Rafaela Kraus

Prof. Dr. Rafaela Kraus is a Professor of Business and Human Resource Management at the Faculty of Business Administration of the Bundeswehr University Munich, where she has been serving since 2006. She currently holds the position of Vice President for Entrepreneurship and the University Sector for Applied Sciences. Prof. Kraus has established significant initiatives including founders@unibw (2019), the entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship center, and SpaceFounders (2021), the European SpaceTech accelerator program. She previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration (2010-2014) and Vice Dean (2014-2019), where she developed the Human Resources Management degree program.

Prof. Kraus's research focuses on business and human resource management with particular emphasis on leadership, organizational psychology, innovation and change management, personal branding, and qualitative social research. Her applied research explores intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship, defense/dual-use innovation, transformation in industries like automotive and defense, leadership and organizational culture in public sector organizations. Her work demonstrates a strong connection between academic research and practical applications in both military and civilian contexts.

Her recent publications reveal a clear research trajectory centered on innovation in public sector organizations, particularly defense institutions. The articles show increasing focus on space technology commercialization, digital transformation, and the intersection of military and civilian innovation ecosystems. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications, particularly in how leadership principles from military contexts can be translated to civilian business environments.

Prof. Kraus has supervised numerous bachelor's and master's theses across topics including leadership, human resource management, digital transformation, and defense innovation. Her students have produced research on empowerment in the Bundeswehr, IT security in HR management, leadership during the pandemic, and various aspects of organizational change. She has mentored award-winning theses recognized by the German Society for Defense Technology and the Friends' Association of the Bundeswehr University Munich.

Prof. Kraus leads several significant initiatives including founders@unibw, which promotes startup culture and entrepreneurial skills development, and BASED (Munich Digital Hub Security & Defense), which launched in September 2024. She was project manager of the Innovation Center of the Bundeswehr Center for Digitalization and Technology Research until 2025. Her work connects academic research with practical applications through partnerships with business and public sector organizations.