Tobias Chilla

Prof. Dr. Tobias Chilla is a Professor of Geography at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, where he has held a professorship since 2012. He serves as Head of the Regional Development Working Group and is a member of the Managing Board of the Institute of Geography.

His academic career includes significant positions at multiple European institutions:

• Visiting Researcher at Europäische Akademie – EURAC in Bozen (2016)
• Assistant Chercheur at University of Luxembourg with Habilitation at Saarland University (2008-2012)
• Wissenschaftlicher Assistent at University of Bamberg (2005-2008)
• Post-doc and Research Assistant at University of Cologne (2000-2005)

Prof. Chilla's research expertise centers on European Spatial Development/Border Studies and Regional Economic Geography. His work examines regional development processes in both rural and urban contexts through multiple geographical lenses including economic, settlement, traffic, and political geography. His research contributes significantly to FAU's interdisciplinary research focus on 'Targeting environmental and economic challenges,' which addresses how globalization, climate change, and cultural conflicts present societal challenges requiring collaborative approaches.

Prof. Chilla actively supervises bachelor's and master's theses in regional development, with recent topics covering diverse aspects from tax influences on business location decisions to demographic change impacts on housing markets. He also offers an online course on regional development through the Virtual University of Bavaria, recognized for academic credit at Bavarian universities.

His professional affiliations include:

• VGDH (Association of Geographers at German Universities)
• DVAG (German Association for Applied Geography) – Regional Forum Erlangen-Nuremberg
• ARL (Academy for Spatial Research and Planning) – elected federal member
• Franconian Geographical Society – Board of Directors
• EPS (European Planning Studies): Member of the Board

Prof. Chilla also serves as a reviewer for prominent journals including Europa Regional, European Planning Studies, Planning Practice and Research, and Cities, contributing to scholarly discourse in his field.