He is interested in how “The New“ is created in companies and other organizations and how it develops and what consequences it entails. His approach to the social field of tension takes into account dynamic developments, for example due to conflicting goals, and combines the professional world of labour with the private world. This integrative approach is based on the scientific work of Prof. Friedrich Fürstenberg.
His topics include changing labour environments and the connection between the new world of labour and fundamental considerations of social partnership and participation. He researches questions of new economics. For him, special organizations are cooperatives and network innovation in an international comparison.
In the recent past, Dr. Tilmann Drebes has already taken on various substitute professorships in Darmstadt and Saarbrücken. His topics there were innovation, digitalization and transformation as well as sustainability in corporate management and management in personnel and organizational development.
He is closely connected with other researchers in Germany and abroad, with practitioners in family businesses, medium-sized companies, with social partners, employers and employee associations, trade unions and urban society.
Good research thrives on good ideas and consistent implementation of projects.
New knowledge needs application to develop sound competencies.
Qualitative discourse between research and practice is crucial for progress and transfer.
Today, family businesses and medium–sized businesses are faced with a complex web of challenges. Research shows that these companies need multidimensional solutions to survive in the modern business world.
Key topics include digital transformation, the shortage of skilled workers and succession planning. At the same time, these companies have to deal with internationalization, pressure to innovate and sustainability requirements. Geopolitical uncertainties, financing issues and regulatory requirements pose further challenges. Demographic change and new working models are changing corporate structures, while cybersecurity and the use of generative artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important.
The research examines how family businesses and medium-sized companies overcome these often intertwined challenges. It shows that successful companies often take multiple perspectives and take into account the connections between different factors. Future research will focus on how these companies can preserve their traditions while remaining innovative and adaptable. Research into these dynamics helps to deepen the understanding of the unique characteristics and needs of family businesses and medium-sized companies.
The mobility revolution in cities requires innovative solutions – and urban cable cars could be an answer. Concepts were presented at Cable Car World, a trade fair for ropeway technology that took place in Essen in June 2024. Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences was on site with its own booth and experienced how manufacturers, city representatives and interested parties from all over the world came together to discuss sustainable solutions. Cable cars can be an environmentally friendly and efficient alternative in certain situations in densely populated cities. They use airspace intelligently, are quiet and emission–free. At the same time, they can handle large capacities and connect city districts across obstacles such as rivers or railway lines. Innovative cabin systems, energy-efficient drive technologies and intelligent traffic control systems were presented at the trade fair. The presentations by representatives from Africa and South America, for example, showed not only examples, but also the interest and search of many cities, municipalities and countries for sustainable transport solutions. However, the presentations at the fair also showed that this is a profound process of social change. It is not just a purely technical or economic issue. Shaping change through participation and participation is not automatic, but requires a new approach. Many lectures emphasized this point of acceptance by people. But what does social acceptance of people actually mean? I invite you to talk to me about it and discuss it together.
As co-author of the new book “Innovation Ecosystems”, which was recently published by Schäffer-Poeschel Verlag, Tilmann Drebes has dealt intensively with innovations in the ecosystem of companies. His contribution is entitled “Innovations in companies. On the need for a multidimensional and multidisciplinary understanding of a complex phenomenon”. He argues that innovations in work organizations are a complex phenomenon that cannot be understood from a single perspective and with the help of a single discipline. Therefore, Tilmann believes that a multi-dimensional and multi-perspective approach is needed in research and science, as well as in practice. To this end, he has already presented an initial proposal for implementation. Innovations are not only about a result, but also about the way to get there. It is not just about methodology and creativity, such as design thinking, to arrive at new ideas. Rather, successful implementation is crucial. Innovations can rarely be understood without a structural reference point that creates the conditions for people to act. However, the boundaries between companies and organizations are fluid. For example, hierarchical and network-like structures exist in parallel and overlap. Companies like innovations can only be understood if they are embedded in their environment, their ecosystem.
Tilmann Drebes was involved in the BMBF research project KOMATRA. The project focuses on value-oriented working and learning in the circular economy. The focus is on healthy, attractive working environments that are linked to sustainable economic development. Industries and companies that are undergoing major changes are to be supported in such a way that the transformation of their business models, products and services, their work design and their further training or learning strategies succeed. Values can provide a central orientation in this reorientation, above all the value of “sustainable management”. The project is funded by the BMBF program “Innovations for tomorrow’s production, services and work” as part of the funding measure “Regional competence centers for labor research” and will run for a total of five years.
Tilmann´s publications are based on research projects and take an interdisciplinary approach to current issues in various work organizations. Whether in companies, administrations or the police, in cooperatives or other forms of organization, he always examines developments against the background of a multidimensional understanding of social areas of tension.
For this reason, he combines methods of quantitative and qualitative social research in his studies and publications. His aim is to depict interrelationships in a descriptive and unbiased manner rather than one-sidedly. His work focuses on linking economic and sociological approaches. This is because the interaction between the economic and social spheres provides interesting insights for effectively shaping the rapidly changing world of work and organizations.
With this interdisciplinary perspective on current and relevant developments, he makes a contribution to multidimensional analysis. The research results are intended to provide impulses for science as well as corporate and administrative practice. Because especially in challenging times of transformation, a holistic understanding of the problem is needed for effective and pragmatic solutions.
Innovations are ubiquitous. They have several dimensions. We encounter innovations in the context of new products and services, for example. But not only there. Technological progress can help us deal more sustainably with nature and the environment or promote health. Innovations can have a technical dimension, but they don’t have to. This is demonstrated, for example, by social innovations that reflect changes in social needs. Examples include new concepts of participation and citizen involvement in the context of future workshops. Innovations are also processes of change and transformation. Tilmann Drebes has done a great deal of research in this area, focusing on the chemical and pharmaceutical industry.
Dr. Tilmann Drebes is a commercial graduate and studied economics at the University of Bonn and business administration at the Copenhagen Business School. He received his diploma from the University of Bonn, where he also completed his doctorate in economic and organizational sociology. Prior to his studies, he completed vocational training as an industrial clerk at Daimler AG in Stuttgart. During his studies, he worked there on the assembly line and supported production as a forklift driver in logistics. Dr. Tilmann Drebes is interested in people and social processes in various social fields of activity with the corresponding structures. He observes and understands interrelationships at macro, meso and micro level. His scientific foundation is based on the work of Prof. Friedrich Fürstenberg. His work is interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. Dr. Tilmann Drebes has a particular focus on innovation processes and the phenomenon of innovation transfer in business and society. He works closely with SMEs and family businesses. Other organizations, such as administrations and authorities, the public sector, police and military or cooperatives are also part of his working environment.
Tilmann Drebes works at various universities and colleges. His current focus is at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. With its 12 departments and around 17,000 students, it is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Germany. In close proximity to the university is the Technology and Start-up Center HUB 31, for which the city of Darmstadt and the Darmstadt Chamber of Commerce and Industry are responsible. It represents an important location for the topic of entrepreneurship and the founding of companies. Tilmann Drebes cooperates with HUB 31 in seminars and introduces students in the master’s program to the topics of innovation and entrepreneurship. Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences is also embedded in the European University of Technology, or EUt+ for short. Under the motto “Think Human First,” the aim is to understand technology not only as artifacts, but to take into account both science and reason in the sense of assessing opportunities and risks.
If you are interested in Tilmann Drebes’ topics and would like to exchange ideas with him, please feel free to contact us. There is the possibility of scientific support for projects and plans. Tilmann Drebes is also a regular guest at conferences and corporate events. He will gladly take time for your concerns.
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