Torsten Gonschorek

Torsten Gonschorek is a Professor of Management of Medium-Sized Enterprises at the Faculty of Business Administration of Dresden University of Applied Sciences (HTW Dresden), holding this position since 2009. He serves as Dean of Studies for Master Degree Programs and is the responsible person for the Master's program in Management of SMEs, teaching across Business Administration, Industrial Engineering and Management, and International Business programs.

His educational background includes:

• Business Administration studies at Technical University of Dresden (1990-1995)
• Doctorate (Dr. rer. pol.) from Technical University of Dresden (2004-2008) on value-based management in German SMEs
• 4-month academic stay at University of Virginia (2006)

Professor Gonschorek's research centers on the unique operational challenges of SMEs, with emphasis on strategic management frameworks, financial control systems, risk mitigation strategies, and succession planning in family-owned businesses. His work integrates practical applications through the 'Saxon Milestone' competition evaluation since 2013 and partnerships with industry entities like Ellipsis Gesellschaft für Unternehmensentwicklung for certified executive education programs.

He supervises theses on sustainable business modeling, ESG integration, early warning systems, and restructuring procedures, complementing academic work with industry excursions to companies such as Dr. Doerr Feinkost and LAKOWA GmbH. His consulting practice directly informs course development in strategic simulation, crisis management, and financial control for SMEs.

The professorship maintains active industry collaboration through practitioner lectures, corporate excursions, and regional economic initiatives including the Saxon State Ministry-sponsored company succession programs, creating direct pathways between academic research and SME operational realities.