Enrico Pennings

Enrico Pennings is a Professor of Applied Industrial Organization at the Department of Applied Economics, Erasmus School of Economics (ESE), Erasmus University Rotterdam. He holds a PhD (1998, Cum Laude) from the same university, focusing on real options and managerial decision-making. His research interests span strategy & entrepreneurship, real options theory, international business, innovation management, and regulatory economics. He has held leadership roles including Director of the Department of Applied Economics (2013–2018) and Vice-Dean and Research Director of ESE (2018–2022). Pennings is a Fellow of the Tinbergen Research School since 2005 and a member of ERIM since 2006. Previously, he was an Assistant Professor at Bocconi University (Milan) and Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona).

• Education: PhD in Economics (1998, Erasmus University Rotterdam); earlier academic roles at Bocconi University and Pompeu Fabra.

Research Interests: His work examines strategic decision-making under uncertainty, including real options in R&D, market entry strategies, regulatory impacts on firms, and the effects of political instability on international investments. He has published extensively in leading journals like Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Technology Transfer, and Small Business Economics. His recent studies analyze foreign market expansion dynamics, innovation ecosystems, and the role of absorptive capacity in Big Pharma innovation.

Awards & Recognition: While no specific awards are listed, his academic leadership roles and prolific publication record reflect significant scholarly impact. His work on political violence and greenfield FDI (2017) and trademark vs. patent strategies (2017) highlights his contributions to strategic management and innovation policy.

Advising & Grants: Advised 11 PhD students, including notable mentees like Brian Chung (2015–2022) and Caroline Witte (2013–2018). His research has been supported by projects such as the evaluation of the NFIA 2010–2018 (2020) and collaborations with institutions like the EBRD.