Increased competition in mature markets and growing pressure through new entrants from emerging economies has led to an ever stronger relevance of shareholder value. To address this issue, a first wave of managerial concepts focused on bottom-line measures, i.e. programs aiming at higher efficiency, reducing failure rates, or cutting costs.
However, currently a new approach to foster shareholder value gains traction - the focus on value creation. The key idea is to leverage hidden potentials and stimulate creative solutions to develop new sources of value for a firm and, thus, shifting the focus from the bottom line to the top line. Sources for such hidden potentials can be found within all elements of the corporate framework: Employees, who can be qualified to better serve stakeholder requirements; customers, who can be motivated to spread word-of-mouth and to act as co-innovators; managers, who learn to create sustained team motivation beyond mere financial incentives. Customer-centric processes in logistics and SCM increase the value of provided services, while the better utilization of intangibles such as brands enables higher margins.
With its study programs and research, the KLU's mission in the field of value creation is to prepare future business leaders to evolve beyond a defensive mindset of maintaining market shares and saving costs. Through new methods, our students are encouraged to develop their creative thinking and learn how to devise innovative products and processes that break new ground and provide future growth potentials. They are capable to take their global teams along when venturing into new markets or segments.

Through top-quality research and teaching in the fields of logistics and management, we not only establish new approaches to value creation, but also develop new methods to measure and manage such values and, thus, provide crucial help for companies in need to answer the calls for value creation from internal decision-makers as well as outside investors.
Prof. Dr. Kai Hoberg, Professor of Supply Chain and Operations Strategy and Head of Logistics Department
Research Projects
A Global Overview on Logistics Competences, Skills and Training
Assessment of the German funding program addressing Innovative Port Technologies (IHATEC)
CREAToR: Collection of raw materials, Removal of flAme reTardants and Reuse of secondary raw materials
ChainLog: Identifikation und Bewertung von Einsatzpotenzialen für Blockchains in Logistik und Supply Chain Management
Circular Reverse Supply Chains in Automotives (Ce:VersA)
Clean Cargo Initiative – Sustainability in the cargo shipping industry
Development of an Assessment Toolkit to Determine Logistics Competences, Skills and Training
Distribution of hedonic media products, Phase 2: Impact of social media and usage frequency of media content on its marketing by platform providers
Fab City: Decentralized Digital Innovation Processes for Urban Value Creation - Subproject on "Citizen Innovation"
Fab City: Decentralized, Digital Production for Urban Value Creation - Subproject on "Supply Chain and Operations Management"
HANSEBLOC: Hanseatische Blockchain-Innovationen für Logistik und Supply Chain Management
Issues of Leadership in Humanitarian Aid Operations
Marketing of hedonic media products in the age of digital social media
Marketing of hedonic media products in the age of digital social media, Phase 2: Needmining – Analysis of social networks for targeted product development
Sequential Distribution of Hedonic Media Products
Social Comparisons and Organizational Leadership
The Green Shipping Project Governance and Innovation for a Sustainable Maritime Supply Chain