Research projects and practical collaborations
Our research projects are developed in close collaboration with partners from academia and industry. We develop innovative solutions to current economic and social challenges and put our findings into practice in collaboration with companies, public institutions and international research organisations. Through these collaborations, we enable continuous knowledge transfer and contribute to the targeted advancement of sustainable and digital innovations.
In Focus: CoVE Sales (ERCULES)
Across Europe, the gap is widening between what companies need in sales and what current education and training programs provide. Artificial intelligence, new customer expectations, sustainability, and digital tools are fundamentally transforming the sales profession, and education is not keeping pace.
CoVE Sales closes this gap. This European Center of Excellence combines vocational and academic education with research and industry in a shared ecosystem of expertise. Thirteen partners from six countries—Italy, France, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Poland—are working together to develop future-proof sales competencies.
In Germany, CoVE Sales is represented by Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU) and Wanzl GmbH & Co. KGaA. At HNU, the Sales and Sustainable Business Institute is responsible for research under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Alexander Kracklauer and Noè Perniola.
The initiative focuses on six interrelated areas of work: a European taxonomy of new sales roles, modernized training programs, AI-supported learning factories, freely available learning resources, the Women in Sales network, and regional educational ecosystems linking schools, universities, and companies. The goal is to support Europe in building the sales professionals, educators, and learning environments of tomorrow.
More information about CoVE Sales: covesales.eu
Other Projects and Collaborations
The Sales and Sustainable Business Institute regularly conducts research projects in collaboration with industry partners. Here is a sample list of partners:
