The Austrian economy is dominated by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The Institute for Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship sees it as its mission to investigate the opportunities and challenges these organisations face. Within this heterogeneous sector, we concentrate in particular, on dynamic SMEs that are driven by entrepreneurial management change processes.

In order that Austrian SMEs can fulfil their meaningful role as innovation and internationalisation drivers and consequently employment drivers, there is a requirement for organisational dynamic capabilities. These consequently stand at the centre of our research, the results of which we publish in international scientific journals.

In our teaching, we transmit to the future leaders of the SME sector, competencies in entrepreneurial management; such as entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurial marketing, as well as corporate entrepreneurship.

In our teaching methods, we strive to find a balance between case studies with an analytical and a decision focus and theory-based reflections. In the light of its expertise, the Institute for Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, together with the associated research institutes, fulfils its function in the area of knowledge transfer and sees itself as a partner for economic decision makers in the field of SME policy.

We realise our role in the scientific community through, for example, acting as conference chairs and co-chairs, as editors or associate editors and editorial board members of scientific journals, as well as providing reviews for numerous journals and juries.