Do you want to drive sustainable change and help organisations become more future-ready and innovative? The Sustainable Intrapreneurship specialisation equips you with the skills to design sustainable business models, strategically apply transformative technologies such as AI, and lead impactful change processes. Across three hands-on modules, you will explore sustainable leadership, resilient business model development, and innovation with real social and economic value. This specialisation is ideal for professionals working in strategy, leadership, innovation, or sustainable transformation.
Our part-time Innovation Management programme is taught entirely in English and leads to an internationally recognised Master of Science (MSc) in five semesters – or, optionally, in four semesters via a Fast Track option.
Business administration studies with an internationally recognised Master's degree (MSc) in Innovation Management at the dual business school in Hamburg
Multiple case studies
Several real-life projects
Teaching methods include Design Thinking, Kanban, Agile and Scrum
Study trip to an international destination in the 2nd semester
JOB & MASTER Service: JOB & MASTER is a free-of-charge placement service for applicants who wish to combine a challenging academic education at HSBA with valuable professional experience.
Mentoring Programme: Students are matched with experienced HSBA Alumni from the Hamburg business community, offering to be ideal sparring partners / role models.
Campus in the heart of Hamburg
To successfully complete the programme and be awarded the Master of Science degree, 120 ECTS must be collected. The credits are spread over ten modules in the first year and eight modules in the second study year. The programme concludes with the thesis. Teaching takes place on extended weekends and during a few full-time weeks per semester. On average, the weekly study workload amounts to 15 to 20 hours.
The business administration modules of the Master's degree programme focus on management and the design of successful business models and innovative measures in a rapidly changing world. You will learn how companies are managed strategically and financially and recognise the importance of careful analysis and flexible strategies in overcoming economic challenges and changes. The project modules are one of the highlights of the programme. Here you act as a consultant for real-life problems and apply the theory you have learnt on the course to business practice.
The programme includes the business administration modules Innovation Management and Strategic Business Development as well as the project management module, which teaches concepts such as design thinking, scrum and agile methods. Data Analysis focuses on IT tools and deals intensively with mathematics and statistics. Negotiation techniques and research methods are acquired in Scientific Methods & Competences and teach methodological and analytical skills. Sustainable Innovation & Compliance, Digital Economics and Applied Econometrics emphasise the need for comprehensive digitalisation and offer a combination of mathematically sound methodological development and extensive applied work with data. During the study trip, you will gain an international perspective on innovation culture and management in other countries.
Modules: Strategy and Value-Based Leadership, Sustainable Innovation Camp,
sarah.jastram(at)hsba.de
Modules: Future of Work & HR Trends
daniela.eisele-wijnbergen(at)hsba.de
Modules: AI, Analytics and Decision Making, Data Analysis
soenke.hartmann(at)hsba.de
Modules: Negotiations & Storytelling, Case Studies in Innovation, Consulting Project , Sustainable Shipping and Maritime Economics, Maritime Innovation Project
+49 40 822160 150
Modules: Marketing & Sales Transformation - Foundations and Applications & Research and Empirical Designs
inga.schmidtross(at)hsba.de
Modules: Start-Ups & Fintech Finance
philipp.zaeh(at)hsba.de
Modules: Organisation and Organisational Behaviour, Project Management, Marketing Management, Science and Trends
jennifer.duseux-brune(at)hsba.de
Modules: International Trade, General Electives, Global Business and Economics, Project Management, International Business & Emerging Markets, Organisation and Organisational Behavior
jason.harman(at)hsba.deThe specialisation Sustainable Intrapreneurship opens up a wide range of exciting career opportunities for you. You will learn how to design and evaluate sustainable business models, lead transformation processes, and leverage technologies such as Artificial Intelligence to create meaningful impact. Throughout the programme, you will combine theory with practical experience as you work on real-world projects that address strategic, ecological and social challenges.
As a graduate, you can support companies, NGOs, or public institutions in developing responsible and future-proof strategies. You may work in areas such as sustainability management, corporate development, innovation strategy, or transformation leadership. Organisations increasingly seek professionals who can drive change from within – whether in sustainability departments, innovation labs, strategy units, or consulting roles.
Typical career paths include roles such as Sustainability Manager, Innovation Consultant, Impact Strategist, ESG Project Lead, Corporate Transformation Manager, or Intrapreneur within established organisations. Your expertise is also valuable in policy-related roles, research institutes or impact-driven start-ups focusing on social and environmental innovation.
A Master’s degree in Innovation Management with a focus on Sustainable Impact & Intrapreneurship prepares you for leadership positions and strengthens both your personal and professional development. You will be well-positioned in a rapidly growing field where sustainability, innovation and long-term value creation are key drivers of organisational success.
We are happy to check in advance whether your first degree covers the required content and whether you meet the admission requirements.
After you have submitted your written application to us, you will go through our selection process. The process ensures that students have the personal, social and professional prerequisites needed to complete the study programme successfully.
Tip for international applicants and prospective students: You can find detailed information here.
Senior Manager Student Recruitment & Company Relations
+49 40 822160-932
Would you like to address your questions directly to our students? Please contact Lucie Karpinski (MSc Innovation Management), Idil Guven or Guillermo Martinez Cortes (MBA Master of Business Administration) by e-mail.
Prospective students from abroad are also welcome to contact Kumru Özkan (MSc Business Development)!
Our Master's students will be happy to answer your questions and share their experiences with you!
Maren Gomez Moreno explains how she managed to turn her start-up idea into a success
In the Süddeutsche Zeitung’s latest ranking of Germany’s best private universities, HSBA is among the leading institutions: it takes first place in both the categories Innovative Strength & Future Orientation and Subject/Thematic Focus. HSBA also impresses with top rankings in other areas – including practical relevance, graduate quality, the university’s reputation and international orientation.
Best University
Top University
The results highlight the strengths of HSBA’s dual study model: a close integration of theory and practice, clear subject-specific profiles, and a consistent focus on the demands of a global and changing world of work.
The study was conducted by the SZ Institute in collaboration with INNOFACT and is based on a representative survey of HR managers, former, current and prospective students. A total of over 1,200 people took part, including 651 HR decision-makers. Among other things, the assessment covered practical relevance, innovative strength, international orientation, as well as reputation and image.
Read the full ranking here.
Our HSBA professors Alkis Otto and Max Johns assess the economic consequences of an escalation in the Iran conflict.
The MSc Innovation Management program is part-time, so you can study while working. With the Fast Track option, you can complete the program in just two years. The MBA can be studied part-time or full-time alongside your career. Depending on the master's program, courses are held on individual weekdays or extended weekends and in individual full-time weeks in Hamburg.
Applications are possible at any time. However, since HSBA only has limited study places and funding programmes are sometimes awarded after receipt of the application, and visa processes can take a long time, we recommend an early application for your Master's programme. If you want to apply for the JOB & MASTER offer at the same time, we recommend an early application to our university due to the longer procedure.
In the Master's programme Innovation Management (MSc), the courses take place on extended weekends and in individual full-time weeks at the HSBA in Hamburg. On the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme, courses take place on two attendance days and in two full-time weeks. The other days are reserved for company visits, language courses and an accompanying cultural programme (Hamburg and the surrounding area).
