Alkis Henri Otto

Alkis Henri Otto is a Professor of Economics at HSBA Hamburg School of Business Administration since 2010, where he also served as Vice President for Teaching and Didactics from 2020 to 2024. His academic career spans multiple prestigious institutions in Hamburg, with a focus on applied economics research and teaching across undergraduate, graduate, and executive education programs.

Professor Otto earned his Economics degree from Universität Hamburg before completing his PhD in 2004 at Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg with a dissertation on "Macroeconomic Effects of Direct Investments." His academic journey includes significant research roles at the Hamburg Institute of World Economics (HWWA) as Senior Researcher in International Macroeconomics and later at the Hamburg Institute of World Economics (HWWI) from 2006 to 2018, where he led the research area "Hamburg, Städte und Regionen" starting in 2014.

His research focuses on three primary areas: labor market economics, digital transformation of economic systems, and urban/real estate economics. Professor Otto has published extensively on labor market trends through his regular "Konjunkturschlaglicht" columns in Wirtschaftsdienst, analyzed immigration's impact on political outcomes in urban settings, and examined digital platform economics. His work consistently bridges academic research with practical policy applications, particularly regarding Hamburg's economic development.

Professor Otto's publications from 2004-2022 reveal a strong empirical focus on German and European economic conditions, with particular attention to business cycle analysis, labor market dynamics, and urban economic development. His recent work shows increasing engagement with digital transformation themes while maintaining his expertise in traditional labor economics.

He teaches a comprehensive range of courses including Mathematics, Digital Economics, Platform Economics (Digital Toolbox), Strategic Competition and Pricing, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Game Theory, and International Economics across HSBA's undergraduate and MBA programs, reflecting the breadth of his expertise.

Throughout his career, Professor Otto has led significant research initiatives and contributed to numerous policy-oriented studies commissioned by public agencies and private organizations, particularly regarding Hamburg's urban development, housing markets, and labor market dynamics. His work demonstrates consistent engagement with both academic scholarship and practical economic policy analysis.