Prof. Dr. Mario Lucas

My Career in the Mirror of the '3 Ts'

Innovation happens at the intersections of business, design, and media. My international career in Europe and Asia is guided by the three driving forces of modern economic development in knowledge societies according to Richard Florida: Technology, Talent, and Tolerance.

Technology & Innovation

My roots lie partly in Luxembourg, one of Europe's leading financial and media ecosystems. During my studies in Economic Geography and Economics at RWTH Aachen University, I actively accompanied the region's development into a high-tech location. I supported production data management at Mitsubishi Electric (SAP R/3), assisted start-ups at the Aachen Agency for Innovation and Technology Transfer, advised small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) in the field of e-learning, and managed service quality within quality management for Freenet AG. From 2005 to 2010, my focus shifted to Asia. As a project manager at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Science and Technology in Beijing, I designed sustainable energy systems for rural areas in China on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Talent & Teaching

Knowledge unfolds its value through sharing. From 2014 to 2022, I taught International Business and Management at Bochum University of Applied Sciences, where I also helped shape the transfer strategy of the federal-state project 'Innovative University'. Since 2022, I have been working as a Professor of Business Administration at Mediadesign University of Applied Sciences. With a focus on International Management and Innovation Management, I primarily teach subjects such as Strategic Leadership, International Management, and Cross-Cultural Management. The center of my research is the interplay between business, design, and media, as well as the economic value of creative processes—the Return on Creativity (ROC).

Tolerance & Intercultural Competence

Global markets require openness and the ability to build bridges between cultures. I applied this cross-functional competence as the head of the China Competence Center for the central Ruhr region. In close cooperation with the Central Ruhr Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the City of Herne, and local economic development agencies, I developed market entry strategies for German companies into the Chinese market.