Prof. Dr. Heike Grimm

The research of Heike Grimm focuses on the role of social and policy entrepreneurship, public policies for start-up initiatives and business promotion in context of development and the strategic management of places in diverse, international contexts.

Recently, she was awarded around 700,000 Euros in federal grants for implementing a social and international start-up campus at the University of Erfurt. The grant is part of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology‘s (BMWi) national initiative “EXIST Potentiale”, specifically addressing the pillar “Poteniale heben” (Unlock Potential) of the “EXIST Gründungskultur” (Exist Start-up Culture) program. The successful applicants and project team of four led by Heike Grimm submitted a convincing proposal which aims at promoting the entrepreneurial spirit of students and to further support ideas from international and interdisciplinary start-up teams.

Heike Grimm is specifically interested in the role of social entrepreneurship for bottom-up development in Global South countries and peripheral regions in the Global North. Previously successful start-up teams from the Willy Brandt School that emerged in her social entrepreneurship class, such as MINTy Girls, Sharing Living or the app Amigo, provided essential motivation for the idea and the development of a social and international start-up campus and incubator at the University of Erfurt. These projects were recipients of the Brandt School’s Commitment Award, which has been spearheaded by the Engagement Price Foundation over the last ten years.
The intersection of entrepreneurship and public policy is an especially innovative aspect of the teaching and research portfolio of Heike Grimm, and is one of the unique selling points of the Brandt School’s MPP program.

Latest research is focusing on public health entrepreneurship. Further publications projects tackle issues such as policy entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship education. The peer-reviewed journal Public Administration Education just accepted an article for a special issue, in 2021.

A research cluster could be established focusing on Public Policy Research in the Global South culminating in edited volume by Heike Grimm with doctoral students and alumni of the Brandt School supported by internationally highly  academics and researchers, among them, David B- Audretsch, Richard Rose and Meng-Hsuan Chu.

• Social and international start-up campus University of Erfurt (EXIST) more information
• Public Policy Research in the Global South
• The Diversity of Entrepreneurship: Policy Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship Education, Public Health Entrepreneurship

• Member International Association of Public Policy (IPPA), College Member more information
• COMParative Methods for the Advancement of Systematic Cross-case Analysis and Small-n Studies (COMPASSS) more information
• European Consortium for Political Research (ecpr), Council Member more information
• Deutscher Hochschulverband (DHV) more information
• Förderkreis Gründungs-Forschung e.V. (FGF) more information
• International Council of Small Business (ICSB) more information

Grimm, H. M. (2019). Public Policy Research in the Global South.  Springer Science + Media Inc.

Grimm, H. M. (2019). Public Policy Research in the Global South. Springer Nature.

Rihoux, B., & Grimm, H. (2006). Innovative Comparative Methods for Policy Analysis. Beyond the Quantitative-Qualitative Divide. Springer Science + Media Inc.

Audretsch, D., Grimm, H., & Wessner, C. W. (2005). Local Heroes in the Global Village. Globalization and New Entrepreneurship Policies. Springer Science + Media Inc.

Grimm, H.M., Jimenez, J.C., Ceesay, L.O. & Wondirad.M (2023) Lessons Not (Yet) Learned: What African Countries Could Teach the Global North about One Health during the Pandemics. In Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice. 

Grimm, H. M. & Bock, C. (2022). Entrepreneurship in Public Administration and Public Policy Programs in Germany and the United States. Teaching Public Administration.

Aly, M., Audretsch, D. B., & Grimm, H. M. (2021). Emotional skills for entrepreneurial success: The promise of entrepreneurship education and policy. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 46(5), 1611–1629.

Grimm, H. M., & Jimenez, J. C. (2021). Handbook of Research Methods and Applications in Comparative Policy Analysis. Review. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 1–2.

Grimm, H. M., & Jaenicke, J. (2012). What drives patenting and commercialization activity at East German universities? The role of new public policy, institutional environment and individual prior knowledge.  Journal of Technology Transfer, 37 (4), 454-477.

Grimm, H.M. (2011). The Lisbon Agenda and Entrepreneurship Policy: Governance Implications from a German Perspective. Public Administration, 89(4), 1526-1545. 

Grimm, H. M. (2010). Entrepreneur – Social Entrepreneur – Policy Entrepreneur. Typologische Merkmale und Perspektiven. Zeitschrift für Politikberatung, 3 (3-4), 441-456.

Grimm, H. M. (2010). The Diffusion of Bayh-Dole to Germany: Did new public policy facilitate university patenting and commercialisation? International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 12(4), 459-478.

Audretsch, D. B., Grimm, H. M. (2009). Local Strategies within a European Policy Framework. European Planning Studies, 17(3), 463-486. 

Grimm, H. M. (2006). Do Public Information and Subsidies Contribute to the Entrepreneurial Environment? An Exploratory Transatlantic Study with Local-Global Perspectives. International Journal of Public Administration, 39(13), 1167-1193.

Grimm, H. M. (2019). Public and Policy Entrepreneurship Research: A Synthesis of the Literature and Future Perspectives. In D. B. Audretsch, E. Lehmann und Al Link (Eds.), A Research Agenda for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (91-106). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Grimm, H. M. (2019). Entrepreneurship in Public Policy Education: The Willy Brandt School as a Case. In E. Lehmann, & M. Keilbach (Eds.), From Industrial Organization to Entrepreneurship. A Tribute to David B. Audretsch (369-384). Springer.

Grimm, H. M. (2019). Introduction. The Added Value of Public Policy Research in the Global South. In Grimm, H. M. (Ed.), Public Policy Research in the Global South. A Cross-Country Perspective (1-13). Springer Nature.

Grimm, H. M. (2018). Qualifikationen, Ausbildung und Professional Schools in der Politikberatung. In S. Falk, M. Glaab, A. Römmele, M. Thunert, & H. Schober (Eds.), Handbuch Politikberatung. Springer.

Grimm, H. M. (2014). Entrepreneurship und Wissenschaftsmanagement an staatlichen Hochschulen. In H. Pechlaner, B. C. Doepfer und S. Märk (Eds.), Wertschöpfungskompetenz und Unternehmertum. Rahmenbedingungen für Entrepreneurship und Innovation in Regionen (165-196). Springer Gabler.

Grimm, H. M. (2010). Country Profile Germany. In Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD):  Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Innovation. OECD´s Studies on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (66-67). OECD.

Grimm, H. M. (2009). Fostering Entrepreneurship in East Germany: Multi-Level Governance in a Transitional Economy. In Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Perspectives on Strengthening Entrepreneurship in East Germany: Lessons from Local Approaches (29-54). OECD.

Grimm, H. M. (2009). Creating an Entrepreneurial Economy: The Role of Public Policy. In Z. Acs, D. B. Audretsch, & R. Strom (Eds.), Entrepreneurship, Growth, and Public Policy (299-318). Cambridge University Press.

Grimm, H. M. (2016). Country level assessment of inclusive policies and programmes: GERMANY. Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Grimm, H. M. (2013). Policy briefs on evaluating inclusive entrepreneurship policies, financing business start-ups and entrepreneurship by people with disabilities. Nutek (Sweden), Junge Leute machen sich selbständig (Deutschland), WomEqual (Finland), RABE (Austria), submitted to the Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Grimm, H. M. (2012). Skills Development and its Relevance to FDI-SME Linkages for East Kazakhstan. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. 35 pages.

Grimm, H. M. (2007). Assessing the Policy Environment of Places: The Free State of Thuringia in a Transitional Context. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Local Development (CFE), Local Economic and Employment Development Programme (LEED), Trento Centre for Local Development. 15 pages.

Grimm, H. M., & Audretsch, D. B. (2005). The ENABLE Program in the European Entrepreneurship Policy Context. Report on Behalf of the State Development Corporation of Thueringen (LEG). 25 pages.

• Research Colloquium

• Project Group: Transformative Leadership
• Social Entrepreneurship

• Management and Leadership
• Research Colloquium
• Social Entrepreneurship

• Public Administration and Finance
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Project Group: Incentivize Social Entrepreneurship
• Project Group: The Global Anti-Corruption Campaign

• Business Plan Writing, Value Assessment and Start-up Coaching
• Management and Leadership
• Research Colloquium

• Public Administration and Finance
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Project Group: Policy Briefing for the 2022 G7 Summit in Germany

• Advanced Research & Writing
• Management and Leadership
• Research Colloquium

• Political Advocacy and Leadership
• Public Health and Policymaking
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Project Group: The Ball 2022-23 - Football and Climate Change

• Research Colloquium

• Research Colloquium

• Project Group: Mission and Visions of the Brandt Reports from Today´s Perspective: Organization of a Panel for the ecpr Conference in Wroclaw
• Social Entrepreneurship

• Independent Study Unit
• Research Colloquium

• Comparative Public Policy
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Project Group: Professionalizing the Commitment Award Project: Evaluation, Case Writing and New Tools for Marketing

• Non-Profit Management
• Research Colloquium

• Political Advocacy and Leadership
• Project Group: The 'Social Impact Navigator' - a Useful and Free-of-Charge Tool which Needs to Reach the International NPO Community

• Research Colloquium I

• Comparative Public Policy
• Political Advocacy and Leadership
• Social Entrepreneurship

• Existenzgründung - Unschlagbar praxisnah
• Haniel Spring School - Public Administration: Russia in Comparative Perspectives
• Research Colloquium III

• Comparative Public Policy
• Public Administration - Russia in Comparative Perspectives
• Summer School - Afghanistan after 2014: From Resolute Support to Sustainable Development
• Project Group: Conceptualizing a Business Plan for a Fair Trade Shop or Selling Point
• Project Group: The Emergence of Public Policy in Cross-Country Perspectives - A Publication Project

• Haniel Spring School - Border Policies from the Soviet Union to the EU: Russia and the Baltic States
• Non-Profit Management
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Research Colloquium III
• Self-Study Unit

• Comparative Public Policy
• Project Group: The Emergence of Public Policy in Cross-Country Perspectives - A Publication Project

• Comparative Public Policy
• Mapping EU Institutions against the National Integrity Systems Assessment approach
• Mentorierungstreffen

• 2-Willy Brandt School: Research Colloquium I
• NGO Management and Social Entrepreneurship

• Comparative Public Policy
• Political Advocacy and Leadership
• Haniel Fall School: Contemporary Governance in Russia and the European Union
• PG-04: Aid Delivery Methods. Assessment and Policy Recommendations