First successful doctorate in Stendal

After the successful disputation, they went to Stendal Town Hall, where District Administrator Patrick Puhlmann (right) congratulated Niels Schmidtke (center). His supervisor was Prof. Dr. Fabian Behrendt (2nd from right) from the Department of Economics. 

Stendal, May 20, 2025 - A historic moment for Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences: Niels Schmidtke is the first doctoral student to successfully defend his doctoral thesis at the Stendal campus. Saxony-Anhalt's universities of applied sciences have had the right to award doctorates since 2021.

In his dissertation entitled "Development of an integration model for the design of resilient value creation systems in the context of digital transformation", Schmidtke researched how companies can be made more future-proof with the help of resilience strategies and generative artificial intelligence.

Companies are facing increasingly complex challenges such as economic fluctuations, geopolitical crises and technological changes. As part of the work, an integration model was developed that combines technical, organizational and analytical elements in order to anchor resilience strategically and operationally. The focus is on the forward-looking design of business models and processes as well as the use of generative AI for scenario analysis, early warning and decision support. The model is validated on the basis of practical and simulation studies and shows how companies can sustainably strengthen their resilience and adaptability through data-based, flexible structures.

"The model developed shows that companies must not only react, but also actively shape future scenarios in order to strengthen their resilience," explains Prof. Dr. Fabian Behrendt, Dean of the Department of Economics and supervisor of the thesis. The Mayor of the Hanseatic City of Stendal, Bastian Sieler, also conveyed his congratulations on this special occasion: "Mr. Niels Schmidtke's dissertation is a significant moment, not only for him personally, but also for the Hanseatic City of Stendal. As the first doctoral student, he shows the academic potential that is anchored in our region." Niels Schmidtke is 35 years old and studied business engineering and logistics at the University of Magdeburg.

A total of 34 early career researchers are currently completing their doctorates at the two doctoral centers at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences in the fields of environment and technology as well as social, health and economic sciences.