dr. R. Harms (Rainer)

Technology Entrepreneurs leverage technology to solve world problems and achieve strong growth. At the same time, they face a lot of degree of market and technological uncertainty. My ambition in research and teaching is to contribute to understanding and solving the challenges of technology entrepreneurs.

Therefore, I am active in the Entrepreneurship & Technology Management section of the High Tech Business and Entrepreneurship Cluster at the BMS faculty, the University Twente. I am currently chairing the Smart Industry Research Orientation, the EIT Entrepreneurship Minor, and am active in entrepreneurship activities with NovelT.

Before joining UTwente, I obtained a PhD in Business Administration from WWU Münster, one of the leading universities on Business Administration in Germany, with a study on Entrepreneurial Orientation and Entrepreneurial Management (runner-up of best dissertation award at WWU Business&Economics). I defended my Habilitation in Business Administration from AAU Klagenfurt on a work on Complexity and Dynamics in new venture creation processes.

I enjoy the academic exchange and was visiting professor at prestigious universities such as WU Vienna, UAB Barcelona, St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, Monash Uni and IMT Dubai. I was a visiting researcher at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, USA, and at HSE Moscow.

Expertise

• Economics, Econometrics and Finance

  • Enterprise
  • Technology Park
  • Entrepreneurs

• Social Sciences

  • Startup
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Research
  • Technology
  • Enterprises

Organisations

When we understand better how new technology based-firms (NTBF) start and develop, we can develop better tools and policies. Therefore it is my passion to understand the complexities of the development of NTBF. My current research topics include: 

Capabilities for early internationalization of technology-based ventures

The role of learning in the technology venture development process

Entrepreneurial learning of STEM students

Please find an overview of my research output at Google scholar and at Research gate.

Publications

Research profiles

It is my passion to help students learn about technology entrepreneurship. I have taught at all levels at 10 universities in 8 countries. The 15ECTS Module “Innovation&Entrepreneurship” as well as the 4TU MOOC “Entrepreneurship for Engineers” received external recogition. My current teaching includes:

• EIT Entrepreneurship Minor (Coordinator Utwente)
• Nanotechnology Design Project (Master)

Business Development Lab for EIT I and II (Minor)

MOOC “Entrepreneurship for Engineers”

Research Topics EIT

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Courses academic year 2023/2024

Address

University of Twente

Ravelijn (building no. 10), room 2109
Hallenweg 17
7522 NH Enschede
Netherlands

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Organisations