The Center for Business Development is open

How can we use digital technologies for business development? This question is in focus at the new centre, which opened at the Department of Business Development and Technology (BTECH) in Herning on Friday 6 October 2017.

[Translate to English:] Her ses medlemmerne af centret sammen med institutleder Anders Frederiksen. Foto: Tine Bagger

The new Centre for Business Development (CBD) aims to conduct interdisciplinary and international research into the use of modern digital technologies for business development. This will take place in ways that will make companies more agile and competitive in both the short and the long term.

Currently, the centre’s research consolidates the research-based teaching in courses on the MSc in Economics and Business Administration and MSc in Engineering at BTECH. However, the research also aims to consolidate other AU degree programmes as well as national and international collaborations.

Centre Director Annabeth Aagaard invites all interested parties for further collaborations on all levels - locally, nationally and internationally.


The CBD has four focus areas:
1. Research: The centre aims to present and publish scientific articles in top internationally recognised journals and conference papers as well as develop a strong foundation and development process for the centre’s PhD students.
2. Teaching: The centre aims to carry out research-based teaching and student supervision at Master’s degree level as well as develop new courses and spearhead the new International Business Development Master’s degree programme.
3. Fundraising: The centre aims to sustain 80 per cent of its research activities through external funding and to integrate projects that ensure an efficient collection of valid data for developing scientific research dissemination, teaching and publications for the most recognised journals.
4. Network/collaboration: The centre aims to collaborate with other AU faculties and expand our national and international university network as well as participate in collaborations between the public and private sector and with the business community.

The centre consists of:
• Annabeth Aagaard – Centre Director
• Mirko Presser – Deputy Centre Director
• Torben Bjerrum – PhD student
• Troels Andersen – PhD student
• Lise Lodsgård – PhD student
• Two assistant professors (to be employed presently)
• One postdoc (to be employed presently)
• One Industrial PhD student (2018)
• Two additional PhD students (2018)

How do we collaborate?
The Centre for Business Development is an integrated part of BTECH. The centre participates in teaching, developing courses and other tasks at BTECH, and is a permanent part of the AIROD and EngTech research groups. We are very interested in engaging in collaborations such as the following:

• Project collaborations
• Preparing joint project proposals
• Joint teaching and courses
• Collaborating on book publications
• Joint supervision of Master’s degree and PhD students
• Joint business collaboration

Further information
Centre Director Annabeth Aagaard
The Department of Business Development and Technology, Aarhus BSS
Email: aaa@btech.au.dk

Read more on the centre's website
Read the announcement about the centre
See slides from the centre’s opening event