As a Senior Researcher, Dr. Thomas Neumann is responsible for the Sustainable Entrepreneurship research area at the Borderstep Institute. The scientist, start-up coach, and lecturer works at the intersection of entrepreneurship theory and business practice.

From 2017 to 2023, Thomas worked as a researcher at the Jackstädt-Zentrum Flensburg at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences and the Europa-Universität Flensburg. As the head of the research and transfer area Green / Impact Entrepreneurship, Thomas established the Dock1 Green Entrepreneurship Incubator at the Flensburg campus. He also actively contributed to the development of the cross-border VentureWærft initiative and StartUp SH e.V. In his role as a start-up consultant, mentor, and coach, Thomas has supervised well over 300 start-up projects.

Simultaneously, Thomas pursued his doctorate at the Interdisciplinary Institute of Environmental, Social, and Human Sciences under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Olav Hohmeyer at the Europa-Universität Flensburg. His research focused on the micro- and macroeconomic impact measurement of sustainable start-ups.

Since 2018, Thomas has been sharing his theoretical and practical experiences in the fields of sustainable innovation, entrepreneurship, and green entrepreneurship as a part-time lecturer at institutions including Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg and Europa-Universität Flensburg.

Before starting his academic career, Thomas Neumann completed a voluntary ecological year in his hometown of Oldenburg. He studied industrial engineering with a focus on energy and environmental management at Flensburg University of Applied Sciences, the University of Mauritius, and the Europa-Universität Flensburg. Flensburg University of Applied Sciences repeatedly honored him with the German Public-Private Scholarship (Deutschlandstipendium). His doctorate was awarded the EKSH Doctoral Scholarship and won first place in the VR-Bank University Award.

Whether it’s beach volleyball, stand-up paddling, or setting sails, Thomas enjoys spending his free time on the water with his family.