Prof. Dr. Mario Lucas

Richard Florida’s “3 Ts” in My Professional Journey: Technology, Talent, and Tolerance 

Richard Florida’s “3 Ts” of economic development—Technology, Talent, and Tolerance—have shaped my professional journey across Europe and Asia. From Luxembourg’s financial and media ecosystem to Aachen’s high-tech region, from rural China’s sustainable energy projects to Germany’s creative industries, I have worked at the intersection of innovation, international business, and intercultural competence. Today, I teach and research at Mediadesign University of Applied Sciences, focusing on the interplay of business, design, and media, and on the Return on Creativity (ROC). 

Technology & Innovation 

Growing up in Luxembourg and attending the European School in the 1980s, I was embedded in one of Europe’s leading financial ecosystems and specialized media hubs. Luxembourg has since transformed into an innovative business ecosystem, ranking 20th among 133 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024. 

Studying Economic Geography and Economics at RWTH Aachen University—one of Europe’s top 10 technical universities—around the turn of the millennium, I contributed to Aachen’s transformation into a High Technology Region through roles such as: 
 

• Mitsubishi Electric Europe – supporting production data administration via SAP R/3 
• Aachen Agency for Innovation and Technology Transfer – supporting start-ups, innovation, and technology transfer in medical technology and the automotive industry 
• Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce – working in further education and IT consulting, training SME leadership and management on the path to digitalization, with a focus on e-learning 
   

Today, RWTH hosts leading European institutions such as the Institute for Technology and Innovation Management, combining strategic, behavioral, and computational approaches to technology and innovation. 

Working in China from 2005 to 2010, I witnessed the country’s ongoing socio-economic and ecological transformation. Focusing on environmental protection, hygiene, and health in rural areas, I co-designed sustainable energy supply systems for households in remote regions, including solar cookers, small biogas plants, and biomass power plants, as: 

• Research team member and project manager at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ranked 2nd globally after Harvard University) 
• Project manager at the Beijing University of Science and Technology on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany) 

Talent & Teaching 

From 2014 to 2022, I taught International Business and Management at Bochum University of Applied Sciences, supervising a large number of Master’s and Bachelor’s theses with a strong link to strategy, interculturality, innovation, and sustainability in multinational corporations. I was also engaged in developing the university’s transfer strategy within the funding project “Innovative University” by the federal and state governments. 

Since 2022, I have been teaching International Management, Retail & Sales Management, Leadership, Innovation, and Project Management as Professor of Business Administration specializing in International Management and Innovation Management at Mediadesign University of Applied Sciences. My work focuses on the interplay of business, design, and media, and I research the Return on Creativity (ROC). 

Tolerance & Intercultural Competence 

Leading the China Competence Center for the Central Ruhr Area, I developed market entry strategies for regional companies planning to enter Chinese markets, together with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for the Central Ruhr Area, the City of Herne, and the Herne Economic Development Agency. 

At Mediadesign University, I am also involved as a student counselor within Student Support, helping to shape a sustainable student journey.