Thesis - Data-Driven Indicators for Assessing Corporate Resilience in Sustainable Value Creation

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Automation technology, business education, business administration, business administration, electrical engineering, computer science, logistics, mechanical engineering, control engineering, technology management, industrial engineering, engineering, data sciences, sustainability management or comparable.

In a rapidly changing and uncertain global environment, the ability of companies to anticipate, absorb and flexibly adapt to disruptions is a key factor for long-term success. Quantifying corporate resilience, particularly across the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability, remains a major challenge.

This master's thesis focuses on the identification and evaluation of resilience indicators that describe a company's status quo in terms of resilience. Based on data management and sustainability principles, the goal is to define which data and metrics are essential to capture resilience across different sustainability dimensions and to explore how these indicators can be integrated into a structured assessment framework that supports decision-making.

The research will be carried out at Fraunhofer IPA, with the supervision support of an interdisciplinary team combining expertise in sustainable production, resource efficiency, and digital transformation. The results are expected to contribute to ongoing research on sustainable and resilient industrial systems, supporting companies in navigating future challenges through better data-driven insights.

Was Sie bei uns tun

• Conduct a literature review on resilience indicators and sustainability KPIs
• Identify relevant data sources and key metrics from case studies or existing frameworks
• Develop a conceptual model or data-driven approach for resilience assessment
• Validate findings through expert interviews or data analysis (optional)
• Summarize and present results in a clear, structured thesis

Was Sie mitbringen

• Student (w/m/d) enrolled in a master's program at a German institution, ideally in engineering, data sciences, sustainability management, or a related field.
• Strong interest in sustainable production, value creation and digitalization
• Motivation to work independently and systematically on complex, interdisciplinary topics
• Excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills
• Independent, reliable and result-oriented working style
• Good English communication skills

Was Sie erwarten können

• Flexible, supportive and interdisciplinary research environment at Fraunhofer IPA
• Opportunity to contribute to applied research with real-world industry relevance
• Workplace culture that values diversity, initiative, curiosity and collaboration
• Possibility to publish your results and present them in internal or external research forums

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Mit ihrer Fokussierung auf zukunftsrelevante Schlüsseltechnologien sowie auf die Verwertung der Ergebnisse in Wirtschaft und Industrie spielt die Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft eine zentrale Rolle im Innovationsprozess. Als Wegweiser und Impulsgeber für innovative Entwicklungen und wissenschaftliche Exzellenz wirkt sie mit an der Gestaltung unserer Gesellschaft und unserer Zukunft.

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Frau Lisa Schäfer

Recruiting

Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnik und Automatisierung IPA

Kennziffer: 81687