Applied research

“Nothing is as practical as a good theory.” (loosely based on Kurt Lewin). Applied research combines sound scientific findings with practical solutions. It serves to understand challenges from the real world and to develop innovative, empirically supported strategies that sustainably advance companies and organizations.

Applied research

Ambidexterity: Reaching for the future with both hands

Organizational ambidexterity refers to a company’s ability to simultaneously deliver excellent operational performance, i.e. to optimize existing business processes (exploration) and drive forward-looking innovations, i.e. to explore new market opportunities (exploitation). A balance between these two skills is crucial in order to be successful in a dynamic and highly competitive environment.

Let's get started.

Networking knowledge, promoting innovation

Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology and the application partners Ingenics AG, Budatec GmbH and AZO Global Product Center GmbH & Co. KG, we are researching how organizations can become more ambidextrous. In doing so, we rely on a holistic approach that strikes a balance between operational efficiency and innovative capability. We determine the needs of organizations in the areas of exploration and exploitation and test jointly developed concepts and methods. Our focus is on

Leadership development: strengthening ambidextrous leadership skills and structures.
Knowledge building: Promoting organizational learning and learning coaching.
Change concepts: Designing transformation and change processes.

Through the direct application of our research results, we not only expand our understanding of the current challenges facing companies, but also enable our clients to transfer evidence-based findings directly into practice – thus making a sustainable contribution to the further development and adaptation of organizations.

The research and development project “AmbiProd – Ambidextre holistic production systems” is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in the program “Future of Value Creation – Research on Production, Services and Work” (02J21C000) and supervised by the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (PTKA). Funding reference: 02J21C191.

Applied research