Bachelor / (Executive) Master Thesis at the Center for Strategy and Organization
📌 Key facts
- When: Start anytime. Applications are open!
- How to apply: Send us an e-mail (at the end of this page) with your CV, grade report, and research interest.
- 📌 Key facts
- 💡 Background
- 🦾Who We Are
- 🎯 Goals and Topics
- 🎓 Profile
- ➕ Additional Information
- 📄 Requirements for Work
- 📝 How to Apply
- 📬 Contact
💡 Background
Deep tech startups are reshaping industries from quantum computing to fusion and advanced robotics. Unlike typical software ventures, these companies often require years of R&D before reaching the market. Building a successful deep tech company means assembling specialized teams that evolve uniquely: early growth is dominated by technical talent, with commercial functions like sales often added only after critical milestones in product development or regulatory approval. Understanding how and when these teams scale globally provides rare insights into the intersection of science, innovation, and business strategy.
🦾Who We Are
I am a PhD student at the Chair focusing on deep tech entrepreneurship. My educational background is in physics, focusing on particle physics and quantum information theory. I am pursuing my PhD during an educational leave from my work as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group.
The Chair for Strategy and Organization is focused on research with impact. This means we do not want to repeat old ideas and base our research solely on the research people did 10 years ago. Instead, we are currently researching topics that will shape the future. Topics such as Agile Organizations and Digital Disruption, Blockchain Technology, Creativity and Innovation, Digital Transformation and Business Model Innovation, Diversity, Education: Education Technology and Performance Management, HRTech, Leadership, and Teams. We are always early in noticing trends, technologies, strategies, and organizations that shape the future, which has its ups and downs.
🎯 Goals and Topics
Our goal is to understand how deep tech (quantum tech, fusion, space tech, etc.) firms scale as their technologies mature. At what stage do companies build up specific functions (product teams, account managers, marketing, sales, business development, etc.)? While these roles are well defined for, e.g., software startups, there is no blueprint for deep tech startups.
🎓 Profile
Students should have a strong academic background and passion for (deep-tech) entrepreneurship. Previous deep tech experience is a benefit, but not needed. Hands-on experience with Python or other data analysis software is strongly recommended.
➕ Additional Information
We have a strong base set of high-quality deep-tech startup data available for students to work with, although additional quantitative data gathering and validation will be expected to enrich the existing dataset.
In some cases, multiple students may be jointly developing/validating the same datasets. Collaboration will be encouraged where feasible.
📄 Requirements for Work
Students should have a strong academic track record, good communication skills, and display a high degree of independence.
We do not want your research to gather dust in some corner of bookshelf but make it accessible to the world. Thus, we warmly encourage you to create some or all of the following:
- Infograph - visually represent some of your work (find examples here)
- Slide Deck - summarize your research and possibly present it
- 1-2 LinkedIn posts about the most important findings and summarizing the topic
- Optional: Medium Article - let people outside the university know about your research and start your personal brand
Please note that these deliverables are not officially required.
📝 How to Apply
If you are interested, please contact Philipp Sonnenschein via email (Subject: Application Deep Tech Team Composition Thesis - [Name]) by submitting your CV and grade report. Please also briefly outline your tentative research idea/interest in the email, as well as your ideal start date.
We're greatly looking forward to hearing more about you!
📬 Contact
Philipp Sonnenschein (Chair for Strategy and Organisation)