Thorbjørn Knudsen

Thorbjørn Knudsen is a Part-Time Professor of Strategic Organization Design at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), co-director of the Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS), and research leader of the Strategic Organization Design (SOD) unit. His work focuses on evolutionary processes, organizational adaptation, and how design impacts collective outcomes. He holds a PhD in Business Economics (1999) and a Diploma in Economics (1994), both from SDU. Knudsen has led over €3.75 million in research projects, including a Sapere Aude Advanced Grant (2014–2019). He serves as Senior Editor of Organization Science and editorial roles in top journals like Strategic Management Journal. His research spans organizational learning, decision-making hierarchies, and biological analogies to organizational complexity. Notable works include Context and Aggregation (2023) and Ant Colonies (2021). Awards include the Order of Dannebrog and Tietgenprisen 2003.

Knudsen’s SOD unit hosts international researchers and focuses on strategic design, search/learning, and value chain organization. He supervises PhDs and teaches strategy, organization theory, and statistics. Key collaborations include institutions like Wharton, Stanford, and Warwick. His funded projects address risk management, knowledge sharing, and firm dynamics. Current roles include Chair of Social Sciences at DIAS and member of the Strategy Research Initiative.