Suntje Schmidt

Prof. Suntje Schmidt is a Junior Professor of Applied Economic Geography at Humboldt University of Berlin (since 2016), jointly appointed with the Leibniz Institute for Research on Society and Space (IRS). She holds a PhD from Humboldt University on knowledge spillover dynamics in the knowledge economy. Her research focuses on spatial manifestations of creativity/innovation, labor market resilience, and governance of knowledge-driven economies. She has led major EU and national projects including the INTERREG IVC 'Know-Man' initiative and Berlin Senate-funded studies on innovation labs. Key roles include Deputy Head of the IRS 'Dynamics of Economic Areas' department and project coordination for structural fund programs.

Education:

• PhD in Geography (2012): Humboldt University, Berlin
• Previous academic and professional background at empirica (Berlin/Bonn), IRS, and international collaborations.

Research Interests:

• Interactions between science, business, and society
• Spatio-temporal dynamics of knowledge generation
• Economic spatial structural change and knowledge-intensive labor markets
• Spatial contexts of new economic activities
• Governance and European spatial development strategies

Recent Contributions:

• Published extensively on innovation labs, knowledge spillover, and labor market resilience in journals like Geoforum and Journal of Economic Geography.
• Authored reports for Berlin Senate on labs as innovation drivers and policy frameworks.
• International collaborations include guest research at the University of Toronto and Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg.

Grants & Projects:

• BMBF-funded study on Open Creative Labs in Germany (2015-2017)
• Lead investigator for EU INTERREG 'Know-Man' (2010-2012)
• Co-developed policy recommendations for regional innovation strategies through IRS initiatives.