I have worked as an innovation consultant at ZENIT GmbH, a center for innovation and technology, since 2000. My main role involves supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with innovation and internationalisation projects. Since 2016, my focus has been on developing hybrid/digital business models, particularly for manufacturing SMEs.I hold a diploma (1993) and a PhD (1997) in Economics. My expertise includes managing innovation projects for SMEs and producing reports on innovation and structural policy. Key projects include the “Regional Innovation Scoreboard” (2006-2008), which evaluated innovation performance across European regions, and the "Regionalised Technology Analysis for North Rhine-Westphalia Based on Patent Data" (2011). In the FP6 project “EuroPeer_SME” (2006-2009), I led the methodological design to analyze best practices in R&D support measures for SMEs in Europe.Since 2009, I have provided consultancy to technology-based firms on innovation management and securing R&D funding. I also contributed to the Advisory Group for North Rhine-Westphalia’s “Go-Inno” innovation management program (2009-2011) and was part of the Expert Validation Platform for the European initiative TAKE-IT UP (2009-2011).Earlier, I was a research fellow (1995-1996) at the United Nations University’s Institute for New Technologies in Maastricht, working on a European Commission study on Portugal’s technological competitiveness following EU accession. I completed my PhD in Economics at the University of Münster (1997), focusing on the impact of EU accession on Portugal’s industrial policy. Afterward, I spent two years at a consultancy in Berlin, supporting R&D projects and economic development in SMEs in Eastern Germany.

R&D support for SMEs and R&D institutions in East Germany, Evaluation of Funding programmes

Visiting scholar for 6 months at UNU-INTECH working on an EU funded PhD training programme on Science and Technology Policies in Less Developed Countries in Europe (Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland)Research report on " The role of EU accession on the technological competitiveness of Portuguese Industry"