Karin Küffmann

Prof. Dr. Karin Küffmann is a Professor of Business Informatics at the Faculty of Economics, Westphalian University of Applied Sciences in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. She serves as Head of the Digital Business and IT Management degree program and leads significant research projects including URBAN.KI (Artificial Intelligence for Municipalities) and ARIZON (XR in inner cities). Her work focuses on practical applications of digital technologies in urban development and business contexts across the Ruhr region.

Her primary research interests include:

• IT Management and IT Controlling with process-oriented approaches
• Digital Business Models and Data Value Creation
• Sustainable Smart Cities development in the Ruhr region
• Artificial Intelligence applications for municipalities
• Extended Reality (VR/AR) in customer-oriented applications
• Digital and data-driven business models

Prof. Küffmann's recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory toward applied urban digitalization research, with particular emphasis on Smart City development in the Ruhr region, XR technologies for revitalizing vacant properties, and digital business models for traditional retailers. Her work consistently bridges theoretical concepts with practical implementation, focusing on sustainability and economic viability in municipal contexts.

She is actively engaged in regional digitalization initiatives as an Ambassador of the Smart Region Emscher-Lippe, participating in various working groups and functions related to digitalization and evaluation at state and district levels. Within her university, she serves on multiple committees including appointment committees, equal opportunities committees, quality assurance committees, program development, and international affairs.

Her professional activities extend beyond academia through consulting and coaching in digitalization, delivering lectures, and managing regional projects focused on IT strategies, data value creation, and the implementation of AI and VR technologies. She supervises theses on digital transformation topics, particularly AI applications in SMEs, and maintains active industry partnerships through her research projects.