Birgit Leick

Birgit Leick serves as Professor in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), School of Business, Department of Business and IT, Campus Bø. A German native with habilitation qualifications in both economic geography and innovation, she bridges European academic traditions through appointments at University of Bern (Research Fellow since 2016) and scheduled W3 guest professorship at Kiel University (2025/2026).

Education:

• 2019: Full professor qualification in innovation/regional development (Western Norwegian University of Applied Sciences)
• 2018: Habilitation (HDR) in economic geography (University of Bayreuth)
• 2006: PhD in business economics, magna cum laude (University of Technology and Mining Freiberg)
• 2002: MBA (University of Technology and Mining Freiberg)

Research Focus: Her work centers on entrepreneurial firms' regional economic impact (rural creative economy, aging populations, digital sharing economy) and business network governance (cross-border collaboration barriers, social capital in Nordic contexts). Current projects analyze Airbnb's Arctic economic effects and demographic adaptation strategies in rural Europe.

Scientific Recognition:

• HHBIC Conference 2020 Best Paper Award
• Two University of Bayreuth Equal Opportunities Awards (2009-2010, 2015-2016)

Research Leadership: Secured €350,000+ in grants including Nordregio-NAPA ACP Project (2021-2023) on Arctic tourism entrepreneurship and Norwegian Research Council mobility funding. Supervises doctoral candidates across Norway, Germany, Austria, and Iceland while coordinating USN's Sustainability Management research group (2022-2023).

Collaborative Networks: Active in EU Interreg projects 'Benefits for Region Deutschland-Danmark' and Southern Jutland Regional Research Fund initiatives, focusing on cross-border entrepreneurship in peripheral regions.