Christoph Hienerth

Christoph Hienerth serves as Professor and Chair of Entrepreneurship and Creativity within the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management. His academic leadership spans multiple research initiatives focused on entrepreneurial opportunity development and innovation ecosystems.

Hienerth's research centers on opportunity identification in open innovation contexts, entrepreneurial risk management, and corporate entrepreneurship strategies. His work examines how businesses navigate uncertainty through user innovation frameworks and develop novel business models within evolving ecosystems. Key investigations include venture capital matching processes and digital due diligence mechanisms in crowdfunding platforms.

His recent publications reveal strong thematic continuity in entrepreneurial decision-making under uncertainty, with particular emphasis on investor-entrepreneur dynamics and project-based innovation management. The 2025 Journal of Business Research article on venture capital evaluation represents the cutting edge of his work in funding decision processes.

Hienerth actively contributes to the academic community through editorial roles, including guest editing special issues on open innovation project management. His work appears in premier journals including Journal of Business Venturing, Research Policy, and Strategic Management Journal.

As part of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, Hienerth collaborates with six chairs and three research centers, maintaining strategic partnerships with institutions like the Kellogg School of Management. His research group conducts third-party funded projects with corporate partners, focusing on translating theoretical insights into practical business applications.