Within the framework of the Data-Driven Business MBA, designed exclusively for Porsche Holding GmbH, opens an external URL in a new window, 18 students met in the German capital from March 2 to 5, 2025 in order to discover innovative business models, navigating a commercial world where data is omnipresent.

The students of the Data-Driven Business MBA and Prof Martin Gersch in front of the Einstein Center Digital Future.

The students of the Data-Driven Business MBA and Prof Martin Gersch in front of the Einstein Center Digital Future.

After having their first lecture by Professor Martin Gersch at the Einstein Center Digital Future, opens an external URL in a new window of the Freie Universität Berlin, our students had the opportunity to reflect about innovations and expectations for the coming years at the Futurium, opens an external URL in a new window. This museum is dedicated to making its visitors reflect about human progress and various aspects of the future. The afternoon was spent working on a case study with Prof. Daniel Fürstenau. 

We then had the privilege to be received by Advantage Austria, opens an external URL in a new window at the Austrian embassy in Germany, where we learned a lot about the current state of Austrian-German trade relations and of e-commerce laws, thanks to Michael Scherz, Austria’s business delegate to Germany and Kamil Niciecki, a lawyer specialized in Polish-German commerce law. 

Our second day started at the Axel-Springer-Neubau, opens an external URL in a new window with a lecture from Prof. Jochen Koch on future-making practices. The Porsche Holding students then had the opportunity to talk with Jörg Rheinboldt, co-founder of Heartfelt Capital GmbH, opens an external URL in a new window, about his inspiring work and experience as a general partner. 

Afterwards, the students engaged in an interactive workshop in groups about their visions of the future and small case studies, also looking at the HR perspective. 

The journey then took us to LVL's World of Gaming, opens an external URL in a new window, an innovative leisure place and event venue revolving around video games, where its CEO Dorian Gorr made us discover new aspects of the gaming industry. 

Students are about to discover the history and business model of LVL World of Gaming.
 

Students are about to discover the history and business model of LVL World of Gaming. 

Back at the Einstein Center, Roland Ottacher, CEO of dx.one, opens an external URL in a new window (a company of the Volkswagen Group), concluded the day with a talk retracing his career path and answered the participants' questions on innovation, successes and failures. 

The last day’s lecturers were Prof. Janina Sundermeier and Prof. Martin Gersch, who welcomed us to the Start-Up Villa of the Freie Universität Berlin, opens an external URL in a new window and enabled fruitful and instructive exchanges between our students and the founders of the start-ups Peregrine.ai, opens an external URL in a new window, Talonic, opens an external URL in a new window and tulanā, opens an external URL in a new window. After working in groups on different challenges that start-ups are currently facing, the students then pitched their ideas to a jury composed of Prof. Wolfgang Güttel (Academic Director of the MBA Program and Dean of the TU Wien Academy), Prof. Janina Sundermeier, Prof. Martin Gersch and Prof. Jochen Koch. 

Bastian Siebers, CEO of Flaconi GmbH, presents his corporate vision to the students.

Bastian Siebers, CEO of Flaconi GmbH, presents his corporate vision to the students.

We then met Christina Labschütz and Maria Derler from Advantage Austria at Flaconi, opens an external URL in a new window for a site visit. We had the opportunity to take several deep dives on various aspects of the company, from business model to tech, via, of course, data! We had the opportunity to meet CEO Bastian Siebers, Sven Hellmann, Head of People and Culture, David Rissmann, Head of Strategy and Sven Rosemann, CTO who gave us a tour of the premises and of course many valuable inputs. It became clear that a good data-management and a targeted online presence where key factors for the success of such a retail company. 

This trip left all of us with many topics to reflect on and a good overview of new ways to make business and adapt to modern markets. Everyone is looking forward to the next one in London! 

If you are also interested in a tailor-made training program for your employees, please contact: cis@tuwien.ac.at