Name: Danyang Liu
Diploma / M.Sc degree: Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
(October 2005)

PhD Project: Success Factors of Internal Cooperations in the Chemical Industry

Abstract of Research Project

The chemical industry without innovation is like sitting in a car with no gas. You might still be sitting in a highly representative vehicle but you will be overtaken even by a bicycle. Innovation in the chemical industry is viewed as a key driver for future European competitiveness.

The more complex the problem to be solved, the broader the expertise of a team will have to be. That is where cooperation comes into play. They may be cooperations between universities, research institutes and / or companies. But they may also be internal cooperations within one company, getting more likely the larger the respective company is.

In this research project, in collaboration with a large multinational chemical company, the focus will lie on various kinds of internal cooperations it has seen in past and present. To assess not only the organizational and management differences between those cooperation projects but also the underlying thematic issues like amines and functional polymers, a thorough chemical examination will be needed. It is expected that a difference in the object of research also leads to a different set-up and outcome of the project. The analysis will be based on questionnaires and in-depth documentary analysis. Excellent proficiencies in the field of empirical business management research, chemical research and innovation management are prerequisites to perform these analyses.



Danyang Liu
eMail: Danyang Liu