Dr. Jens Clausen, a mechanical engineer, is a co-founder of the Borderstep Institute and a senior researcher as well as head of Borderstep’s office in Hannover, Germany. His work focuses on entrepreneurship, innovation, and transformation research, with a particular scientific interest in energy systems, heating, electromobility, and digitalization.
After obtaining his degree as a graduate engineer, Jens Clausen worked for Continental AG as a product development and application engineer. From 1991 until the founding of the Borderstep Institute in 2005, he was a Senior Researcher in the “Ecological Corporate Policy” research field at the Institute for Ecological Economy Research in Berlin and Hannover.
In 2004, he obtained his doctorate at the Institute for Institutional and Socio-Economics of the University of Bremen. Since 2019, he has coordinated the regional group of Scientists4Future in the Hannover region and was appointed to the Heating Transition Advisory Board of the City of Hannover in 2021. Since 2025, he has been working part-time for the Climate Protection and Energy Agency of Lower Saxony on energy system topics.
Jens Clausen’s home is made of wood and has a sod roof, is too large, and part of an ecological model neighborhood dating back to the 1980s. Since his two sons can now mostly take care of themselves, he has started reading long books again. His best ideas come to him when he is walking the family’s terrier, which is why he always takes his cellphone along.
- Altermatt, P., Clausen, J., Brendel, H., Breyer, C., Gerhards, C. et al. (2023). Replacing gas boilers with heat pumps is the fastest way to cut German gas consumption. Communications Earth & Environment, 4, 1–8., 03.03.2023
More - Clausen, J. & Olteanu, Y. (2021). New players in the automotive industry. Waymo, Build Your Dreams and Sono Motors. Berlin: Borderstep Institut., 12.02.2021More
- Fichter, K. & Clausen, J. (2021). Diffusion of environmental innovations: Sector differences and explanation range of factors. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 38, 34–51., 04.01.2021More
- Clausen, J. & Olteanu, Y. (2021). Tesla as a start-up in the automotive industry. From candidate for bankruptcy to gamechanger. Berlin: Borderstep Institute., 11.12.2020More
- Bienge, K., Clausen, J., Suski, P. & Schmitt, M. (2019). Ecological and socio-technical assessment of collaborative consumption: Resource efficiency potentials. Sustainability Management Forum, 1–11., 11.09.2019More
- Hagedorn, G., Loew, T., …Clausen, J. & and 37 further. (2019). The concerns of the young protesters are justified. A statement by Scientists for Future concerning the protests for more climate protection. GAIA, 28(2), 79–87., 18.06.2019More