Commerzbank Mittelstandsinstitut launched at Frankfurt School

• The institute addresses strategic, financing and other key challenges facing German small and medium-sized enterprises. 
• As a new platform, it combines academic excellence with entrepreneurial practice and fosters structured dialogue between academia, business, policymakers and society. 
• Two new professorships and a postdoctoral position will engage in research, teaching and knowledge transfer. 

Frankfurt School of Finance & Management and Commerzbank AG have signed a funding agreement to establish the new Commerzbank Mittelstandinstitut. The institute will combine research, teaching and knowledge transfer on key topics relevant to small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). The focus will be on strategy and financing. The institute is designed as a platform for excellent research and teaching as well as continuous cross-industry dialogue. 

Commerzbank’s support enables the establishment of a research professorship, a professorship of practice and a postdoctoral position. 

“With the Commerzbank Mittelstandinstitut, we are creating a platform for dialogue between business and academia, where new impulses emerge through research and teaching,” explains Michael Kotzbauer, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Commerzbank. He adds: “Frankfurt School’s excellent research provides the ideal foundation to address pressing and practice-relevant future challenges facing the German Mittelstand. Together with the Frankfurt School, we aim to translate academic insights into practical applications and share them with our clients, thereby strengthening the Mittelstand sustainably.” 

“German SMEs are characterised by a remarkable ability to adapt – a capability built over decades, often even centuries. In an environment shaped by technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and increasing regulatory demands, this strength is once again becoming a decisive competitive factor. Many companies are seeking guidance to evaluate strategic options, set priorities and secure solid financing for innovation and transformation. At the Commerzbank Mittelstandinstitut, we will build strong academic expertise in these areas and actively drive knowledge transfer between practice and research. We are very grateful to Commerzbank for its generous support and the trust it places in us,” says Professor Nils Stieglitz, President and CEO of Frankfurt School. 

Commerzbank, as a leading bank for the German Mittelstand, brings deep expertise and close relationships with medium-sized companies. This ensures that current business topics are systematically integrated into research and teaching, for example, through guest lectures or case studies. At the same time, the institute will become an integral part of the Frankfurt School ecosystem. Collaboration with other Frankfurt School research centres, such as the Centre for Performance Management & Controlling and the Frankfurt Competence Center for German and Global Regulation, facilitates interdisciplinary exchange on issues relevant to SMEs. In addition, close ties with the Frankfurt School Entrepreneurship Centre and FUTURY will provide direct access to the start-up and entrepreneurial scene, and Frankfurt School’s global alumni network will further open up valuable perspectives and contacts.