Inaugural Dinner: Commerzbank Mittelstandsinstitut Officially Opens

Frankfurt School and Commerzbank celebrated the official opening of the Commerzbank Mittelstandsinstitut on Monday, 2 November 2026. The dinner brought together business clients from Germany’s Mittelstand, Frankfurt School students, and representatives of Commerzbank and Frankfurt School.

Frankfurt School President Professor Dr. Nils Stieglitz and Michael Kotzbauer, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Commerzbank and a Frankfurt School alumnus, opened the evening. Both emphasised their ambition to establish the new institute as a hub for exchange and collaboration, inviting entrepreneurs and business leaders from the Mittelstand to contribute their own ideas, topics and priorities.

The institute will provide a range of platforms bringing together academic research, business practice and fresh perspectives from faculty and students to open up new horizons and identify practical opportunities. As an example, Michael Kotzbauer highlighted a Commerzbank case study on credit decision-making, in which Frankfurt School students had developed innovative approaches and new insights.

Michael Kotzbauer and Professor Dr. Nils Stieglitz jointly unveiled a donor plaque recognising Commerzbank’s commitment and support. The plaque will be displayed on the Donor Wall in the foyer outside the Audimax.

A panel discussion featuring Sascha Malsy and Dr. Alexandra Kohlmann provided food for thought ahead of the roundtable discussions. Dr. Alexandra Kohlmann is Managing Partner of ROWE Holding GmbH, while Frankfurt School alumnus Sascha Malsy, a Divisional Board Member at Commerzbank, has taken on the role of patron of the Commerzbank Mittelstandsinstitut.

In his keynote address, Professor Dr Jens Weidmann reflected on the mindsets and qualities that define entrepreneurship, including courage, a willingness to take risks and long-term thinking.

The evening marked the beginning of an ongoing dialogue between academia and business, with the Commerzbank Mittelstandsinstitut providing a platform for fresh perspectives, shared insights and new approaches to the challenges facing Germany’s Mittelstand.