Albert Gast

Albert Gast serves as a Senior Researcher at the Business Innovation Knowledge Center of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences since October 2024, specializing in supporting SMEs' transition to sustainable entrepreneurship and multiple value creation. Concurrently, he is an external PhD candidate at Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Industrial Design, researching how individuals, teams, and organizations navigate tensions during innovation processes.

His professional background spans over 20 years as a design consultant at international firms including Philips Design, with expertise in connecting human aspects to technological and process systems. Albert founded his consultancy Think+DO in 2013, focusing on brand/service development and innovation process training. His research philosophy emphasizes that human elements are often neglected during problem analysis and solution design.

Key research domains include:

• Sustainable business model innovation
• Design Thinking methodology applications
• Organizational paradox resolution
• Value co-creation frameworks
• Human-centered innovation processes
• Service design for SME transformation

Albert has lectured at TU Delft on Communication Design for Innovation and at Beeckestijn Business School for Design Thinking/Service Design courses, translating industry experience into academic instruction while maintaining active consultancy practice through Think+DO.