Center for SME Research and Entrepreneurship (ifm)

The Center for SME Research and Entrepreneurship (ifm) at the University of Mannheim is a pivotal research institution dedicated to exploring current and structural issues affecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Renowned for its interdisciplinary approach, the ifm serves as a crucial link between academia, policy-making, and practical application. The institute's research is concentrated on four key areas: (1) Entrepreneurship, (2) Digitalization in SMEs, (3) Family businesses and (4) Labor market and self-employment. 

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Current topics and news

𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦?
Our recent article “Thinking machines, shrinking footprints? The impact of Artificial Intelligence on energy consumption in regions”, by Robert Dehghan, Nils Grashof, Sebastian Schmidt, Alexander Kopka, and Michael Woywode, explores this tension in the context of regional industrial development in ...
Article by Baris Istipliler receives Best Paper Designation at AOM Conference 2026
The article titled “Divided Attention and Venture Performance: An Attention-Based View of Hybrid Entrepreneurship” investigates how the limited attentional resources associated with hybrid entrepreneurship impact venture performance, as well as the factors that mitigate this relationship.
Assistant Professor Dominika Wruk and Sahin Dündar win the EURAM Conference Best Paper Award
Assistant Professor Dominika Wruk and Sahin Dündar have won the Best Paper Award from the Strategic Interest Group (SIG) ‘Business For Society' for their submission to this year's EURAM Conference in Norway.
Strong start-up activity at the University of Mannheim
The University of Mannheim has already nurtured over 1000 entrepreneurs, who have collectively raised more than $9 billion in venture capital and private equity in recent years.

Publications

Research teams at the ifm

The ifm is an interdisciplinary research organisation with four main areas of focus.

Entrepreneurship

Founders and founder teams, entrepreneurial organisations, entrepreneurial ecosystems and innovations, impact entrepreneurship

Digitalisation

Digital technologies in organisations, sustainability requirements, new cooperation and working methods, social innovations and impact measurement

Family business

Succession Planning, Economic Significance, Family Dynamics, and Regional Differences

Labor market

Size & quality of labor supply, migration & integration, training & qualification, new forms of self-employment, self-employment among women & immigrants

Upcoming Events

There are currently no upcoming events.

What we offer

For students

Everything to do with teaching, transfer and career opportunities.

For researchers

Exchange and cooperation for research in our four focal areas.

Zwei Personen lassen sich von einer dritten Person beraten.
For companies

ifm-Foerderkreis for applied research, policy advising, and knowledge transfer

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