professionals. The four-year research project SkillSea developed strategies for future-proof training in the shipping industry, particularly in the areas of digitalization, ecological transformation, and soft skills, and promoted exchange and training on board. SkillSea was co-funded by the EU's Erasmus+ program and included a consortium of 27 organizations from 16 European countries.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Orestis Schinas, Prof. Dr. Max Johns
Duration: 2019 - 2022
Funding: European Union, Erasmus+ (Key Action 2 – Sector Skill Alliances)
Fundingport
Strategy Development to Improve Fundingport's LinkedIn Presence
This project focused on the LinkedIn presence of Fundingport and its improvement. In the first part of the project, the previous performance of Fundingport's LinkedIn presence was measured and compared with the performance of competitors using suitable indicators. Building on this, a LinkedIn strategy for Fundingport was developed in the second part of the project.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge
Duration: October 2022 - January 2023
Funding: Fundingport & HSBA
Sustainable Finance Study for Germany Finance
Performance of Germany as a sustainable finance location in a European comparison
The research project examined the federal structure of the German financial market by highlighting the strengths of various financial centers such as Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Stuttgart in terms of green and sustainable investments. HSBA was commissioned to compare the German financial market with European financial centers such as Amsterdam, London, Luxembourg, and Paris, focusing on the definition and measurability of sustainability, particularly in the context of green investments and the sustainable ecosystem. Despite the growing importance of sustainability in the financial sector, the transparency and availability of public data at that time were described as insufficient, making international comparison difficult.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge, Prof. Dr. Peter Scholz and 6 Bachelor students from the HSBA Finance Club
Duration: July - December 2022
Funding: Germany Finance
Fundingport x HSBA
Improving usability research for Fundingport's funding platforms
The research project between HSBA and Fundingport, a company of the Hypoport Group, examined the usability research approach of the financing platform. In the first part of the project, HSBA evaluated the existing usability research approach of Fundingport and developed possible alternatives. In the second part, HSBA conducted usability research themselves, using the favored variant of the new approach to further improve the platform's user-friendliness.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge, students of the HSBA
Duration: April - August 2022
Cooperation partner: Fundingport through the managing director Maria Starke and the project manager Svea Keppeler
Metroplan x HSBA
A cooperation based on partnership in the sense of knowledge transfer
This project generally encompasses regulatory initiatives such as the EU taxonomy and other European/German regulations (ESG), and evaluates their effects on the financing of the German economy in general, and the financing conditions of the German industrial sector and the German commercial real estate sector in particular. In the first project phase, a comprehensive and easily understandable overview of the most important current and planned regulatory initiatives in this area was created. In the second phase, an in-depth analysis of the effects of these regulations on the German industry, the German commercial real estate sector, and the German banking sector was conducted.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Dirk Max Johns, Students of HSBA
Duration: 25 February 2022 – August 2022
Cooperation partner: Managing Director of Metroplan, Dr. Manuel Schrapers
Hypoport x HSBA
A cooperative partnership in the sense of knowledge transfer
The research project examined the introduction of a central Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy at Hypoport, an MDAX-listed financial services group with over 20 subsidiaries and around 2400 employees, to balance cultural differences and autonomy among the companies. Previously, DE&I measures were implemented in a decentralized manner at the subsidiary level, leading to a lack of oversight and missed opportunities for knowledge exchange. A central DE&I strategy could have helped better respond to customer needs and labor market changes, increase employee satisfaction, and promote a unified corporate culture, which would have also enhanced attractiveness to investors.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Stefan Prigge, students of the HSBA
Duration: March – July 2022
Cooperation partner: Hypoport SE, Innovation Manager Julia Niepold
Corporate financing of the maritime industry in Germany
With special consideration of asset-based financing options
The research project "Corporate Financing of the Maritime Industry in Germany" examined how the disparity between the real economy and the financial sector could be balanced, particularly through the approach of asset-based finance in crisis situations. The Maritime Finance Research Group (MFiRG) conducted this investigation to analyze national and international financing instruments that could ensure an economic perspective for the maritime industry. HSBA was prominently involved in this applied research project through the Maritime Business School and Prof. Johns.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Max Johns, Jan Apel
Duration: 20 May 2021 – Start of 2022
Funding: Capital Market Research Foundation, Capital Market Law, Corporate Finance and Capital Markets for Germany as a Financial Location
Stay Home – Stay Together
Networked learning in the digital student community
The research project "Stay Home – Stay Together" pursued three main goals to address the challenges of the abrupt switch to online teaching at HSBA since March 2020. First, the project aimed to ensure regular teaching and social interaction through the use of MS Office 365 and Teams, as well as through training and consulting. Second, the project aimed at further developing digital teaching methods to familiarize students with the benefits of digital learning methods. Third, this digitalization boost was to be anchored in teaching in the long term by encouraging instructors to try out new formats and share their experiences.
Key Stakeholders at HSBA: Prof. Dr. Peter Scholz, Cindy Kubsch, Franziska Buttler
Duration: June 2020 – September 2020
Funding: Claussen-Simon-Stiftung ("Was zählt!"-Fonds für Lehre und Lernen)